A walk on the quiet side at Grand Canyon’s North Rim
NORTH RIM HAS SPECTACULAR VIEWS WITHOUT ALL THE SPRAWL AND NOISE
The hot dragon breath of summer is starting to blow across the Valley of the Sun, but don’t despair. There’s still plenty of soft springtime to be had. It’s waiting at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The North Rim closes every October and is set to reopen May 15. Atop the lonely Kaibab Plateau things are just waking up after a long winter’s nap. The North Rim isn’t your typical high-country getaway. It’s defined not just by elevation but by isolation. This is an alpine outback of sun-dappled forests of ponderosa pines, blue spruce, Douglas firs and aspens interrupted by lush meadows carpeted in wildflowers.
If you’ve visited only the South Rim, don’t be alarmed by the lack of crowds at this outpost. Serenity is normal on this side of the trench. It rises1,000 feet higher than its southern counterpart, and you’ll likely see more elk and deer than tour groups. There are no helicopter rides, no shuttle buses and no sprawling village. Nearly 5 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park each year, but only about10 percent of those make it to the North Rim. It’s 10 miles from the South Rim as the raven flies, but a winding 215-mile drive.
Jacob Lake
State Route 67 traces a beautiful course as it winds 30 miles south to the park entrance. It begins in the hamlet of Jacob Lake, at the junction with U.S. 89A.Although little more than a busy corner, it’s the main commercial district between the North Rim and Kanab, Utah.
The Jacob Lake Inn offers motel rooms and cabins. The property also has a gas station, general store, soda fountain, restaurant and bakery. Be sure to snag a sack of fresh-baked cookies. There are classic flavors and some weird but yummy combos. The chocolate-parfait cookie is
swoon-worthy. Details: 928-643-7232, www.jacoblake.com.
Where the buffalo roam
Visitors are greeted by a throwback American West moment as soon as they approach the park. Shaggy bison graze in the meadows near the entrance station.
Bison are not native to the Canyon. This herd was brought to the Kaibab Plateau in1906 in an effort to breed bison with cattle. The experiment didn’t pan out and the animals were sold to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. House Rock Wildlife Area served as the designated bison range, but here’s the thing: Bison are going to go where bison want to go. In 2000, the herd moseyed across the plateau and into the national park, where it stays most the time.
Although it’s a striking sight, the herd — numbering more than 600 animals — causes extensive damage, depleting critical water sources, trampling vegetation, compacting fragile soils and throwing the ecosystem out of balance. Authorities are considering options ranging from reducing, relocating and even eradicating the herd. Last spring, Grand Canyon National Park initiated an environmentalimpact statement that will be followed by a bisonmanagement plan to be released this year.
Grand Canyon Lodge
The first time most people gaze on the Canyon at the North Rim, they’re indoors. The highway ends at the historical Grand Canyon Lodge, built right on the edge of the abyss. Walk through the front door and behold the giant picture windows across the lobby, filled with stunning views of the Canyon.
The lodge has motel rooms and cabins. Most dates for 2015 are already booked, but you could luck into a cancellation. Or you could reserve a spot at the campground. Seeamapandmakereservations at www.recreation.gov.
If you want to chow down in the elegant dining room, make reservations pronto. The restaurant with its wall of windows overlooking the chasm fills up quickly. The menu emphasizes contemporary and regional dishes like Arizona elk chili and fresh Utah trout. If you go the burger route, it has an all-natural beef beauty. More casual fare can be found at the adjacent deli, coffeehouse and saloon.
Details: 877-386-4383, www.grandcanyonlodgenorth.com.
A mule ride remains one of the classic Grand Canyon experiences. Canyon Trail Rides offer onehour and half-day mule rides along easy rim trails or a 3-mile excursion into the Canyon, going down the North Kaibab to the Supai Tunnel. Reserve online or sign up at the information desk inside Grand Canyon Lodge. Cost is $40-$80 per person; age and weight limits apply.
Details: 435-679-8665, www.canyonrides.com.
Scenic drives
The 23-mile Cape Royal Road is spectacular. The narrow, twisting highway traverses a wooded plateau and snakes past picnic areas and overlooks. It ends at Cape Royal, at the southernmost point on the North Rim. A paved, level trail leads to an amazing diversity of views, including a glimpse of the natural bridge known as Angel’s Window.
A winding, 3-mile side trip off Cape Royal Road leads to Point Imperial. At 8,803 feet of elevation, this is the highest point on either rim. The views stretch forever and encompass such landmarks as Navajo Mountain, the Painted Desert and Marble Canyon.
Hiking trails
Walk off the back porch of Grand Canyon Lodge and onto the paved Bright Angel Point Trail. It’s only 0.5 mile roundtrip, but has a few ups and downs as it leads out to a narrow ridge with steep drop-offs and expansive panoramas.
Uncle Jim Trail makes a 5-mile loop through a lovely mixed-conifer forest. You might have to share the first section of trail with a few mule riders, but for a veteran Grand Canyon hiker, Eau de Donkey is a familiar perfume. Just watch where you step. The trail skirts the head of Roaring Springs Canyon, and breaks in the trees offer tantalizing views. Downed logs crisscross meadows, ferns blanket the slopes and clusters of lithe aspen saplings fill open spaces created by burn scars.
Cape Final Trail, 4 miles round trip, passes through ponderosa pine forest as it ambles across the Walhalla Plateau with almost no change in elevation. It brushes past a few beautiful overlooks but these are just a prelude. The last section cuts through scrub oak and juniper and ends atop a sprawling promontory with dazzling views. Snippets of Colorado River, frothy with whitewater, are visible at the bottom.
Of course, the Big Kahuna is the North Kaibab Trail. It plunges steeply from the start, dropping from big timber and twisting through Roaring Springs Canyon. At 1.7 miles you’ll reach Supai Tunnel, where you’ll find restrooms and water. This makes a good turnaround point if your time is limited or your knees are grouchy. You’ll glide down the switchbacks but they’ll be waiting for you and they somehow quadruple in number on the return trip. If you decide to push on, go no farther than Roaring Springs, a ferocious geyser bursting from the cliffs and cascading downhill to form Bright Angel Creek. The water source for all Grand Canyon National Park, Roaring Springs is the end of the line as a day hike. A 0.25-mile spur trail descends to picnic tables and restrooms tucked beneath a clutch of cottonwoods that thrive in this riparian setting formed by the springs. Make this a leisurely pit stop, because you’ll need to marshal your resources for the 5-mile climb back to the trailhead.