North Rim Grand Canyon 2024: Opening date, hotels, hiking and things to do
The less crowded, more remote side of the Grand Canyon is reopening for the 2024 season.
The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open on May 15, 2024, including Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim and Grand Canyon Trail Rides. The opening is on time this year, a shift from the 2023 season when record snowfall and a break in the region's water pipeline delayed public access.
Most North Rim amenities and services will remain open from May 15 through Oct. 15, and the park will remain open for day use through Nov. 30 or whenever winter conditions force its closure.
If you're planning a getaway to any U.S. national park, find out how to save money on entry fees through annual park passes and a handful of upcoming free entry days. As for Grand Canyon travelers, more hiking and camping opportunities are coming soon with an REI Signature Camp that's in development near the South Rim.
Here's what travelers to the North Rim of Grand Canyon should know for 2024.
Grand Canyon North Rim open dates
The Grand Canyon North Rim opens for the 2024 season at 6 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, and closes on Oct. 15. Here's what will be available on opening day:
Visitor services, including the North Rim Campground, general store, laundry and gas station.
Grand Canyon Conservancy Park Store.
Backcountry Information Office.
Daily park ranger programs at the Roaring Springs Overlook Kiosk.
Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim. Lodging options include motel rooms and cabins. The lodge dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; reservations are required for dinner. Other dining options include Deli in the Pines and the Roughrider Saloon.
Grand Canyon Trail Rides offers one-hour and half-day mule rides. Call 435-679-8665 or visit canyonrides.com.
How to book the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge
Cabins and motel rooms are available at Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, though some dates early in the season showed no vacancies at the time of writing.
Make reservations online at grandcanyonnorth.com or by calling 877-386-4383.
Other Grand Canyon North Rim hotels
Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim is the only hotel inside national park boundaries at the North Rim. There's a handful of other lodging options outside the park. These two are closest:
Kaibab Lodge: This complex of cabins about 17 miles north of the North Rim is billed as a calm escape from the desert heat in the summer. A May 1 search of the hotel's website showed limited availability in May, September and early October, but rooms were available for most days in June, July and August. Visit kaibablodge.com.
Jacob Lake Inn: Situated in the ponderosa pine forests of the Kaibab Plateau, this inn with hotel rooms, cabins, a restaurant, gift shop and gas station is about 45 miles north of the North Rim. A search showed limited vacancies in May but rooms were available for most or all dates through the rest of the 2024 North Rim season. Visit jacoblake.com.
Grand Canyon North Rim camping reservations
Reservations for the North Rim Campground can be made at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.
Reservations for DeMotte Campground, about 7 miles north of the North Rim entrance, also are available at recreation.gov.
How much does it cost to camp at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?
North Rim Campground sites cost $18-$25 per night; a group site is available for $50 per night. Sites have a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Drinking water, restrooms, showers and laundry are available. No RV hookups.
DeMotte Campground costs $26 per night for a site with a picnic table and grill. Water is available; RV hookups are not.
Best 2024 summer staycation deals at Phoenix-area hotels and resorts
North Rim Grand Canyon hikes
Here are some of the hikes at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon:
Bright Angel Point: The paved, quarter-mile trail leads from the patio behind Grand Canyon Lodge out along a finger of rock to a magnificent overlook.
Transept Trail: The 1.5-mile-long route snakes along the canyon's rim northwest of the lodge to North Rim Campground and provides fine views of a side canyon known as the Transept.
Cape Final: About 2 miles before the end of road to Cape Royal is the Cape Final Trailhead. The 4-mile round-trip hike through woods is mostly flat and takes you to several overlooks.
Uncle Jim Trail: This 5-mile round trip starts at the North Kaibab Trailhead and follows the Ken Patrick Trail for ? mile. At a well-marked junction, turn south on the Uncle Jim Trail, which loops through a forested area to Uncle Jim Point, looking into the canyon
Widforss Trail: A 10-mile round trip through the forest to a remote viewpoint. Much of the first half skirts the rim of Transept Canyon. The latter half ducks into the woods before emerging at a splendid canyon overlook.
Ken Patrick Trail: This trail meanders 10 miles one way through forest from the North Kaibab Trailhead parking area to Point Imperial. You may want to arrange a shuttle or have someone pick you up at the other end. Some segments are sketchy, so bring a map and compass.
Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon North Rim 2024 guide: Hotels, camping, hikes