On the North Rim
of the Arizona's Grand Canyon, the world stands
still as you walk along the great Transcept, a
side-canyon which is every bit as impressive as
any of the gorges, including the great river
canyon itself. Even in the busy summer season in
the North Rim park, you'll often find yourself
alone with Nature, unlike the scene at the
horrendously crowded South Rim - ten miles from
the North Rim as the eagle flies, but 160 miles
away by road, and seeming like a world distant
from the bus tours, crowded viewpoints, lineups
to get a lackluster meal, and mad dashes to
climb aboard the park shuttle buses because the
visitors are so thick you aren't allowed to
drive along the scenic West Rim Road during
summer at the South Rim part of the national
park.
There isn't even a road along the rim, except
for Cape Royal Road -- a 20-mile drive away from
the park "village" to several high points along
side canyons, from where you can gaze across a
succession of gorges before your eyes hit on the
great canyon of the Colorado River (looking
pretty distant from here), and then farther
south to the peaks of the San Francisco Range.
You have to walk (actually use your legs) to get
the best scenic views. They are indeed
spectacular -- as fine as any at the South Rim,
and in my views much finer.
Kaibab Plateau
The North Rim park sits on the Kaibab
Plateau, part of the enormous Colorado Plateau.
Driving to the rim, over the 50 miles of the
Kaibab Parkway (Hwy. 67), changes your
metabolismn and calms you down for the visit to
the Grand Canyon. This is prime ponderosa pine
and spruce forest, dotted with damp meadows
where white-tailed deer browse. The unique
Kaibab squirrel fills up (to a tubby weight of
two pounds) with pine nuts, as the winter
approaches. The Kaibab National Forest offers
120 miles of hiking, riding, and cross-country
ski trails. Demotte Park is a small community,
set in one of these meadows north of the park
boundary. Here are a forest campground, country
store and the venerable Kaibab Lodge, with rooms
and a restaurant.
Inside the Park Gate
You show your Golden Eagle Pass. or pay your
entrance fee, and you drive south toward the rim
- seven miles from the gate. The road continues
through pine forest until reaching its end, in
the parking lot of the Grand Canyon Lodge. The
semi-deluxe log suites, motel rooms, and very
rustic cabins (all belonging to the Lodge) offer
the only accommodations inside the park. A large
park camp- ground is located just north of the
Lodge complex.
Scoping the Canyons
Looking down at Nature's architecture is what
you do here, and for most of the great sights,
you need to do a little walking. Several short
trails lead from the Lodge area to vista points.
If you expend no more energy than this, you just
have to walk the trail to Bright Angel Point. It
is undoubtedly the finest half mile walk
anywhere in the nation! For the ultimate views
of the whole Grand Canyon Region, drive the
23-mile Cape Royal Road. This jaunt can easily
take a full day of sightseeing, picnicking, and
wildlife viewing. Point Imperial provides the
highest view- point in the park, looking down on
the main and side canyons, all the way to the
South Rim, and beyond. At more than 8,800 feet,
a boreal spruce/fir forest covers the slopes.
Angel's Window is an in-credible opening in a
rock formation, reached by a side-trail At the
end of the drive, Cape Royal Overlook places you
in a pinyon pine/juniper woodland.
The 160 miles it takes to get here is
nothing. I'd drive an extra thousand miles to
get to this sublime wild place, at the edge of
forever.
The photo at the top of
this page was taken by Bob Ribokas, the creator
and majordomo of the fine "Unnofficial" Grand
Canyon National Park Home Page. This site offers
a wealth of information on the Grand Canyon, as
well as an impressive library of downloadable
images photographed by Bob. To reach all of this
information, including up-to-date stories on the
ecology of the canyon, local events and
attractions, and places to stay and eat
(particularly at and near the South Rim) go to
www.kaibab.org.
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Destination Essentials
Then turn west on Alternate
Route 89 and drive over the Navajo Bridge at the
north edge of the Grand Canyon. From the
turn-off, it's 55 miles to Jacob Lake. Turn south on State Route 67
and drive 45 miles to North Rim and the fine old
Grand Canyon Lodge. The Park Campground is on the
entrance road, just north of the lodge.
A Few of the
North Rim Trails
Bridge Angel
Point
This should be your first exploration, a half
mile walk starting at the Lodge, providing fine
views.
Widfors
Leading from the side of a gravel road, north of
the mule paddock, this five-mile (one way) hike
leads beside Transcept Canyon, to Widforss Point
and some of the best panoramic views of the main
canyon, plus buttes closer to the North Rim.
Transept
A short walk along the rim of this side-canyon
provides views of the results of a gigantic rock
slide (1991) and a host of rock formations.
North Kaibab
This is the trail that leads down to the
Colorado River and Phantom Ranch. You can hike
(hardy people only), or ride a mule. Phantom
Ranch offers rooms and meals close to the river.
Where to Stay
The North Rim Campground has sites for
RVs (no hookups), trailers, and tents, with a
store, showers, and gas pumps.
Accomodations in various Grand Canyon
Lodge rooms and suites may be reserved by
calling (801) 586-7686, or write TW Services,
P.O Box 400, Cedar City UT 84720. The Lodge has
a dining room and a cocktail lounge -- both
providing fine views from the canyon's edge.
Closed in Winter
The North Rim park and the lodge are open
from mid-May, when the snow clears, to October.
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