All the Things You'll Want to Do on the Grand Canyon's North Rim

The Grand Canyon in Arizona is truly one of the most magical places I’ve visited. We recently took our first trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and I want to share everything you need to know to make your visit to the North Rim amazing. I’ll share where you can stay, practical tips to make your time enjoyable, things to do while you are at the North Rim, and where to go for the best views of the canyon.

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How to get to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim

Yes, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is a bit out of the way. That’s probably why our family just visited it for the first time. We’ve been to the south rim multiple times, hiked the the bottom of the canyon a few times (and back out!), and my husband and I have rafted on the Colorado River all the way through the canyon. So it was exciting to finally make our way to the North Rim!

You will need a car if you want to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you are within driving distance from where you live, that is going to be a great option.

If you aren’t able to drive all the way from where you live, you can look at flights at a few airports. Las Vegas, Nevada is about 5 hours from the North Rim. Flagstaff, Arizona is around 3 hours, 40 minutes but it will have more limited flight options because it’s a small airport. Phoenix, Arizona is also an option with a 6 hour drive to the North Rim.

If you want to make your trip even more spectacular, you could add some time in Zion’s National Park to your itinerary. It’s 2 hours and 30 minutes from the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Where should you stay at the Grand Canyon North Rim?

My first pick for an amazing place to stay is the Grand Canyon Lodge right on the North Rim. Their accommodations are individual cabins and some of them are on the rim with amazing views. This is the only hotel option inside the park on the North Rim. They have a dining room and I recommend that you make reservations there. Their season runs from mid-May through mid-October.

Kaibab Lodge is only 5 miles from the entrance of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim which makes this. a great option. They have many individual cabins and more are currently being built. Besides the lodging, they also have dining and a gift shop.

We stayed at Jacob Lake Inn which is one hour north of the Grand Canyon entrance. We loved the charming but basic cabins we stay in during our stay. They also have motel options. My sister stayed in a motel room and we were surprised that it was much more spacious that the cabin. It did cost a bit more for the motel room. They have a great dining room where we enjoyed dinner a couple of nights and breakfast too. It does get busy, so be sure to make dining reservations. They also have a bakery with fresh baked cookies. We heard they also have great milkshakes but we were never hungry enough to enjoy one. They have a general store with plenty of shelf stable food. Tip: We bought some instant oatmeal at the general store and used the very hot water that came out of our sink facuet to add to the oats. It worked perfectly. The rooms do not have a fridge, microwave, or coffee maker. That worked out fine but it’s good to know ahead of time.

If all of those lodges are full, you can look at hotels in Fredonia, Arizona (77 miles away) or Kanab, Utah (84 miles away.)

Things that are good to know before visiting the North Rim

The North Rim sits at 8500 feet in elevation. Even in the summer, the highs are in the 70s and dip into the 40s. Plan to pack a sweatshirt.
The North Rim is 1000 feet in elevation higher than the South Rim.
It’s a 4-hour drive from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon around to the South Rim.
The North Rim is closed from December 1 to May
When the lodge at the North Rim is closed, there will not be any place to buy food or drinks while you are in the park.
Plan to bring food and drinks along with you when visiting the North Rim. Even if the lodge is open, seating may be limited. While you are out exploring, there are not any food or gas services. Plan ahead!
You will need to drive yourself around to any lookouts or hikes that you want to do. (This is unlike the South Rim where they have a shuttle of guests during busy seasons.)

Lots of home-cooking comfort foods are on the menu at the Jacob Lake Inn dining room

What can you do at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim?

Enjoying beautiful views of Cape Royal with my brother and sister

Visit the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. This is only open from May through mid-October. Enjoy the beauty and dining here.
From the Grand Canyon Lodge, take a 15-minute walk to Bright Angel Point. (Don’t confuse this with the Bright Angel Trail which is on the South Rim of the Canyon. You will enjoy stunning views of the canyon all along this trail.
Take a scenic drive along Cape Royal Road. This is a narrow, winding road through forested land. There are some canyon views with lookouts along the road. Be sure to go to the end of the road where you can take a short walk on the Cape Royal Trail to multiple canyon views. I’d say that seeing Angel’s Window was a highlight here.
Enjoy some spring-fresh water! Head to the North Kaibab Trailhead where there is a water spigot that will give you water fresh from the spring in the Grand Canyon.
Check out the North Kaibab Trail. If you are exploring with little ones, you probably want to skip this trail It is steep! You could go down just a bit and get some amazing canyon views. Just remember that whatever goes down will have to go back up.
Hike the Transept Trail. This is a 3-mile out-and-back trail with some canyon views.
Take a hike on the Widforss Trail. This is a 10-mile out-and-back trail. If you don’t want that big of a hike, just go for a little while and then turn around. The first 3 miles of the hike are along the rim.
Talk to a ranger. Rangers to talks throughout the day near the lodge. They are closed when the lodge is closed. You can check out the ranger progem schedule.

Our group with Angel’s Window in the background

Although the Grand Canyon North Rim is a bit off the beaten path, I think it’s definitely worth a visit for the beautiful views and time spent in nature. I’d plan to spend two days here to allow enough time to explore, drive, hike, and enjoy the views.

If you have any questions about visiting the Grand Canyon North Rim, please ask in the comments or send me a message on our This Travel Tribe Instagram account.