Hiking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is, without a doubt, one of the great natural wonders of the world. Its spectacular not only for its sheer size, but also for the diversity of geology and wildlife that one encounters as you hike in and around the canyon.
Most visitors to the Grand Canyon travel to the more developed South Rim which actually supports its own small local population. I, however, prefer the less developed, and much less crowded North Rim. Being less developed (and less popular) does have its disadvantages, mainly being that the North Rim is not accessible all year round. In fact, weather permitting; the North Rim is only open from mid-May through mid-October.
One significant advantage to visiting the less familiar rim of the canyon is that fewer people mean less crowded trails and more uninterrupted time for you to enjoy the magnificent scenery. The North Rim boasts a wide variety of trails ranging from short and easy to steep and treacherous.
The North Rim’s easiest trails are the Roosevelt Point, Bright Angel Point, Cape Royal, Cliff Springs, and Point Sublime trails. These trails are mostly short, flat, occasionally sometimes paved and can be completed in relatively little time. The moderate Transept, Uncle Jim and Widforss trails are similar to the easy trails, only being longer and unpaved. All of the easy and moderate trails remain above the rim, giving you spectacular views of the canyon from a variety of vantage points.
The most strenuous trails of the North Rim are the Ken Patrick, Esplanade and North Kaibab. Although the Ken Patrick trail is the longest (at 20 miles round trip) and brings you to Point Imperial, the highest point in Grand Canyon National Park at 8,803 ft elevation, the most strenuous trail is the North Kaibab. The North Kaibab is the only trail at the North Rim that will take you below the rim and into the canyon itself. This is one of the reasons that North Kaibab is my favorite trail at the North Rim.
The North Kaibab trail is a strenuous descent (and ascent) into the canyon so it is critical to know your abilities and plan your hike accordingly. There are several notable landmarks along the trail which you can use to judge your progress.
From the trailhead (a parking area on Rte 67 ~1 mile North of Lodge), it’s a short 1.7 miles of switchbacks, descending almost 1500 ft to the Supai Tunnel. Carved directly through the red rock, this tunnel is the only guaranteed shade on the trail. Seasonal water is available as are restrooms, but don’t forget that this trail is shared by mules so expect plenty of company (man and animal) at all water sources. A further 3.3 miles, and a less strenuous 1600 ft descent along an extremely scenic, and sometimes cliff hugging trail, will bring you to Roaring Springs. Actually you will be at the trailhead for a very short 0.25 mile walk to the Roaring Springs, but the extra distance is well worth it, not only for the springs itself, but also for the fresh water and restrooms. Roaring Springs should be the end of the trail for most day-hikers – remember you still have to hike your way back up and out.
For those of you who will be camping, or have been fortunate to get a reservation at the Phantom Ranch, your next milestone will be the Cottonwood Campgrounds. With the steepest part of the descent behind you, the following 2.2 miles are fairly even making the 800 ft descent almost unnoticeable. At ~7 miles from the rim, Cottonwood Campground is an excellent place to rest and explore, or spend the night. In either case, it’s a relatively easy 1.5 miles to Ribbon Falls, after which you can either turn back to Cottonwood or push on to the Phantom Ranch.
Only the most experienced hikers should consider covering the full 13.5 mile, 5500 ft descent, to the Phantom Ranch in a single day. Those who are hiking rim-to-rim will more than likely spend time at Cottonwood (either on the way down, or up) to rehydrate and give their muscles a chance to recover. If you’re not staying at the Phantom Ranch, you can still spend the night near the Colorado at the Bright Angel campground, a mere 0.5 miles past the ranch. Treated water and restrooms are available at both the ranch and the campground.
My best advice is to plan ahead, this means knowing when to turn around, drink/refill when water is available, bring camping gear and have camping permits, or make reservations at the Phantom Ranch – especially if you plan to go rim-to-rim. Always hike at a comfortable pace, and wear your best pair of comfortable hiking boots. If your feet start hurting on the way down, they’re going to hurt even more on the hike back up.
Also, all hikers must be aware that the canyon itself offers very limited shade so getting an early start (my wife and I started before dawn) is critical in order to avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day (10am – 2pm). Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is designated as a ‘corridor’ trail, which means that it is regularly maintained and patrolled by park rangers (there is also a caretakers cabin near Roaring Springs). Dehydration is serious concern and hikers who do not take adequate precautions (carry enough water), or overestimate their abilities, have been injured and even died.
Warnings aside, there are many scenic hiking trails around the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but to truly experience the immensity of the canyon, one needs to experience the North Kaibab trail. You’ll hike from the spruce forest of the North Rim through several different life zones and desert types on your way to the Inner Gorge; and back in time over 1.7 billion years through the rock formations ending at the Vishnu Schist of the Inner Gorge. This is why I love the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, being away from the ‘touristy’ South Rim, one gets much closer to, and has a greater appreciation, for what nature can accomplish, given nothing but water and time.
About the Author
I’m Mark and my wife and I love to go hiking, whether it’s in the south west in Arizona at the Grand Canyon or up north in Maine at Acadia National Park. But no matter where we go, having comfortable Gore-tex lined hiking boots means we never have to stop because of foot fatigue or blisters. If you love the outdoors, but avoid hiking because your feet tend to hurt, it’s probably because you aren’t wearing the best hiking boots for your feet. For more information and help finding the perfect boot for you, check out Ladies Hiking Boots. Your feet will thank you.
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