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Mileage: Mount Carmel Jct.
Tuweep 90 miles
South Canyon 75 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Zion Park 12 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles

The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes the Grand Canyon!

In these pages you will find insiders information on the best Grand Canyon hikes and Backpacks including Tuweep and South Canyon Trails. This detailed guide includes road maps, park maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna, campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Grand Canyon North Rim hidden treasures.

Making grand memories in the Arizona national parks.

Arizona

Grand Canyon North Rim Road Map

Directions to North Rim Grand Canyon: From Zion National Park, take on U-9 through the park to Mt. Carmel Jct. Turn south on US-89 to Kanab. There is only one stop light in Kanab; this is where US-89 changes to ALT 89. Fredonia, Arizona is 6 miles. In Fredona take 89A to Jacob lake (36 miles), then take AZ 67 to the Grand Canyon North Rim park entrance.

Winter Road Conditions and
Highway 67 Road Closures

North Kaibab Trail to Roaring Springs

Photo Album: North Kaibab Trail Pictures
Map: North Kaibab Trail Map
Day Hike: North Kaibab Trail to Roaring Springs
Distance: 5 miles/8.05 km one way
Average Hiking Time: 6 hours one way
Difficulty: Strenuous
Permits: No
Trail Conditions: This trail is hot in the summer. Consider hiking in the spring and fall. The path is sandy and wide in most places and well maintained. The trail is easy to walk on, but is often in full sun. Mules use this trail.
Trailhead: Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon North Rim
Trailend: Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon North Rim
Trail access: Note North Rim winter closures.
Starting Elevation North Rim: 8241'/2512m
Elevation Roaring Springs: 5200'/1585m
Off the Beaten Path: No. Trail is shared with many groups of riders on mules from mid-May to mid-October.
Best Season: Fall,after the mules stop running.
Water Availability: Seasonal - Check with backcountry office before starting hike.
Restrooms: Yes: Supai Tunnel, Roaring Springs

North Kaibab Trail: Starting elevation 8250'.
The trail begins by winding down a steep trail through a high alpine forest of Aspen, Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine. Hiking the trail after the mule rides quit for the season is ideal. Services at the North Rim shut down from mid-October to mid-May. The trail can still be used as long as highway 67 is open.

Coconino Overlook: The Coconino Overlook is only .75 miles and 500' below the rim. This area is a showcase of coconino sandstone where students are taken to see the fault and the many layers of rock that are visible here. The red rocks seen are the Supai formation. The Coconino Overlook gives a nice view of Roaring Springs Canyon.

Supai Tunnel: Switchbacks twist and turn to Roaring Springs Canyon. A good day hike would end at the Supai Tunnel. At this point you have traveled 1.8 miles. The elevation is 6800'. At Supai Tunnel there is an unreliable fresh water source and restrooms. The Supai formation is the red rocks visible here and from the trail above.

Roaring Springs: After passing through the small man-made Supai Tunnel, imposing cliffs come into view. Pinyon's and junipers become dominant. The Red Wall Bridge is a popular resting spot before heading down the cliff hugging trail ahead. The formations now are the Redwall Limestone, Muav Limestone, Bright Angel Shale and Tapeats Sandstone. Almost five miles down the trail is Roaring Springs. (4.7 miles) At this point you will have descended 3041'. The offshoot trail to Roaring Springs is .25 miles. There is fresh water and restrooms there. The elevation is 5200' at Roaring Springs.

North Kaibab Trail

The North Kaibab Trail is a diverse trail offering plenty of variety for those who want to backpack or day hike.

The entire North Kaibab Trail distance, (one way) rim to river is 14.2 miles. Due to the extreme elevation changes this would not be done as a day hike. The North Kaibab trailhead shares the same parking area as the Ken Patrick and Uncle Jim trails. The trailhead is 2 miles north of the visitor center. The trail descends beneath the rim, through the forest, for the first 5 miles, leading to Roaring Springs. Roaring Springs is a waterfall created by water pouring from a muav cave into Bright Angel Creek. This creek is one of the Grand Canyon's largest tributaries and a home for beavers. Never plan to hike past Roaring Springs in one day.

The following are points along the trail that can serve as a trail destination.

Coconino Overlook .75 mile one way
Supai Tunnel 2 miles one way
Redwall Bridge 3 miles one way
Roaring Springs fork 4.7 miles
Roaring Springs 5 miles

The North Kaibab Trail is the only North Rim trail leading into the inner canyon and can be done as a backpacking trip.

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Grand Canyon North Rim

Grand Canyon - Arizona

The landscape everywhere, away from the river, is of rock--cliffs of rock, tables of rock, plateaus of rock, terraces of rock, crags of rock--ten thousand strangely carved forms. . . cathedral shaped buttes, towering hundreds or thousands of feet, cliffs that cannot be scaled.... -- John Wesley Powel Photo: North Kaibab Trail: North Rim Grand Canyon © Photography by Tanya

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