North Rim Grand Canyon - Best Things to do +Itinerary
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park is a rare sight for most people. With only 10% of the Grand Canyon’s total 6 million yearly visitors actually visiting the North Rim, it is a true hidden gem that you should visit, even if for just one full day!
An entire 1,000’ higher in altitude, the North Rim runs about 10 degrees cooler than the South Rim and supports plant and animal life that the drier South Rim cannot, such as aspen, birch, maple, and oak trees.
We visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in November and dressed in pants and heavy jackets.
I can’t express how magical it was seeing the snow-covered aspens that covered the cliffs right up until the steep drop-off into the deep red abyss.
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About North Rim Grand Canyon
North Rim Grand Canyon Itinerary
Lodging - Grand Canyon North Rim
About - North Rim Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park entry fee is $35 per vehicle or you can use your America the Beautiful Parks Pass.
Check the national park website for current closures and conditions.
Hiking from the North Rim to South Rim is 21 miles, but driving is 220 miles.
The North Rim is open year-round, but services are only available May 15 to mid-October.
The North Rim is high in elevation and gets heavy snowfall during the winter season
Is the North Rim or South Rim of Grand Canyon better?
Most will agree who have visited both the South Rim and North Rim that they prefer the calmness, solidarity, and peacefulness the North Rim offers.
Additionally, the North Rim has only 1/10th the visitors as the South Rim because it is further for most to drive to and less services. You can still hike down into the Grand Canyon from The North Rim and experience incredible, vast views from the top of the canyon.
How long should you spend in North Rim Grand Canyon?
If you can only spend one day in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon that is plenty enough time to see all the major viewpoints and even hike a couple of trails!
Things to do - North Rim Grand Canyon
The five main places you don’t want to miss at the North Rim Grand Canyon are:
Sunrise at Point Imperial
Angel’s Window on Cape Royal Trail
North Rim Visitor Center
Bright Angel Point Trail
North Kaibab Trail
Grand Canyon North Rim Itinerary
This guide is meant for one full day at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. You’ll want to get an early start to make the most out of your day and avoid hiking in the heat of the day.
Stop 1: Sunrise at Point Imperial
Hiking distance: n/a
Handicap Accessible: yes, in most areas
Dogs allowed: yes
Start your morning driving along the North Rim Scenic Drive. I highly recommend getting to Point Imperial for dramatic sunrise views over the canyon.
It is so peaceful and quite emotional to see such a mighty power of nature. It’s almost hard to fathom, much less communicate, and why pictures can never do this place justice.
Point Imperial is the highest point on the North Rim at 8,803 feet (2,683 meters), it overlooks the Painted Desert and the eastern end of the Grand Canyon.
Layers of red and black Precambrian rocks, not visible at Bright Angel Point, add contrast and color.
Stop 2: Cape Royal Trail
Hiking distance: paved, easy 0.8mi RT (out and back)
Handicap accessible: yes
Dogs allowed: no
This short nature walk gives my favorite views of The Grand Canyon from above.
Make sure to stop at all the viewpoints along the way. My favorite view of Angels Window is towards the beginning of the trail (the first picture in this blog post), where you can see the grandness of the canyon and the sweeping turn of the Colorado River peaking through Angels Window.
If you’re brave enough, you can even walk out on top of Angels Window!
At the end of the Cape Royal Trail, you will be rewarded with panoramic views with seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west.
On the other side of the parking area, there is a small spot through the forest for a wedding ceremony to have ~20 guests. With the bride and groom standing right on the edge with endless views, I can only imagine how serene and monumental that union would be.
Stop 3: North Kaibab Trail
Hiking distance: strenuous, 4-9mi RT (out and back)
Trailhead location: small parking lot located 0.5 mi from North Rim Campground
Dogs allowed: no
What to bring: hiking boots & poles, 3L of water, headlamp, sunscreen, hat, camera, snacks,
The North Kaibab Trail is the least visited but most difficult of the three maintained trails at Grand Canyon National Park.
It is not advised to start this trail after 10am or before 3pm in the hot summer months.
It is also not advised to hike further than Roaring Springs for same-day hikers.
Hikers on the North Kaibab Trail pass through every ecosystem to be found between Canada and Mexico.
You will start at an elevation of 8,250 feet and then descend steeply down the head of a valley via numerous switchbacks.
After 1.7 miles of lush views, the trail reaches the limestone-blasted Supai Tunnel, where hikers will find potable water (mid-May to mid-October) and pit toilets. This is a great turn back point if the trail has gotten too hot or strenuous.
Next, tight switchbacks continue to the 3.4 mile marker where the you will see the infamously pictured Redwall Footbridge that crosses the east side of the canyon to the west. Next you will hike alongside a massive, narrow cliff of Redwall Limestone, where for long stretches the trail has been blasted out of the cliff in a half tunnel.
Lastly, for day hikers, you will traverse down another set of switchbacks until you see the Pumphouse and then out of nowhere shows the Roarings Springs rushing down the side of the cliff.
Roaring Springs actually provides all the water for the North Rim visitors. You can take the short walk down to the creek of Roaring Springs where you will have hiked 4.7 miles down and will now need to return back up to the trailhead.
Honestly, if you do have two days to spend inside the park, I highly recommend either saving the North Kaibab Trail for an entire day to itself or hiking down into one of the campsites and spend the night down in the canyon!
When we come back to visit we plan on hiking down and reserving a campsite at either the Cottonwood Campground which is 6.8 miles from the trailhead or the 14 miles all the way to the Colorado River and staying at Bright Angel Campground.
Stop 4: North Rim Visitor Center
Head on over to the main area of the North Rim and park at the visitor center. This is also a great spot to eat your packed lunch while enjoying vast views of the Grand Canyon.
From May 15 to October 15, you can make a reservation to eat at The Lodge, which is an experience all in itself. Both the visitor center and The Lodge are handicap accessible.
Stop 5: Bright Angel Point Trail
Hiking distance: easy, 0.5 mile round trip (out and back)
Handicap accessible: no
Dogs allowed: no (a ranger did allow us to take ours)
For classic North Rim views, start at the Grand Canyon Lodge patio, then walk down to the paved trail that leads out the spine of the ridge to Bright Angel Point.
This trail is steep in places, with drop-offs and stairs, but provides dramatic views into Roaring Springs and Bright Angel Canyons. Continue around to back patio at the lodge for another great view spot.
Getting to North Rim Grand Canyon
There are a few options on how to get to The North Rim:
via Las Vegas: you can fly into LAS International Airport, rent a car and drive 4.5 hours straight to The North Rim entrance of the Grand Canyon.
via Salt Lake City: you can fly into SLC International Airport, rent a car and drive 6.5 hours to The North Rim entrance of the Grand Canyon.
via Kanab, UT: I highly suggest staying in Kanab, UT and visiting multiple national parks in one vacation. The North Rim entrance is just over 1.5 hours from Kanab.
North Rim Grand Canyon Lodging
North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge
Lodging in the North Rim
There are only two options if you want to stay inside the park:
Grand Canyon Lodge is the only in-park lodge at the North Rim. The Lodge has a couple hundred cabins and a handful of motel rooms as well as a restaurant, lounge, deli, campground and gift shop.
The Lodge is rustic and charming and will take you back to those early historic National Park days in the early 1900’s. Watching the sunset from the front Porch is a memory not be forgotten. Book online here.North Rim Campground: is the only campground inside the park. Reservations typically made a few months in advance. There are no RV hookups, but there is a dump and water fill-up. There are restrooms, showers and laundry service at the campground. Pets are allowed at the campground.
Hotels outside the North Rim
The Kaibab Lodge is 5 miles outside the park and Jacob Lake Inn is 50 miles North of the park. Both lodges are in remote areas that don’t offer many amenities, restaurants, or grocery stores.
Camping near North Rim Grand Canyon
If you are looking for a campsite just outside the entrance that also has services, I would check out DeMotte Campground, located 10 minutes from the entrance. Half of the 38 campsites can be reserved in advance and the other half are first-come, first-serve.
There is also free, dispersed camping just outside the entrance on Forest Road 611 or at Marble View Dispersed Camping.
If you are making a roadtrip out of your North Rim - Grand Canyon visit, I highly recommend staying in Kanab, which is about 80 miles north of the North Rim.
Kanab offers one of the best places to visit in all Southwestern U.S. because of its proximity to so many national parks (Zion, Bryce) and famous hikes like The Wave and Antelope Canyon.
— Read our travel guide to see Why Kanab is Utah’s hidden gem.
We dry camped for free at Old Highway 89 Dispersed Camping, just North of Kanab and absolutely loved it! Easy to get our fifth wheel into, good cell service for Verizon, and phenomenal views!
Packing Essentials - North Rim Grand Canyon
Packable jacket: our favorite 3-season waterproof jackets are the women’s REI GTX Jacket and men’s OR Foray Gore-Tex Jacket
Hiking shoes: the mens and womens Altra Lone Peaks are our favorite.
Hydration Pack: his Gregory 25L and her Osprey 20L backpacks are phenomenal for all-day hiking.
Sunscreen: Coola is our go-to lightweight sunscreen that stays on throughout sweaty hikes.
Jumper Cables: when you’re in the middle of nowhere, this device is essential because it has its own battery to jump-start your car and air up your tires.
Electrolytes: we swear by this no sugar electrolyte mix to help prevent dehydration from high altitude or tough hikes. It tastes amazing too!
American the Beautiful Pass: If you plan on going to any U.S. national park at least 3 times this year then you can save money by purchasing this pass for $80/year.
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