8
Ways to Make
Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim
Great
COVID-19
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The North Rim is the lesser visited, or "other side," of the Grand Canyon. Spectacular views and fewer people make this a great place to visit!
Cape Royal Hike
0.6 mi. RT
This was an easy walk on a flat, paved trail with views of the canyon, Angels Window (pictured), and the Colorado River. This trail has its own parking area.
Bright Angel Point Hike
0.8 mi RT; approx 30 minutes
This was a paved trail with some incline that offered beautiful views of the canyon but has ledges and drop-offs so watch the little ones. This trail is located at the Visitor Center parking lot.
Point Imperial
This offered beautiful views but was quite windy the day we visited. It is the highest rim overlook at 8,803 feet and is located 11 miles from the Visitor Center.
Camping on the Rim
We chose campsite T6, which was the last in a row of tents along the rim of the grand canyon. T4 likely had a better view, but we were quite satisfied with our location. The hiker/cycler sites were spectacular. The bathroom didn't have much counter space but it did have running water, toilet paper and was reasonably clean. The hand dryers were loud, so keep that in mind when picking out a site. You can hike from the campsite to the lodge along the Transept Trail.
Roosevelt Point and Vista Encantada
Take a drive to the end of the scenic road at Cape Royal (23 miles). It had a beautiful, scenic picnic area but was way too windy for us to enjoy that day. These short walks out to lookout points and benches are worth the stop along Cape Royal Rd (closed Oct-May). Pictured is Vista Encantada.
Transept Trail
2.4 mi. RT
This trail is not paved but is well maintained and relatively flat and easy. It has beautiful views of the canyons and trees. The best part about this trail is that it ran right along the campground by our campsite. We walked it from the campsite to the Lodge. Be sure to stop and smell the ponderosa pines. If you smell between the crevices in the bark it has a cinnamon-vanilla smell.
Sunset
The best place for a sunset picture is on the Transept Trail near the lodge. We tried to get to the spot quickly and were reminded that this park is at 8,000 feet of elevation and we were quite winded by the time we reached our destination.
Dinner at the Deli of the Pines by the Lodge
We were quite suprised and impressed at the reasonably priced, quick meal we had at the Deli. Try the black bean and rice soup!
Additional Tips
We stayed during an unusually cold and windy weather pattern for June. However, be prepared for cold weather camping at this altitude.