GRAND CANYON NORTH RIM An Intimate View of the Grand Canyon Story by Emily Fagan Photos courtesy of Emily and Mark Fagan
The Grand Canyon is a true “must see” destination, a magical place where a thin ribbon of water has sliced down through thousands of feet of earth to create a wondrous land of sheer cliffs and colorful, craggy rock formations. Beloved by visitors from all over the world, a first glimpse over the edge brings excited exclamations to everyone’s lips, no matter their native tongue. It’s a massive landscape, however, and choosing which parts to see can be daunting. The canyon splits the earth wide open for 277 dramatic miles as the Colorado River continuously and relentlessly sculpts the cliff walls. In the middle of this route, for about 30 miles, Grand Canyon National Park showcases the most magnificent scenery with overlooks and hiking trails on both the north and south sides of the river. The South Rim, at 7,000 feet elevation, is the more popular and developed of the two sides. The North Rim, at a slightly cooler 8,000 feet elevation and just 10 miles away as the condor flies, is much quieter, more intimate, and has far fewer amenities. Ironically, because the canyon itself blocks all road travel between the two rims, you must drive 211 miles around the great chasm to get from the South Rim to the North Rim. However, visiting the North Rim
Point Sublime is certainly a sublime destination.
is worth every extra mile of RV driving. The last 42 miles, from Jacob Lake to the Grand Canyon Lodge, is a glorious introduction to this remote part of the world. The undulating two lane road is a captivating drive that weaves between wide grassy meadows filled with wildflowers and flanked by shimmering aspen that kneel before legions of towering pines. Mule deer and bison can be spotted in the distance grazing at leisure. At the end of the highway lies the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the heart of the North Rim and the first thing visitors see when they arrive. Built in 1927- 28, architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the ponderosa log and limestone structure with a special surprise in mind, one that has greeted visitors from then until now: a jaw-dropping view of the Grand Canyon through enormous plate glass windows framed by stone masonry. The original
Just imagine sitting in front of the lodge enjoying this view.
GRAND CANYON NORTH RIM
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2024 | 11
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