June McDaniel, 6, of Petaluma pets Gentry with National Park Service Ranger Hailie Hauser in the saddle during the Morgan ...

Once upon a time deciding to make a thru-hike of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail might have meant getting away from it all, but apparently no more.

The White Sage Fire near the North Rim has grown to more than 19,000 acres, authorities said, while the nearby Dragon Bravo Fire has burned at least 5,000 acres.