The views from the North Rim are not so vast as those from the South Rim, but there is variety in the hikes through forest and into the canyon. The North Rim is higher, closed to motor vehicles during the winter, and much quieter than the South Rim. Our first walk was along the Trancept Trail, from the Lodge to the Campground, where we saw several mule deer grazing. The next day we hiked the North Kaibab Trail from the rim to Roaring Springs and back (9.4 miles, 3,050 feet elevation change). Refreshed, the next morning we hiked along the lovely and accessible (though few people were on it) Widforss Trail (about 5 miles round trip, about half of the trail), through forest with many overlooks along the rim.

Accommodations: Frontier Cabin, Grand Canyon Lodge-North Rim