Grand Canyon North Rim Day Hikes

Bright Angel Point Trail

Rating: EASY The trail begins at the log shelter in the parking area by the North Rim Visitor Center or at the corner of the back porch behind the lodge. This is an easy short hike along a paved nature trail to a spectacular canyon overlook. Self-guiding trail pamphlets are available along the trail. Total distance is about a half mile round trip, and it should take you no longer than 30-minutes.

Cape Royal Trail

Rating: EASY This is an easy 30-minute hike of about a half mile round trip. The level, paved trail will reward you with great views of the Grand Canyon all the way down to the river. Signs along the way will tell you about natural history of the area. You'll find the trailhead at the southeast side of the Cape Royal parking lot.

Point Imperial Trail

Rating: EASY This trail offers an easy 4 mile, 2 hour round trip hike through fire damaged forests to the north boundary of Grand Canyon National Park.

Roosevelt Point Trail

Rating: EASY This trail is a short 1/5 mile forest loop with great Grand Canyon views. Take this 20 minute hike at a relaxed pace. Trailside benches are available for resting or pondering the views.

Transept Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE This trail follows the North Rim of the canyon from Grand Canyon Lodge to the North Rim Campground, a distance of about. 3 miles round-trip. Ths hike will take you approximately 1.5 hours.

Uncle Jim Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE This trail starts at the North Kaibab Trail parking lot. It is a nice forest hike of about 5 miles to a point overlooking the canyon and the North Kaibab Trail switchbacks. Hiking time is about 3 hours round-trip.

Widforss Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE This is a very rewarding trail through the forest with great Grand Canyon views. The complete round trip is 10 miles (about 6 hours hiking time), but just a short walk along this trail will be a very rewarding experience. A self-guiding trail brochure is available at the trailhead. To get to this trail, drive 1 mile along the dirt road 1/4 mile south of Cape Royal Road to the Widforss Trail parking area.

Ken Patrick Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE This trail has a combination of forest and Canyon views. It follows the North Rim from Point Imperial to the North Kaibab Trail parking area. Hiking time for this 10 mile trail is about 6 hours.

Cape Final Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE This trail is an easy 2-mile hike from the parking area to Cape Final. A round trip of 4 miles (2 hours) will reward you with great panoramas of the Grand Canyon.

Cliff Springs Trail

Rating: EASY to MODERATE You will find the trailhead for this hike across the road from a pullout on a curve just 1/3 mile down the road from Cape Royal. Take this short 1 mile, 1 hour hike through the forest and down a ravine to a spring by a cliff. Do NOT drink water from the spring.

North Kaibab Trail

Rating: STEEP-SHORT to FULL DAY/DIFFICULT This is the only maintained trail into the inner canyon from the North Rim. You have a choice of destinations and hiking distances and times, depending on your chosen destination. If you are not up to a long hike, consider going as far as Coconino Overlook (only 1.5 miles round-trip) or Supai Tunnel (4 miles round-trip). These short trips will give you great views and a feel for the Grand Canyon experience. If you are up for a more difficult hike, go to Roaring Springs. The round trip is about 9.5 miles and will involve a decent of 3,050 feet and, of course, a climb back up again. It will take you a full day (8 hours) for this hike, so begin the hike early in the morning. It is strongly recommended that you not go beyond Roaring Springs for a day hike. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT try to hike from the rim to the river and back (a distance of 28 miles with a decent of almost 6,000 feet) in one day.