This recap is part of a multi-day adventure I took with three girlfriends across Southern Utah and Northern Arizona! See full itinerary for the trip here. The North Rim was our final stop of our adventure before heading back to civilization (boooo). The day prior to this, we were in Page, AZ visiting Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We left there around 3:00 pm because we didn’t want to miss the sunset this night on the rim! It took about 2.5 hours to North Rim Campground but we first needed to stop at Jacob’s Lake Inn on the way to buy homemade cookies we had heard about from a few people the day before. I’m pretty sure we each got a minimum of 5 (yes, 5 each…don’t judge) and devoured them over the next 24 hours! Seriously, stop for cookies, no photo evidence of the cookies as we ate them too fast. As you continue toward the canyon (only one road in), watch for wildlife! We arrived at the campground (site #26 for $18 reserved well in advance), checked in, set up the tent, then we went straight to the North Rim Lodge. We witnessed an amazingly beautiful sunset over the Grand Canyon. No amount of words or pictures do this experience justice!
After sunset, we then enjoyed prickly pear margaritas at The Saloon prior to our 8:00 pm dinner reservation at Grand Canyon Lodge. The margaritas were FANTASTIC (seriously, I dream about them and am going back to do R2R this year to enjoy another) and the Lodge’s dinner was delicious. No photo evidence here either because we drank and ate all so fast (notice a trend?). I cannot put into words how impressed I was with their menu (available online to check out).
After dinner, we went back to our campsite where we started a fire and roasted marshmallows dipped in Bailey’s (caramelizes the mallow) while talking about our adventures of the past few days and our plan for the day ahead. Our tent site was near a restroom and the sites are HUGE so we had no issues at our site overnight and all slept soundly in our tent. We woke up the next morning and went straight back over to the lodge to grab a coffee and to watch the sunrise on their giant deck. Nothing silences your thoughts and eases your brain more than witnessing a sunrise 6,000+ feet over the canyon.
Following the sunrise, we headed back to camp to tear down our tent and head out for the day. Campers have access to Transept Trail (unpaved trail that travels along the rim to visitor center & lodge) & Bridle Trail (cuts through the forest & connects with the North Kaibab Trail). The North Kaibab Trail descends into the Inner Canyon and is a short walk from the campground. We did not do these trails though as we only had a few hours so we opted for trails above the rim that were on our way back toward Jacob’s Lake. We drove about a half hour and went to Cape Final, Angel’s Window, and Cape Royal which had amazing vistas and were easy hikes. You can Google the names of these trails to get directions or use the ‘All Trails’ app which is a great option too (especially for the actual trail). The longest hike of the three was Cape Final, which was only about 4 miles round trip. Angels Window is accessible from the Cape Royal lot/route. Cape Royal, which is the southernmost viewpoint of the North Rim, was only about a half mile walk on a paved trail so would not consider that a ‘hike’ but the vista was breathtaking and we were so close to it that we had to see it! From this point you can see Wotans Throne which is an iconic canyon view.
After a few hours above the rim, we headed back to our car to make the drive back to Las Vegas to end our amazing week of hiking Zion, Bryce, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and the North Rim. I have no doubt that I will be back to explore more of these places as I feel we only scratched the surface of each. In June 2020, I actually got approved for a permit to camp below the rim of the Grand Canyon at Bright Angel Campground as I complete my first Rim 2 Rim experience with the same three friends who did this trip with me! More to come on that but I’m THRILLED to have my return to the canyon already planned!
~Go explore, friends!~
Miles to Go: Adventure Awaits 
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