Grand Canyon - North Rim

21 people sited in the news
"Chief Ranger Bill Wright told AP people were caught at the South Rim, on trails, attempting rim-to-rim hikes or trying to sneak in through dirt roads. The citations cannot simply be paid. Rather, the offenders must make mandatory appearances in federal court."

Thank you everyone for your input, its is very helpful. And also thank you to those of you who posted some pictures, the place looks amazing.

We've been to the North Rim several times and prefer it over the South. At that time we had a TT and stayed at Kaibab Camper Village for hookups. I liked it a lot, but DH does not since the sites are so close -

RV Park View -


RV Park site view -



We now own a fifth wheel and when we go back we'll either stat at DeMotte or at the North Rim CG - there are many sites we could fit in.

They have (or had) Ranger talks and tours at the North Rim. Never heard any at the South Rim.

We were at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this year (2013) from June 5th to June 11th. We had an awesome time!!! We stayed in the Park Campground on site #11 which had beautiful ponderosa pines and through the pines you could just see the edge of the canyon. The days were sunny and in the 70's and down to the 40's at night. This is dry camping, no electric, sewer or water. They do have a dump station by the camp store, separate laundry facilities a short hike down the road, and fresh water for fill ups if needed at the dump station. You can run your generator from 7 to 9 in the mornings and from 6 to 8 in the evenings to recharge your batteries.

The North Rim is not commercial like the south rim. The campground was quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. There is a trail, Transept Trail, to the lodge right below our campsite, about a mile, but is a strenuous climb in places. We had a wonderful meal at the Lodge. Very nice camp store and you can do Wi-Fi from there.

Our Class C is 25 feet and we drove it to Cape Royal,which is an awesome drive with beautiful views.The picture Angle's Window was taken from that drive. Do make your reservations EARLY!!

Since you have already experienced the South Rim, my recommendation would be to go to the North Rim. It's a different experience that in some ways is better than the South Rim. The views are much more expansive due to the higher elevation. From the area of the North Rim Lodge, we were able to see the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. From Point Imperial, we could see Navaho Mountain north of Page. The views of the canyon itself are better at the South Rim, but nothing beyond the far side is visible.

The North Rim is also close to Zion and Bryce Canyon, which are spectacular.

In addition to the National Park campground at the North Rim, There is the DeMotte Forest Service campground not far from the entrance station and another Forest Service campground at Jacob Lake. If you need hookups, there is Kaibab Camper Village at Jacob Lake.

We have been to both the North and South Rims twice and plan to go back to the North Rim again next year.

regalroute66 wrote:
we do take our bikes with us.

If it's mountain bikes that you take, do a web search on "Rainbow Rim Trail". This trail is in the Kaibab NF, not the NP, but it skirts the Grand Canyon. Quite a different way to view the canyon.

As for the north rim in general: It is less crowded and more serene. It is also higher, so it generally doesn't open until sometime in late May. In the middle of the summer it isn't quite as noticeable, but from the north rim, you can have times when you are trying to take pictures looking into the sun.

We stayed there in 2011 also, the week after being in Trailer Village on the south rim. North rim is a very different place, more enjoyable IMHO, even with slightly less favorable views. The hike from the campground to the lodge/store isn't all that long, but it is longer than some folks would like. We enjoyed it several times during our 3 day stay. The campground is right on the rim, btw, and from the right sites, you can see it through the foliage. It is still far enough away you won't fall into it while blundering around in the dark looking for your flashlight.

North rim is a much less touristy/commercial place. It is also 2,000 feet higher at around 9,000 feet, beginning to be high enough for altitude sickness unless you take it easy, and it will be cooler for the same reason.

I see you are from CA. But for information, on the road from the north rim to the south rim Highway 89 when it crosses the river at Navajo Bridge there is a parking/visitor center on the north side. Stop and see the Condors.

Our campsite on the north rim




Condor.

The view is not as good, but the people are Much less . I think 3 million (?) people a year see the south rim and only 100,000 (?) the north.

The walk from the campground to the hotel/lodge is a little long unless you like to hike, (I do not know if there is a trail along the rim -- but I would think that there must be one) but it is OK for a bike ride.