At 1 mile deep and 18 miles wide, Grand Canyon National Park is more than deserving of its name. Viewing this incredible gash in the earth from either rim, the North Rim or the South Rim, is must-do, as the scale and magnitude of this canyon is incredibly difficult to grasp until you have seen it firsthand. The North Rim is notorious for being more forested, while the South Rim is more exposed and developed. The Colorado River will appear miniscule from either vantage point, yet it was the force of this waterway that carved this incredible valley.
During our RV Trips of Summer 2019 and Christmas Break 2020, our family had the chance to experience both the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon. Each of these vantage points was spectacular, and we were grateful to have experienced them during different seasons, the North Rim in the Summer, and the South Rim in the Winter, which gave us the full spectrum of viewing this incredible park.
On our trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, in the Summer of 2019, Kanab, Utah served as our jumping off point for our visit. Our original plan had been to to stay at the North Rim Campground in the park, but, unfortunately, after driving three and a half hours from Las Vegas, we experienced an issue with our coolant tank on the RV when we were about an hour away from our campground at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This unforeseen incident delayed our arrival by a day and caused us to miss our intended stay in the park. Kanab, Utah, (think small town in Utah with literally ONE MAIN STREET) was good to us, however, and our stay at the Kanab RV Corral fit the bill for a quick overnight.
The drive from Kanab to the North Rim took us a little less than two hours, including a stop to throw the ball in a gorgeous meadow.
The drive from Kanab to the North Rim took us a little less than two hours, including a stop to throw the ball in a gorgeous meadow.
We arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and spent some time at the Visitor Center before heading out to hike Bright Angel Trail. The kids were in absolute AWE upon glimpsing the Canyon for the first time, and even I had chills.
We really enjoyed our hike, and the views were just remarkable. Once again, we were all reminded just how small we are.
After our hike, we checked out the Grand Canyon Lodge, mailed some postcards to some friends and family from the Post Office there, and headed to the Ranger Station so that the kids could complete their Junior Ranger requirements.
Just as expected, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was a spectacular sight to behold, and a spectacular place to spend the day.
