What are some good 2 day hikes at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?
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I’d like to hike to the inner canyon, and i’m thinking about staying at the Bright Angel Campground; although, i’m not sure how far it is from the North Rim.
Any other suggestions on campsites?
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March 11th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Are you going to be staying at the North Rim and then thinking of hiking down to Bright Angel Camp or staying at the North Rim and just looking for day hikes in that area?
Bright Angel Campground is the one at the bottom of the canyon beside Phantom Ranch. Although quite large, it is a very nice campground with a real bathroom (flush toilets!), picnic tables and poles to hang your backpack on and pretty little Bright Angel creek running right next to it. It is a great place to stay and one of my favorite spots on earth.
The only way you can get to Bright Angel Campground is by backpacking down and you MUST have a permit to stay there. Permits can be reserved up to 4 months in advance (ie: on Jan 1 they start filling permits for April) and for all but the winter months (Dec-Feb) spaces fill up quick. You request permits by faxing or mailing a permit request form to the backcountry office (see link below).
From Bright Angel Camp/Phantom Ranch there is one trail to the North Rim – the North Kaibab Trail and it is 14 miles. About half is along the bottom of Bright Angel Creek and fairly level and the final half is a tough uphill climb out of the canyon. The rim end of the trailhead is near the one North Rim lodge. Along the way, you can stop at beautiful Ribbon Falls and the large Roaring Springs. Starting at the North Rim, hiking down to Bright Angel Camp and then hiking back up to the North Rim the next day is do-able, but that would be one long and rough hike (28 miles round trip) and not leave a lot of time to enjoy the canyon. There is another backpacker camp called Cottonwood camp that is about 7 miles from the North Rim (near Roaring Springs) and would be a more realistic target for a one-nighter off the North Rim.
Another option if you can arrange it logistically, would be to do the classic rim-to-rim where you go down the North Rim and up the South Rim. But, even here I would recommend taking at least 3 days and spending either two nights at the bottom or one night at Indian Gardens campground half way up the Bright Angel trail on the South Rim (mainly just to have time to stop and smell the roses).
Now, if you are looking for a nice overnight backpacking trip off the North Rim, than I would recommend that you consider doing the hike out to Dutton Point on Powell Plateau. Powell Plateau is a big forested mesa sticking out into the canyon near Swamp Point (the North Bass trailhead) about an hour east of the lodge (high clearance recommended). You hike down to Muav Saddle (where there is an old cabin and spring) and then up to the mesa again where you pass through meadows and woods (and past small Anasazi ruins) to reach Dutton Point which sticks out on the southern edge of the mesa and provides an amazing 270-degee view with a good stretch of canyon – one of the best rim views anywhere in the canyon. It is about 6 miles one way to Dutton Point. The trail fades to nothing for the last couple of miles and – the biggest issue – there is no water on the mes, you must carry it all. None the less, this is a great hike, through pretty country to one of the best views in the canyon and you will likely have it all to yourself. You do still need to get a permit though (same process as above). Send me an message if you would like to know more or see photos of this hike.
For shorter day hikes off the North Rim, you options are fewer than on the South. You can hike the upper portions of the North Kaibab (down to Supai tunnel) or Roaring Springs. There is also a short nice trail into a side canyon near Cape Royale (Cliff Springs trail? Don’t remember the name for sure).
Note that the North Rim is closed in winter (mid-October to mid-May) and there is only one lodge there (ran by Xanterra) that fills up with reservations fast.