We were just barely able to make it there! When we visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in June of 2023, we were just barely able to visit! The snow that winter was record breaking! While the North Rim always closes over the winter, when I was planning our road trip visiting National Parks in the Southwest (see our itinerary here), I didn’t think we’d be cutting it so close to the opening! The date we had planned to arrive was June 8th. Normally, the road to the North Rim closes over the winter and reopens around May 15th. That year, it didn’t reopen until June 4th! We were just really glad we were able to make it! And yes, we did see snow in the shady areas on the side of the road!
Getting to the Grand Canyon
Our big road trip visiting National Parks in the United States was inspired by the Every Kid Outdoors Pass that 4th graders and their families can take advantage of. With this pass, your entire family (well, those in the car with the 4th grader) get into National Lands for FREE for the entire year! The pass includes National Parks, National Forests, National Recreation Areas and more! It’s a pretty sweet deal!
Our stop before the Grand Canyon was Page, Arizona. There, you can see Antelope Canyon, the Glen Canyon Dam Recreation Area, and Horseshoe Bend! On the way over to the Grand Canyon, we drove through some pretty beautiful areas. It was a beautiful drive up and down mountains, through valleys, and through forests. The Historic Navajo Bridge spans the Colorado River below and was such a picturesque surprise on a road trip that was already amazing! Now that I know it is there, I would definitely recommend stopping. As we drove by, we were like, whoa! What is this place? We should’ve stopped! You’ll also go right by the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area, a stunning display of the layers in the cliff walls that you drive in between. The Kaibab National Forest greets you as you work your way out of the valley and back up the Kaibab Plateau. On this trip, it seemed like every place we drove through made me want to stop! Oh, what a beautiful world. A bonus as we were pulling into the park, a herd of mule deer were grazing off to the side of the road!
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Entering the park from the north, you’ll enter into the area of the Grand Canyon that only 10% of the park’s guests visit. (Most people visit the South Rim.). Sitting around 8,000 feet elevation, the North Rim offers a visitor center, a shop, a lodge, and camping. You can visit different viewpoints and take the scenic drives. We had just an afternoon set aside to spend here, so we went to two different overlooks and took a part of one of the scenic drives.
Bright Angel Point
Bright Angel Trail leads to Bright Angel Point and offers an amazing panoramic view of the Grand Canyon. Looking out at the steep canyon walls, you can see the layers of sandstone and limestone that the Colorado River cut through to create this amazing view. To get to this viewpoint, we parked near the Visitor Center and followed the signs to the trail.
This trail is well maintained. It leads out onto a peninsula of land, with some trees and some boulders, with the canyon cliffs falling down on both sides of the trail. It’s not that narrow… but it’s also not THAT wide! It is a fairly busy trail since it’s right next to the main visitor center on the north side of the canyon. (A note for 2024- the website shows this trail is closed for improvements.) The trail is steep in some places and is about a half mile to the viewpoint. The elevation at Bright Angel Point is 8,147 feet above sea level.
While this is a well maintained trail, there is not necessarily something to keep you from falling along the entire trail. If you have kids with you, there is room to stay on the trail and have a good time, but keep a close eye out! I have an adventurous husband and children who sometimes like to climb or go close to the edges… and make mama nervous… I keep asking why I keep bringing everyone to cliffs, and I think they get a little tired of me saying to be careful! (I really like them and would like to keep them around!). But after we got back from our trip, someone my brother knows had actually fallen and had to be rescued! So yes, use caution about where you step, and enjoy the views!
Standing at the Bright Angel Point overlook, you really get a sense of how BIG the Grand Canyon is… the North Rim stands about 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim. The deepest point in the Grand Canyon drops 6,000 feet! Looking across the canyon, it can be between 10 and 18 miles. The only way across… is to hike a 21 mile trail. (My cousin and her wife did it… check out their Instagram!!!) To drive from the North to the South Rim is a quick 220 miles!!!
On our way back from the overlook, about half way back, there is an offshoot to the trail that leads to another smaller overlook and to a stone building that has benches inside and a neat open window that looks over the canyon… photo op, anyone? (Props to my beautiful daughter who has posing down and to my hubby who has a great eye and gets great shots!)
Point Imperial
If you’re right next to the highest point in the Grand Canyon, I think you’ve just got to drive over there, right? From the main Visitor Center area on the North Rim, take the Cape Royal Road to Point Imperial. It is a winding road through the Kaibab forest that leads to a few different hikes and overlooks. Since we only had the afternoon here, the only point we visited was Point Imperial.
From 8,803 feet above sea level, the view across the Marble Canyon area of the eastern point of the Grand Canyon looks over the Painted Desert and its colorful rocks. When you get to Point Imperial, there is a parking lot right next to the overlook. You can see into the canyon from the sidewalk next to the lot, and there is an overlook that you can take a few steps down into that gives you a better vantage point.
On the way out of the park, we had one more surprise in store for us. Just off the road, we spotted a mule deer! It stood still and let us get a couple pictures before saying goodbye!
Helpful Hints for a Trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Check the website- the north rim closes over the winter! You might not think Arizona = snow that closes roads, but in some areas it actually does! It is typically closed
The hike is short, but with the combination of summer heat and the elevation, bring water along! (Umm, we didn’t because it seemed like such a short hike, but we regretted it!)
We love using the Camelbak hydration packs. In my experience, it has greatly reduced the children asking me to hold their water bottles! They love having easy access to the straw whenever they need a quick drink, and they aren’t heavy, so they don’t mind carrying their own. I’ve found we all drink a lot more water too, when it is such easy access.
When we visit the national parks, we like to have a picnic lunch planned. We like to maximize the time we are able to spend outside exploring, and not having to stop for food helps us take advantage of the day!
When you’re driving to the North Rim, it is through some fairly remote areas. Get gas when you can and be safe!
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[…] really have spent much more time at each stop! We left Page, Arizona in the morning, drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and ended up at Bryce Canyon that evening. What a […]