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This page last updated on 12/12/2017
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Directions: From Las Vegas, NV, the North Rim is 275 miles (Fig. 02). Drive north on I-15 for 128 miles, just past St. George, UT to Rt 9. Drive east on Rt 9 for 10 miles to Rt 59. Continue east on Rt 59 for 32 miles. (At the Utah/Arizona state line, the highway changes to Rt 389.) Continue east on Rt 389 for 33 miles to the junction with US 89a. Continue east on US 89a for 30 miles to the junction with Rt 67. Drive south on Rt 67 for 43 miles to the North Rim. The entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park NORTH RIM is located 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67; the actual rim of the canyon is an additional 14 miles south. Jacob Lake, AZ is located in northern Arizona on Highway 89A, not far from the Utah border. Grand Canyon lies entirely within the state of Arizona.
Description: The North Rim offers a serene and enthralling Grand Canyon experience. It is more remote and less developed than the South Rim, and so it attracts far fewer tourists. Many people think its viewpoints are the most spectacular, since they are located at a higher elevation. The North Rim forms the edge of the Kaibab Plateau, with elevation ranging from 8,000-8,800 feet above sea level. Access is via Hwy 67, through a majestic conifer forest and past scenic Jacob Lake. The drive is beautiful, even before you reach the national park. The North Rim is officially open from mid-May through mid-October. Services include a lodge, dining room/snack bar, campground, gas station and general store with basic supplies. Depending on weather conditions, it may be possible to drive to the North Rim during the spring or fall, but no visitor services will be available.
10/07/2009 Trip Notes: As we got closer to the Park, the thought of getting any good pictures slowly disappeared when the dark, overcast morning turned to snow as we crossed a large meadow (Fig. 03) upon our final approach to the canyon's rim. Upon our arrival we went to the Grand Canyon
Lodge (Fig.04) and had lunch and sat around for nearly two hours hoping for a break in the weather. After checking into our cabin (right), I went to the visitors center and talked with a ranger who told me that there were two other vantage points between 11 and 28 miles away; Point Imperial, the highest point on the North Rim at 8.803 feet overlooking the Painted Desert and the eastern end of the Grand Canyon, and Cape Royal with its seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west. He noted that he was watching the weather radar on the computer and that it looked like there might be a short break in the clouds and storm in about an hour, and that we should head to either of these points. With that we jumped into the car and headed out. and he was right! We ended up with some decent photos; and even saw two rainbows. (con't below)
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| (Fig. 03) |
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| (Fig.04) |
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| (Fig. 05) |
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Trip Notes Continued: On the drive we traveled through some beautiful forests (Fig. 05 above), and on two occasions came across several deer (Fig. 06 above). We also spotted the rare white tailed
Kailbab Squirrel (right). This squirrel lives on the North Rim and nowhere else in the world. He was so fast that I couldn't get a picture - the one shown here was taken from the Internet. Sure enough, when we got to Point Imperial the clouds started to clear (Figs. 01 Top, and 07 & 08). We also saw the first of two rainbows (Fig. 09). We also got some great views and another rainbow at Point Cape Royal. When we returned to the Lodge, even the view from the patio of Grand Canyon Lodge (Fig. 10) had started to clear and began providing some nice views. From the porch we took the trail out to Bright Angel Point (Fig. 11). When we returned to the Lodge we went in and had a delicious chocolate cake and got to witness a beautiful sunset (Fig. 12). The canyon's rugged landscape covers 277 river miles, is up to 18 miles wide, and is in places more than a mile deep. Its views are truly one of Earth's most powerful inspiring landscapes, fully capable of overwhelming one's senses. Due to the ever changing colors of its many geologic layers, enhanced by climatic conditions an accentuated by the sun's changing rays, it is truly a place that one can visit over and over and be assured of never seeing the same picture twice. Be sure to watch the slideshow below for more great pictures.
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| (Fig. 07) |
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| (Fig. 08) |
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| (Fig. 09) |
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| (Fig. 10) |
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| (Fig. 11) |
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| (Fig. 12) |
Clicking the picture-link below will open OneDrive in a new window and a folder containing 87 pictures taken of trip to the Grand Canyon North Rim. To view the show, click on the first picture in the folder and you will get the following menu bar:
Click the "Play slide show" will play a fullscreen window of the slide show.
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