Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim, Arizona

Address:North Rim, Arizona
Tel: (928) 638-7888

Only about 10% of the 4 million annual visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park choose to visit the North Rim, allowing those who do visit relative solitude and freedom to enjoy the truly awesome views.

Grand Canyon National Park encompasses more than 1.2 million acres and the vast majority of the park is inaccessible even to experienced hikers. Recreation is restricted to a few trails that follow the North and South Rims and a few more that penetrate into the canyon itself. The 215 mile journey from the South to North Rim takes about 5 hours and stretches through pine-covered plateau, colorful Painted Desert in the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the Vermilion Cliffs. A few miles after the park entrance station, a side road leads to various viewpoints of the canyon to the east, while the main highway continues to the Lodge and Visitor Center, which has relatively few facilities. The most popular observation points on the North Rim are Bright Angel Point, Point Imperial, (the highest observation point in the Grand Canyon National Park at an elevation of 8,803 feet) and Cape Royal, perhaps the most impressive observation point. Mule trips are available on the North Rim from mid May to mid October, which last one-hour, 1/2 a day or a full day.

Visitors who want to spend a night at the North Rim can choose from the 83 site campground and some log huts, which are scattered around the neighboring forest. Campsite reservations fill up fast, so make reservations as far in advance as you can.

To get to the North Rim from the southern Utah town of Kanab, take US 89A south for 36 miles to Jacob Lake, AZ, then take AZ Highway 67 south 27 miles to the Grand Canyon National Park entrance. From the entrance to the North Rim Lodge and Visitor Center it is an additional 17 miles.