Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, Arizona, United States



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Getting There, North Rim
Coming From St. George, Utah: Take Interstate 15 north toward Salt Lake City and take Utah State Highway 9, Hurricane, Utah and Zion National Park exit. Head east on Utah State Highway 9. Take Utah State Highway 59 east out of Hurricane until it ends in Arizona. Utah State Highway 59 becomes Arizona State Highway 389. Continue to follow it east, you will pass Pipe Spring National Monument, and go through the Kaibab Indian Reservation. Arizona State Highway 389 ends at the junction of US 89 and US Alternate 89. Take US Alternate 89 south to Jacob Lake. at Jacob Lake you will take Arizona State 67 approximately 37 miles south through the Kaibab National Forest to the North Rim Entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. Coming From Page Arizona: Take US 89 south 24 miles to the junction of US 89 and US Alternate 89. Head north on US Alternate 89 55 miles to Jacobs Lake. Take Arizona State 67 south about 30 miles through the Kaibab National Forest to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
General Overview, North Rim
Spread out over a vast area, more than two-thirds of Grand Canyon National Park is located north of the Colorado River. With an average elevation of almost 8,000 feet, the north rim of Grand Canyon is covered mostly by conifer forest. Subject to tremendous amounts of snow in the winter the North Rim is open from mid-May and closes in mid-October. Less than 10% of the people that visit the Grand Canyon go to the North Rim, so it is far less congested and the hiking trails in offer a lot of opportunity for solitude. Imperial Point is the highest spot in the entire park, located at 8,803 feet above sea level and offers wonderful views of the side canyons to the east. Despite the remote location, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon offers a variety of programs and features. Camping, food service, lodging, a medical clinic, fuel, shuttle service, laundry and showers, post office, gift shop, and miles of hiking trails can be found. In May of 2000 a controlled burn north of the main visitors area turned into a wildfire charring the ponderosa forest north to Point Imperial and along Arizona Highway 67.
In Park Camping, North Rim
The National Park Service operates a single campground at the North Rim. The North Rim Campground is open from mid May until approximately October 15th, weather permitting and has 82 campsites. Sheltered by ponderosa pine and quaking aspen, this forested campsite does not have RV hookups; but there is a dump station, hot showers, a laundry (for a fee), and potable water. RV's up to 40 feet in length can be accommodated. Separate areas for groups, hikers and mountain bikers are available. There are also prime campsites available that are on the rim of the canyon. Reservations are strongly recommended and should be made as far in advance as possible. Reservations can not be made more than five months in advance. You can make reservations online by visiting the National Park Reservation Service or by calling 1-800-365-2267. Last minute reservations are done on a first come first serve basis. Check in is 11:00 AM and checkout is 11:00 AM. If you are going to be late arriving to the park you need to call 520-638-7888. Fire grates are provided and all fires must be made in the grates. Firewood can be purchased at the camp store and the gathering of firewood is against park regulations. Pets are allowed at the campsite, but must be kept on a leash at all times and are not allowed on hiking trails. No more than two vehicles are allowed per site, and no more than three tents are allowed per site. Firearms and fireworks are not permitted anywhere in the park. There are evening programs that start at 8:00 PM every night during the summer season at the North Rim Visitor Center Auditorium. The Transept Trail follows the edge of the canyon south toward the North Rim Visitor Center Lodge and Bright Angel Point. The hike is three miles round trip from the campground and is considered moderately difficult. The trail itself offers excellent views of the Grand Canyon looking to the south and west. Maximum stay is limited to seven days in a row, and 30 days in a season. The quiet hours are from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, however the area ravens are not required to follow this regulation and if you like to sleep in ear plugs are a good idea! Campers should be aware that due to the altitude the park can get cold at night, even during summer months, and should equip accordingly. Snow as early as September is possible. The Grand Canyon is also prone to receive thunderstorms in July and August when the desert monsoon blows up from the Pacific. Equipment should be setup accordingly. If you are tent camping, the safest place to be during a thunderstorm is in your car. Fees are $4 a night for those on foot or bicycle, $15 per night for a standard campsite, $20 per night for a prime campsite, and $40 a night for a group campsite.