As always, keep in mind that this trip occurred in July of 2018, and while the facts and figures are accurate, some of them may change over time. Also please be aware that the North Rim was only one of our destinations. Stay tuned for other Travel articles to follow (Petrified Forest, Bears Ears, Canyonlands Needles, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Arches, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley…) So off we go…
- Planning - Visiting any National Park or destination is all about planning. In our case, we always plan what we call “the loop.” We take the list of destinations we want to visit and try to build out a loop that starts and ends at a major airport. We also try to limit our long drives to under 6-hours because it’s just no fun spending your vacation time constantly driving.
If you’re planning to stay in any National Park Accommodations, plan early. Most parks have very limited housing and most of those rooms book up VERY early (sometimes as much as a year in advance for the good rooms). Plan ahead and book your rooms early.Get a National Park Pass. If you’re only visiting one park then just pay at the gate, however the $80 cost of a National park Pass is a great deal as soon as you visit two or three National Parks or National Monuments. The pass is also good for a year. In our last trip we visited 2 National Monuments and 5 National Parks. With Entrance fees ranging from $20 to $35, we saved a ton AND we still have 10-months left to use it. Be sure to sign the back of your National Park Pass and be prepared to show your ID whenever you use it. We also recommend waiting until closer to your trip to buy the pass, this maximizes your 1-year term; but don’t wait too long. They can take a few weeks to arrive.
- Getting There - Sure you can drive it, but by far most visitors to the Grand Canyon North Rim (or South Rim), are flying in. While some other destinations may sway you toward a different launching point and your “loop” may move you elsewhere, by far the closest, cheapest and easiest airport for the Grand Canyon is Las Vegas. Salt Lake City is a 6.5-hour drive, Phoenix is a 6-hour drive, but Las Vegas is just over 4.5-hours to the North Rim. Our flights to Las Vegas were much cheaper than other airports, we only had one stop coming from our really small local airport, and the availability of rental cars is plentiful. We were disappointed in American Airlines literally taking 90-minutes (full of confusion and belt changes) to get our luggage from the plane to the baggage area. Lesson learned: Don’t plan your flying day schedule too tight.
- Rental Car - The Rental Car facility for all rental brands is off of the Las Vegas McCarran airport property, however they run multiple large (and free) shuttle busses back and forth 24-hours a day. We had a great experience with Alamo Rental Car and we strongly recommend them. We loved their pricing, we loved the on-line advanced check-in and we especially loved how that early check-in allowed us to use their kiosk and avoid the long lines at the counter. The kiosks also allow you to more easily avoid all of the upgrades, insurance and damage waiver charges they always seem to trick you into, especially after a long flight. Our car insurance company and our Chase credit card both cover rental car insurance, so do your homework before you pay for something you don’t need.
As a side note, on our last trip we had a really BAD experience with Budget Rental car and the forced addition of insurance/damage waiver fees we thought we declined. We now avoid Budget as well as their partners Hertz and Thrifty on every trip.
As another side note, keep in mind the distances you may be driving. We always opt for the most fuel-efficient car that will fit us and our stuff. In this case it was a 4-door Ford Fiesta with 18K on the odometer and the fuel mileage was great. - Groceries - If you’re like us, we try to always have a few bags of non-perishable food with us. We also like to stock up on a few gallons of water for our hiking and general hydration as well as a few six packs of beer for hotel enjoyment. For the North Rim, we were very happy that we spent an extra hour at the Whole Foods Town Square in Las Vegas. It’s just minutes from the rental car facility and an easy exit to Rt 15 when you’re done. While there were a few other grocery options as far north as St. George, UT, we were happy to get the snacks and water out of the way early. We were also very happy with the options for vegetarian, gluten free and organic choices at Whole Foods that we didn’t think we’d find in the smaller towns along the way.
- The Drive - Once you leave the city itself, the drive out of Las Vegas has some really nice scenery. The speed limit on Rt. 15 is 70 MPH or 75 MPH with a few spots even hitting 80 MPH. There’s a really cool canyon section that will wake up your anticipation for the North Rim in Utah as you pass through the Virgin River Gorge. You’ll also pass just south of Zion National Park, and if you’re familiar with Zion, you’ll recognize the back side of some of the recognizable peaks as you approach Apple Valley on Rt 59. The drive does take you from Nevada, through Arizona to Utah and ultimately back into Arizona. We had some crazy weather (a dust storm and monsoon rains) that made our drive just over 4 hours and 30 mins.
Please note that the roads in and around the North Rim have a lower speed limit and they ARE patrolled by officers that would be happy to write you a ticket. Slow down and enjoy the views and use the pull-outs if you’re slowing or stopping. - Accommodations - As I mentioned above, if you can, you should stay in the National Park accommodations at the North Rim. The rooms include what they call “Motel” rooms ($141 per night), “Frontier” cabins ($155 per night), “Pioneer” cabins ($179 per night), “Rim-Side” cabins ($189 per night), “Western” cabins ($206-$223 per night depending on the view). These accommodations will put you closest to the “action” of the park and put most all of the facilities within *walking distance. With most of the available food being at the North Rim Lodge area, this is a real plus over driving back and forth to eat, hike, shower and sleep.
*Keep in mind that to visit Point Imperial, Vista Encantada, Roosevelt Point, Cape Final, Walhalla Overlook and Cape Royal/Angels Window you WILL have to drive. These are all really beautiful places and you will want to visit them.
Because we booked only a few months in advance, we were unable to get North Rim accommodations. For our 3-day visit, we stayed at the Kaibab Lodge which at 17.2-miles from the North Rim. The Kaibab Lodge is not only the closest accommodations outside the park, but pretty much the ONLY accommodations available nearby. Yes there are limited options in Jacob Lake, but do you really want to be an hour from the North Rim, especially with the limited food options in the area? I should also note that the 17.2-mile ride from the hotel to the North Rim was relatively easy, and the meadows and wildlife hanging out in those meadows made the multiple rides we did actually fun.
The Kaibab Lodge does look a bit scary in some of the on-line pictures, however our room (Eastview Unit 2B) was clean, updated and relatively nice….BUT…the Kaibab Lodge rooms have NO TV, NO Wi-Fi, NO refrigerator, NO phones and perhaps most painful of all NO cell service. Even at the North Rim Lodge itself, the cell service is VERY sketchy so plan ahead. With that in mind, the Kaibab Lodge itself does have a TV and wired phone you can “use” but if you or your kids are expecting to be on-line, plan to spend a lot of time in the North Rim Lodge and pack your patience. Even the lodge cell service was clunky at times. (I should note we are on Verizon but it didn’t seem to help or hurt). - Food - I was honestly very surprised at just how limited the food options were at the North Rim. The North Rim Lodge dining area was hit-or-miss for us. We easily had a really good breakfast there, but I would call my dinner just ok, and not great for the price. If you are vegetarian or vegan, the choices are limited and my pasta meal just wasn’t very good. On nights two and three, the lodge restaurant required reservations for our party of two. With no phone in our room and no cell phone service until we were literally in the lodge itself, we just weren’t able to make it work. Even in-person requests for the following night were difficult. As much as possible, I’d recommend working out dinner reservations (call 928-638-8560) WELL in advance and work your hiking plans around them if possible. The lodge serves breakfast at 6:30AM, lunch at 11:30AM and dinner from 4:30PM to 9:30 pm and I would categorize their prices as a bit high (as you would expect).
On the left side of the lobby of the North Rim Lodge there is a nightly all-you-can-eat buffet…however the price was $32 per person and every featured item was extremely non-vegetarian friendly. We avoided the buffet completely.
There is also the Deli In The Pines at the North Rim Lodge (open from 10:30AM to 9PM). We did eat there twice simply because there were no other choices and we were hungry. Their pizza was acceptable however the vegetable wrap I had was pretty awful and ultimately made me a bit sick. There is a soft ice cream machine and there are lots of drinks and snacks. To be honest, the lax attitude of the seasonal workers and the general disarray of the Deli area made me really suspicious about the quality and safety of some of the food. Your mileage may vary but DO plan ahead. Food options are really limited and crowded (at least in mid July).
The Roughrider Saloon at the North Rim Lodge (11:30AM-10:30PM) did have some snacks and heat-lamp pizza. We didn’t eat there but the beer selection was pretty good albeit not cheap.
The General Store at the North Rim does have some food choices, however they are really limited. I would categorize them as snack-y or convenience-store foods.
The Kaibab Lodge does have a restaurant and bar. We did have a really good breakfast there but did not have dinner or hit the bar….but we probably should have, especially on our first night. The restaurant opened for breakfast at 7AM and dinner looked to end around 9PM. - Beer - The North Rim Lodge did have some really good draft beer choices on the menu. I had a few of the Lumberyard Brewing choices on the menu that were named for the canyon. My favorite was the Bright Angel IPA. Many of these selections as well as some additional Arizona and Utah bottles were available in the North Rim Lodge Saloon also. I highly recommend getting a beer from the Saloon and taking it out on one of the North Rim Lodge back patios. The view and the cool Adirondack chairs make the beer taste even better. Expect to pay more for a beer at the North Rim than you are accustomed to. I should also note that we brought a fair amount of beer with us from the Las Vegas Whole Foods.
- Gas - Fueling up the car at the North Rim was fairly easy. There’s a gas station next to the General Store on your right side before you reach the lodge parking lot. Yes the prices are higher. We also appreciated the North Rim Country Store just across the road from the Kaibab Lodge for fuel and snacks. I should mention they only had 87 octane, they do not have pay-at-the-pump, the prices are higher and they do close promptly at 7PM. The next closest fuel is an hour away in Jacob Lake.
- Weather - If you get nothing else out of this post, be sure to get this: July is “Monsoon Season” in Arizona and Utah. This was a fact we were completely unaware of and we simply didn’t realize that the weather can be pretty crazy, especially in the afternoons and evenings. The July temperatures are hot but somewhat varied. As a perfect example of how crazy the weather can be, on our 2nd day we hiked 5-miles into the canyon on the North Kaibab trail. We departed at 7AM and it was 55F on the rim. At the 5-mile point, it was 110F just below Roaring Springs, on our return trip the thunder was REALLY threatening and we reached the 91F rim just in time to hit a massive hail storm. Yes, the hail was so bad that driving was tricky on hail-covered roadways and the temperatures dropped into the high 40’s! Yes it is the Arizona desert, but if you visit in July, bring your rain gear and a light fleece.
- Hiking - While there are lots of cool hikes in and around the North Rim, our favorite by far as well as the only hike that enters the canyon is the North Kaibab Trail.
The North Kaibab Trailhead is located about a mile north of the North Rim Lodge area. I’d recommend you drive and park in the trailhead parking lot and not add the additional distance to walk from the lodge.
Before we go any further….PLEASE…realize this is a VERY serious hike and even more difficult in July weather. Start the hike early and plan on spending the day depending on how far into the canyon you want to go. Pack accordingly. The trail is rough so wear good hiking boots or shoes. There are many VERY exposed sections so wear a hat with a brim, sunglasses, long sleeves and sunscreen. Not only should you pack water, but plan to refill it several times.We packed 2-liters of water and even refilling on the way down at the Supai Tunnel it was difficult to make the return hike and we did get low. On the way down the Supai Tunnel has water and compost-toilet bathrooms and it is at the 1.7-mile mark. Fill or top off you water there. Better yet, if you are not in good physical shape or you have any fear of heights, the Supai Tunnel is a very common turn around point. Many people also opt to turn around even earlier at the Coconino Overlook.
Plan on it taking twice as long to hike up as it does to hike down and as the South Rim signs always remind you, “Down is optional, up is mandatory.” Once you pass south of the Supai Tunnel, you’ll also be beyond having to deal with the mule poop and piddle (as my mom would say.) Trust me it stinks and you will not miss it. Next up at roughly the 2.6 mile marker you will cross the Redwall footbridge. This is again a really good place for even experienced hikers to turn around, especially in July temperatures.
If you push further (like we did) you will reach the Cottonwood / Roaring Springs split at about the 4.8-mile marker. Be aware that when we did the hike, the potable water at Roaring Springs was turned OFF. Plan ahead for this and top off at the Supai Tunnel going down and up. We ultimately hit the 5-mile mark and with 110+F temps, we turned back.
There’s no way to candy-coat it. Going UP the North Kaibab trail is difficult. Even hikers in the best shape and with plenty of water and fuel (snacks) will struggle with this hike. There are endless switch backs, high temperatures, dizzying drop-offs and constant safety risks. If that’s not enough, the hike to Roaring Springs drops you from 8241 feet to 5220 feet, which you then have to gain on your way out. Altitude, temperatures, hydration and fear all play a role in this hike as you will see if you attempt it.
With everything above in mind, The North Kaibab trail was one of the best and most beautiful and satisfying hikes we did over our 2-week trip. The vistas are amazing. the scenery is to die for (literally) and the accomplishment of surviving a 10-mile trip (your mileage may vary) was incredible. Plan ahead, but do plan to do some part of this hike.
Even if you’re not up for a life-altering (life-threatening) hike like the North Kaibab, there are some other great trails to test your camera and your fear of heights. Just outside of the North Rim Lodge, we really liked the Bright Angel Point Trail (0.7 Miles). The views are amazing and the knee-shaking vistas and overlooks will take your breath away (literally).
We also enjoyed the Transcept Trail (2.9 miles) and Bridle Trail (3.2 miles) and both offered some great views and less knee-shaking overlooks. They also offer shorter distance options.
Be sure to also make the 16-mile ride out to Cape Royal. There are several overlooks and small vista hikes along the way, however you’ll really love the Cape Royal and knee-shaking Angels Window hikes/overlooks. This was also a favorite for us. - Photography - You can pretty much drop your camera on the ground at the North Rim and take a great photo. At just about any overlook in the park you can take photos of the magnificence of the Grand Canyon. We really liked the viewpoints out to Cape Royal as well as the Bright Angel Point for stunning pictures of the canyon’s colors. For a unique view, get down into the canyon on the North Kaibab trail and look up at the canyon walls.
The North Rim is also known for Dark Sky photography, so pack your tripod and cable release and seek out a dark spot (yes please be careful near the canyon’s edge in the dark). - Summary - The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a spectacular, beautiful and unique location. Be sure to plan ahead. Stay at the North Rim itself, map out your food reservations and be sure to allow time to simply enjoy the peaceful sunset with a beer overlooking the canyon at the North Rim Lodge.
The North Rim is a much more isolated experience compared to the South Rim. It is much less crowded, the available facilities are much less numerous than the hustle and bustle of the South Rim and it is a much smaller area. While it was much easier to get food at 10PM at the South Rim, we appreciated the peaceful and quiet surroundings of the North Rim.
Our highlight of this North Rim visit was hiking the North Kaibab Trail. This trail will test you physically and mentally, but it was a really satisfying accomplishment and an amazing experience. Perhaps a close second highlight would be simply sitting on the Adirondack chairs on the patio of the North Rim Lodge and enjoying a cold beer as the sun sets over the Grand Canyon.
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