Travel the Trails
Trip 6: AZ-67 S: Jacob Lake to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
44 miles (71 km) from Bitter Springs to Jacob Lake
Disclaimer: NANACT trip guides are based on information from Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo & Hopi Nations, 2nd Edition by Fran Kosik (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2005). Some information may have changed since the publication of the book. While NANACT will attempt to maintain current information, consider verifying the current operation/existence of businesses, accommodations, dining and similar interests before planning your trip.
Maps, photos and text used by permission of Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo & Hopi Nations, 2nd Edition by Fran Kosik (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2005).
Scenic & Historic:
NOTE: Arizona Highway 67, the Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Highway, is usually open May 15 through October 31; Arizona Department of Transportation warns visitors every year that after November the road could be closed on short notice because of heavy snowfall.
Arizona Highway 67 is a National Forest Scenic Byway and an Arizona State Scenic Parkway. It is the same route formerly used by the stagecoach to transport visitors to the North Rim. It parallels the Kaibab Plateau Trail, which makes up part of the 750-mile (1,209 km) Arizona Trail, a primitive, non-motorized way to traverse Arizona from the Mexico border to Utah. The trail uses old stagecoach routes, logging trails, and some new trails. Once finished, the Arizona Trail will be used by hikers, mountain bikers, horse enthusiasts, and cross-country skiers. Help is needed to complete the trail. If you are interested in donating your time or money, contact the Arizona Trail Association, P.O. Box 36736, Phoenix, AZ 85067.
Kaibab Camper Village and Jacob Lake
(One mile south of Kaibab Visitors Center) The park has forty-three RV sites with full hookups and twenty-four sites with only electricity and water. There are fifty tent sites. Reservations: (928) 643-7804. Closed October 15 to May 15.
MM 605 Kaibab Lodge (West)
Kaibab Lodge Dining Room
Breakfast buffet served 6- 9:30 a.m., dinner 5–9:15 p.m. Reservations recommended but not required. (928) 638-2389
MM 605 Kaibab National Forest Demotte Campground (West)
25.8 miles (41.6 km) from Jacob Lake, just past the Kaibab Lodge on the west side of Arizona Highway 67. The campground is open June 1 to November 1 (dependingon snowfall) and has twenty-three camping sites with picnic tablesand grills, drinking water, and toilets. Reservations: (877) 444-6777; www.reserveusa.com.
North Rimer Entrance Station The entrance fee is $20 per car and is good at both the North and South Rims for seven days. National Park Passes are accepted. It is a good four-hour drive and over 216 (348 km) highway miles from the South Rim to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The North Rim is 1,000–1,500 feet (305–457 m) higher than the South Rim and gets much more precipitation, usually in the form of snow.
Grand Canyon Lodge
Perched on the very edge of the canyon, this beautiful old log lodge was built around 1926 by the Union Pacific Railroad. Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, commissioned Union Pacific to build a hotel to accommodate the increasing number of tourists.
Rooms in the historic lodge are no longer available, but you can sleep close by in a cabin or motel room. A few cabins have a view of the canyon. The motel units are in the forest. Rates vary depending on the view and room amenities. Call for current pricing. Contact Xanterra Parks & Resorts (888) 29-PARKS, (888) 297-2757. Some cabins are wheelchair-accessible, and a wheelchair lift connects the dining room and lower patio.
Mule and Horse Rides
North Rim trail rides do not go to the river. One-hour rides along the rim and all-day rim or inner-canyon trips are usually available on a daily basis from mid May to mid October. Full-day trips into the canyon include lunch. Register in the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge at the Grand Canyon Trail Rides desk; open 7 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. For reservations call Grand Canyon Trail Rides, (435) 679-8665.
The Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room
It is difficult to get a reservation for dinner unless you plan ahead. Call 928-638-2611, ext. 160, 10–11:30 a.m. and 2:30–4 p.m. daily to make reservations. Reservations can be made two weeks prior to opening, May 10. The dining room hours are: breakfast 6:30–10:30 a.m.; lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner 4:45–9:45 p.m. Should you find yourself without a restaurant reservation, there is also a snack bar that serves pizza and fast food 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
North Rim Campground
Located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north and west of Grand Canyon Lodge. Open from mid-May to mid-October. Operated by the National Park Service; no hookups; dump station available. Laundry and showers located near the campground for a fee. Reservations are required; (800) 365-2267. Reservations may be made up to, but not more than, five months in advance.
Bright Angel Point
This vista is a half mile (0.8 km) from the corner of the east patio behind Grand Canyon Lodge. At an elevation of 8,153 feet (2,487 m), this is the best vantage point to see and hear Roaring Springs, one of the most prominent places where water filtered through the Kaibab Limestone empties into the canyon.
North Kaibab Trail
You must have a permit for all overnight hiking in the Grand Canyon. Contact the Backcountry Reservations Office, (928) 638-2125, for a permit well in advance of your trip to the North Rim. There is a nonrefundable fee of $10 per permit plus $5 per person per night if camping below the rim.
To get to Phantom Ranch, the Colorado River, and the Bright Angel Trail, you must take the North Kaibab Trail. It is fourteen miles (22.5 km) one-way to the river, and the trail descends more than six thousand feet (1,830 m), making this a very difficult climb back up. Do not attempt this in one day. Take adequate water—about a gallon (4 liters) per person—and wear appropriate clothing and footwear. This is a very arduous trip and should not be approached lightly. Several people die every year in the canyon from dehydration, hypothermia, or falls.
Accommodations (Hotels/Camping/RV Parks):
Jacob Lake / Kaibab – Lodging
MM 605 Kaibab Lodge(West)
Reservations: (928) 638-2389. Kaibab Lodge Dining Room: Breakfast buffet served 6 9:30 a.m., dinner 5–9:15 p.m. Reservations recommended but not required. 928-526-0924
Grand Canyon – North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge Rooms in the historic lodge are no longer available, but you can sleep close by in a cabin or motel room. A few cabins have a view of the canyon. The motel units are in the forest. Contact Xanterra Parks & Resorts (888) 29-PARKS, (888) 297-2757, 303-297-2757, or Direct Line 928-638-2611; www.grandcanyonnorthrim.com
Jacob Lake / Kaibab – Camping
Kaibab Camper Village and Jacob Lake (One mile south of Kaibab Visitors Center)
The park has forty-three RV sites with full hookups and twenty-four sites with only electricity and water. There are fifty tent sites. Reservations: (928) 643-7804. Closed October 15 to May 15.
MM 605 Kaibab National Forest Demotte Campground (West) The campground is open June 1 to November 1 (dependingon snowfall) and has twenty-three camping sites with picnic tablesand grills, drinking water, and toilets. Reservations: (877) 444-6777; 928-643-7395; www.reserveusa.com.
Grand Canyon North Rim - Camping
North Rim Campground
Located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north and west of Grand Canyon Lodge. Open from mid-May to mid-October. Operated by the National Park Service; no hookups; dump station available. Laundry and showers located near the campground for a fee. Reservations are required; (800) 365-2267. Reservations may be made up to, but not more than, five months in advance. For more information www.recreation.gov.
Tours:
Grand Canyon – North Rim
North Rim Entrance Station
The entrance fee is $20 per car and is good at both the North and South Rims for seven days. National Park Passes are accepted.
Mule and Horse Rides
North Rim trail rides do not go to the river. One-hour rides along the rim and all-day rim or inner-canyon trips are usually available on a daily basis from mid May to mid October. Full-day trips into the canyon include lunch. Register in the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge at the Grand Canyon Trail Rides desk; open 7 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. For reservations call Grand Canyon Trail Rides, (435) 679-8665.
Food & Dining:
Jacob Lake / Kaibab
MM 605 KAIBAB LODGE - Kaibab Lodge Dining Room
Breakfast buffet served 6 - 9:30 a.m., dinner 5–9:15 p.m. Reservations recommended but not required. 928-526-0924
Grand Canyon – North Rim
The Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room
Difficult to get a reservation for dinner unless you plan ahead. Call 928-638-2611, ext. 160, 10–11:30 a.m. and 2:30–4 p.m. daily to make reservations. Reservations can be made two weeks prior to opening, May 10. The dining room hours are: breakfast 6:30–10:30 a.m.; lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; dinner 4:45–9:45 p.m. Should you find yourself without a restaurant reservation, there is also a snack bar that serves pizza and fast food 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
Services (Auto/Gas/Repair/Emergency):
Art & Culture (Galleries/Trading Posts/Museums):
Permissions
- Trip information is condensed with permission from Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations, by Fran Kosik, Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, Arizona, 2005. Trip numbers generally coincide with chapter number in the book. Fran's full book contains much more wonderful information on traveling our Native roads. For more detailed information, the book can be purchased from:
Museum of Northern Arizona bookstore, 3101 N. Ft. Valley Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001; phone #: 928-774-5213 or direct 928-774-5211 + Ext 261. Or, contact the publisher, Rio Nuevo Publishers, PO Box 5250, Tucson, Arizona 85703; phone #: 520-623-9558 or 800-969-9558. Trip numbers generally correspond to chapter numbers.