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Things to Do in North Rim

If you are careful, you can go to the top - North Rim
If you are careful, you can go to the top
by mikehanneman
Reviews and photos of North Rim attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for North Rim sightseeing.
Local Time 5:55 pm Friday, July 25, 2008
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North Rim Things To DoTips 1 - 10 of 12  
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Jacob Lake Lookout Tower
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  • By mikehanneman on August 30, 2006
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  • If you are careful, you can go to the top - North Rim
    If you are careful, you can go
    to the top
    by mikehanneman
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    Cruising on Highway 67, leaving the Grand Canyon's North Rim, I noticed a sign along the road, Jacob Lake Lookout Tower. I had just read an article in Arizona Highways about a writer paying a visit to the individual who had the solitary job of sitting in the top of a lookout tower watching for forest fires. After seeing the sign I thought it might be a cool experience to check in with the person who was on duty.

    I saw a figure looking at me just below the top of the steel cab. I moved closer to the tower and observed the sign. It said "caution enter at your own risk - U S Forest Service." I proceeded up the 80 foot tower.

    A bit stunned, I started to check out the view, not trying to ignore Mark. To the north I could see the red Vermilion Cliffs. Right behind those cliffs were the white cliffs and finally pink cliffs representing Bryce National Park. It was a bit hazy but Mark thought we could see about 80 miles on this day.

    The wind speed indicator said the wind was only blowing 10 miles per hour but I could feel the tower swaying! Mark said the tower was built to withstand 130 mph winds. I wouldn't want to be there to test that out!

    This lookout tower was built in 1934 by the Civillian Conservation Corps. This site is listed on The National Historic Lookout Register. www.firelookout.net was the web address I saw on the sign.

    While sometimes reading a book was his only compaion during the day, Mark mentioned he averaged about one or two visitors per day.

    I asked him what the eagle feather was hanging down from the ceiling. A Native American had been on the job for about a week when he was jolted by lightning and wanted the seven foot by seven foot area blessed to get rid of the bad spirits. Soon I noticed his wooden stool had an insulator on each of its four legs. When lightning strikes around the tower, Mark sits on the insulated chair with his arms placed on the inside of his body for protection.

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  • Directions: 20 miles or so north of the Grand Canyon North Rim on Highway 64. You will see a sign for the Lookout Tower turn off.
  • Website: www.firelookout.net

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    Three Side Trips For Different Views
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  • Updated By mikehanneman on October 11, 2006
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  • Imperial Point View - North Rim
    Imperial Point View
    by mikehanneman, 1 more photos
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    Prior to arriving at the North Rim's Lodge/Visitor area there is a turnoff heading to Cape Royal and Imperial Point. Be advised (as the signs said) the road may be closed if there are high winds, snow or rock slides.

    I enjoyed my 6 or 7 mile one way trip through the Kaibab Forest to get to Imperial Point. I liked it that there were only a handful of other people there too. It was a bit overcast, with showers in the area. Imperial Point provided a slightly different view of the Nort Rim. The elevation is 8,803 feet.

    The Southeast view provides a chance to see The Marble Platform, mouth of the Little Colorado River, Painted Desert, Mt. Hayden, Coconino Rim, Cedar Mountain, O'Leary Peak, Humpherys Peak (67 miles away) and Kendrick Peak.

    I was told by a Ranger that a road about 5 miles North of this turnoff leads to an area that you can see Marble Canyon.

    Your other choice is Cape Royal. The road going there is a bit rougher and at least twice as long as Imperial Point.

    The other option is Point Sublime. A Ranger said you can get there by going North from the Lodge/Visitor's area until you see a blacktop road heading west. I went down the road about 4 miles until the road became too rough. I was told you need a high clearance vehicle (I had a Jeep Liberty and the Ranger wasn't sure it had enough clearance). The next day I found out the road to Poing Sublime was washed out from heavy rains. I am glad I listened to the Ranger.

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  • Directions: Blacktop roads North of the Lodge/visitor area. There will be a sign for Imperial Point and Cape Royal but not for Point Sublime. When in doubt ask a Ranger. They are very helpful.

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    North Kaibab Trail
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  • By mikehanneman on August 30, 2006
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  • Looking down into the Canyon - North Rim
    Looking down into the Canyon
    by mikehanneman
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    Like the general view(s) from the North Rim, the views from the North Kaibab trail are not the greatest.

    My Grand Canyon south rim page has pictures of what you can see from the South Kaibab trail. It's tough to get great views from the North Kaibab trail for about the first four miles or so.

    It's pretty with the trees and Kaibab squirels, but it's hard to see a lot of the canyon unless you commit to a longer hike. The Kaibab trail is the only trail connecting the north and south rims.

    Since the Kaibab trail is the ONLY trail at the north rim, I would definetly recommend everyone hike down at least a mile to get a different flavor of the canyon.

    The trailhead is just to the north of the lodge. I drove my Jeep there, but you can walk the mile or less to get there if you want.

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  • Directions: Trailhead is north on the main road from the lodge.

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    Walking, hiking. Along the rim...
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  • Updated By Pavlik_NL on October 5, 2002
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  • North Rim Things To Do
    by Pavlik_NL
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    Walking, hiking. Along the rim or going down into the trails that eventually lead to the other side. Look around, use your eyes, yet also your other senses, to experience this natural wonder to the fullest. Watch the solilayers, telling the story of the earth since the beginning (nowhere on our planet you can go so deep into history by soilsampling!). Also try to see that river that created this all. Deep, deep down there it is still working hard to make this gap deeper and deeper. From the North Rim there is a location where it is visible and then realise that this tiny silver-red little ribbon is in fact a wild roaring untamed river cutting through the ladscape like a knife.

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    CAPE ROYAL - ANGELS WINDOW
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • Angels Window on Cape Royal trail - North Rim
    Angels Window on Cape Royal
    trail
    by mtncorg, 2 more photos
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    At the end of the 23 mile Cape Royal road, a couple of sharp turns bring you to a parking lot from which a short trail takes off. Signs along the way bring to your attention some of the natural flora found here along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. About halfway along the trail to Cape Royal you come onto a spectacular natural bridge which juts off the Rim - Angels Window. A side path branches out allowing you to venture out into the Canyon itself, in dramatic fashion.

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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    BRIGHT ANGEL POINT
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • Bright Angel Point awes the visitors - North Rim
    Bright Angel Point awes the
    visitors
    by mtncorg, 2 more photos
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    Coming in from the North Rim entrance, the main road continues for three miles after the Cape Royal road branches off and dead ends in a large parking lot next to the visitor center, Grand Canyon Lodge and the trailhead for the short run out to the Point. You weave a short way through the Lodge’s cabins coming out at Bright Angel Point, 8255 ft/2516 m. This is one of the broadest points in the Canyon as you look down upon the Bright Angel Canyon and over towards the South rim Village. Morning and late afternoon are best for pictures. Geologic layers are easily identifiable here with the top 4-5 layers of the Grand Canyon popping out at you. Also, notice the fault line nature of the side canyons of coming off the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel being a prime example as it makes a straight beeline for the Colorado River. Look carefully and you can make out a couple sections of the North Kaibab trail far below as it makes its way down the Bright Angel Canyon on its way to Phantom Ranch. You can also see the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails making their way down from the South Rim.

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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    CAPE ROYAL
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • Wotan's Throne resides off Cape Royal - North Rim
    Wotan's Throne resides off
    Cape Royal
    by mtncorg, 1 more photos
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    At the trail’s end is the pay off. From your vista point at 7865 ft/2398 m you look across the heart of the Canyon. Eroded spires are seen in most directions, spires and buttes with mythological names to inspire your imagination - Wotan’s Throne, Vishnu Temple, Frey Castle, … This is a place where you could easily spend an entire day just sitting back and watching the light and color change with the day. This is the view you came all of that way to see; the view you dream about in your sleep.

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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    ROOSEVELT POINT
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • View towards the Navajo plateaus - North Rim
    View towards the Navajo
    plateaus
    by mtncorg, 1 more photos
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    President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon in 1903 and was moved enough to push for what eventually became national monument status in 1908 to protect the Canyon - national park status coming along in 1919. In commemoration of TR's efforts, this viewpoint is named in his memory - a bust of the former president can also be found her, as well. From the car turnout, there is a short trail which takes you out to the true point with Tritle Peak stabbing upwards in the foreground. Let TR's well-known quote say it all:

    "The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison - beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world .... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it is now. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children's children and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."*

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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    POINT IMPERIAL
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • Looking north off the Imperial - North Rim
    Looking north off the Imperial
    by mtncorg, 2 more photos
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    At 8803 ft/2684 m, Point Imperial will have you breathing hard. Be prepared for the altitude, a bit of chill and certainly some wind. I visited in the morning and the views north to Marble Canyon are grand. There are a couple of picnic tables here and the road approaches the viewpoint through an area of forest that burned back in 2001. The Nankoweap trail takes off from here, eventually dropping down to the river far below next to an area of Anasazi ruins on the delta of the Nankoweap Creek. The trip to the river would entail an overnight because of the distances entail. Realize that the trip back is the hard part - much harder than going back to the South Rim would be, which is 1500 feet lower. Carefully plan your water, too.

    Point Imperial is reached on a dead end road - all roads coming into the North Rim dead end at some point or another. Interesting note is that the little canyon that you drive up off the Cape Royal road is actually the uppermost end of the Bright Angel Canyon which almost cuts off the Walhalla Plateau and cape Royal from the rest of the North Rim.

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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    WALHALLA OVERLOOK
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  • By mtncorg on October 4, 2005
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  • River bends = Unkar Rapids - North Rim
    River bends = Unkar
    Rapids
    by mtncorg,
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    From this 7994 ft/2437 m outlook, you are looking at the Canyon as it sweeps from a north-south direction to an east-west orientation. The Desert Watchtower over at the east end of the South Rim is barely visible. Below, you look down at the river and Unkar Rapids is visible far below. Across the road from the overlook, is a ruined Anasazi pueblo that is thought to have been used during hot summer periods, when people would come up from the more extensive fields farmed below to escape the heat.

    For a little closer view of Unkar rapids, see my Grand Canyon NP pages.

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  • Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca/

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