Don’t let the scant information available on the Park Service website fool you, the North Rim is incredible and has plenty of things to keep you occupied. Plus, the majority of people going to the Grand Canyon seem to head over to the south side (est. 90% according to National Geographic Scenic Highways & Byways), which means you can enjoy all the North Rim has to offer in relative solitude. Sean and I can’t wait until we can return for our canyon backpacking trip (all the permits were already taken by the time we arrived).
PICKS:
Sun Porch at the North Rim Lodge
Walking out the back door of the lodge and on to the sun porch, you get a pretty spectacular panoramic view of the canyon. We’re more of the hike down into it kind, but if you’re the sit in the deck chairs, drink and look at it kind, then this is your spot.
Walk to Bright Angel Point
We took this short, paved trail from the sun porch out to a scenic point and got a different vantage point on this mammoth canyon. If you’re at the lodge, it’s worth a look, but I wouldn’t make a special trip for it.
Dispersed camping on National Forest land
Although it’s not well advertised, dispersed camping is the way to go if you’re at the North Rim. There are National Forest roads that intersect the road into the Grand Canyon National Park, and if you turn off on to one of these before reaching the park borders you can camp for free (although, it’s very primitive: no water, no toilets etc). There are a few rules: you have to be at least a quarter mile away from the highway, you have to camp at a site that has been used before, and, of course, pack in/pack out. We drove down one of the NFS roads for about 30 miles and ended up with the most stupendous campsite we will probably ever find. It was amazing. And it was free.
This mountain bike trail crossed right through our campsite in the National Forest and, thanks to some awesome fellow nurses we met at the North Rim campground showers, we knew it would take us around the rim of the Grand Canyon. It was a super fun ride! Thanks John and Rebecca for a killer suggestion!
Roughrider Saloon at the North Rim Lodge
I don’t know about Sean, but after the Rainbow Rim ride, I thought we deserved a beer… and what more fitting place to rest our bike weary butts than at the Roughrider Saloon? The drinks were expensive side for our budget travel, but I enjoyed it to the fullest.
Scenic Viewpoints at the North Rim
We drove to Imperial Point, Cape Royal and Point Encantada on our way out of the park one evening. They were all immense and majestic, but Cape Royal and Point Encantada were the standouts. Looking out across the canyon at the temple-like formations, the Navajo plateau behind and the sharp-peaked mountains scraping the sky, I felt the distancing reverence of standing in such an dauntingly immense place.
Although the first mile and half down the trail is shared with the mules in all their odorific glory, the North Kaibob Trail is a great way to see the Grand Canyon. We hiked down about 4 miles, and would have gone further had we not had the uphill return literally looming over us. Watching the layers of the canyon, along with the plants and animals, change drastically as we descended gave an interesting perspective on the immensity of the place. Plus, the uphill hike was a fun challenge.
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