North Rim Trails and Viewpoints

The North Rim consists of a smaller area of the Grand Canyon than the South Rim, but it still has so much to offer. Although the park has fewer viewpoints than the South Rim, it has many more trails. These trails have a wide range from the difficult North Kaibab Trail to the very easy Cape Royal Trail. The viewpoints still offer breathtaking views of the canyon and from a lesser seen perspective.

The North Rim spans across the Kaibab and Walhalla Plateaus. The North Rim Lodge and a majority of the trails are on the Kaibab Plateau. Just before the campground and lodging area is the North Kaibab Trailhead parking lot. From this spot many trails start. Most of these trails take hours to traverse both one way and round trip. The Bridle Path leads 1.9 miles from the parking lot along the road and ends at the North Rim Lodge. The Ken Patrick Trail spans 9.8 miles to Point Imperial. Branching off the Ken Patrick Trail is the Uncle Jim Trail that loops 4.7 miles. The Arizona Trail is a 12.1 mile bike trail that leads to the entrance of the park. The North Kaibab Trail heads down into the canyon itself and is the only maintained trail leading into the canyon from the North Rim. This is the most difficult trail in the area and the distance can vary.

Bright Angel Trail

From the North Rim Lodge there are two trails. The Transept Trail leads 2 miles from the lodge and around the campground where it ends near the administration offices. The main trail from the lodge is Bright Angel Trail. This is one of the easiest trails on the North Rim and is the shortest. Starting at the east end of the lodge the Bright Angel Trail is a short .5 miles to Bright Angel Point. The trail is paved and has railing at specific spots. Although the trail is easy to walk, it is still on the edge of the canyon and going off the trail could easily lead to a fatal fall. However, this didn’t stop us from walking the trail at 2 am to do some star photography.

At the end of Bright Angel Trail is Bright Angel Point. The point is a small area with railings that allow a roughly 300 degree view of the canyon below. The rock structure rising above the point is easily and safely climbable. From atop the rock there is a full 360 degree view with the nearby plateaus as well. Just to the south Brahma and Zoroaster Temples are in full view. The Grand Canyon Village at the south rim is visible as well from here, but is hard to see unless during the day. At night the lights are easy to spot.

Widforss Trail

About a mile north of the North Kaibab Trail parking lot is a turn off from that main road that leads to the parking area for the Widforss Trail. This trail leads 9.6 miles west of the lodge along the ridge and is one of the few trails on this side of the park. The trail itself is a moderate one with periodic slopes along the path. On the way we were treated to some beautiful views down the canyon to the east.

Point Imperial

At the far east end of the Kaibab Plateau is Point Imperial. Getting to the point is an easy 11 mile drive. The optional 9.8 mile Ken Patrick Trail can also be taken to Point Imperial. From here a nice view of the eastern end where the canyon starts can be seen.

Cape Royal

On the Walhalla Plateau and just a 23 mile drive from the North Rim Lodge is where the trail for Cape Royal starts. The drive to the parking lot is a two lane road that weaves through the forest with many tight turns. So be careful when driving, especially at night. The path leading to Cape Royal is by far the easiest trail in the entire North Rim park. It’s a paved path that can be accessed even with a wheelchair. From the parking lot it’s a quick .8 mile walk to the viewpoint. It’s quite safe to walk; we even went down it alone in the middle of the night. Along the way there is a short side trail that leads to the Angel’s Window.

At the end of the trail is Taylor’s favorite view from the North Rim, Cape Royal. The spot has a large viewing platform that spans many viewing angles. The main sight is of Wotan’s Throne that sits just south of Cape Royal. Just to the west of Wotan’s Throne is a fantastic view down the canyon to the south west.