During my stay in Kanab – Utah, I drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was a bit of a long driving day (about 150 miles there and back), but it was one of the main attractions of my vacation in the States.

The North Rim is very different to the South Rim: with only 10% of visitors to the Grand Canyon Park, it’s much less crowded and peaceful. I didn’t see any tour buses while I was there. At the North Rim there is camping and stays available at the wooden cabins available or at the lodge. No reception there, it was peaceful indeed. In that case being crowd-averse, I am certainly glad to have chosen the North Rim. Apparently the North Rim is colder than the South or even the surrounding area due to the increased elevation of 8000 feet. I could definitely believe it. The forecast for Kanab was a manageable 61°F. When I got to the North Rim, I was frozen and rather under-prepared! It was only 39°F with some sleet falling when I left. Next time I’ll be better prepared.

The sheer extent of the Grand Canyon is something that took me by surprise. I had a rough idea that it covered a large area, but only when plotting out trip did I realise how much: to drive from the North to the South Rim would take a 4.5 hour drive over 220 miles, or a 21 mile hike – with a change of some serious change down to the Colorado River and up to the South Rim. A total expanse of 277 miles long, 18 miles and 6000 feet deep it quite understandably the largest canyon in the State. It is the product of tectonic uplift, a geological process which took place over millions of years.

At North Rim there are a number of different hiking options depending on your time or fitness available at the points of interest. There are also a few different scenic drives available. Between the scenic drives and hikes, each new point of interest along the way provides another dramatic view. Take a look at the pocket map for more information on the different options: https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/upload/nr-pocket-map.pdf

roadtrip progress so far:

18 hr 56 min (1,202 miles) – direct route travel

references:

• https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/weather.htm#:~:text=North%20Rim%20summer%20high%20temperatures,21%2D26%C2%B0C)
• https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/north-rim.htm
• https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/canyon/