Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
A long North Rim walk to a rugged canyon projection.
Overview
There is no verified water source or service point along this remote route; plan to carry everything you need. The trailhead is already high on the plateau, around 8,500 feet, and the rocky rim ending is exposed. Dogs are not allowed on this route. Choose it if you want a long, lightly used North Rim outing and are comfortable navigating a fading track; choose a signed short rim walk instead if you mainly want an easy canyon view.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhat to bring and who should goMap & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Canyon Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Grand Canyon audio tourRecorded for this area
Rain That Never Lands“A streak of rain hanging beneath a cloud can disappear before it reaches the canyon floor. That's called virga. Raindrops fall into dry air and evaporate on the way down, leaving wispy trails below the cloud.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Ariel Point Trail is a remote out-and-back across the Walhalla Plateau to a rocky projection on Grand Canyon’s North Rim. From the mapped Cape Royal Road access, the full route is about 12.2 miles round trip: follow the Komo Point Fire Road for roughly 3 miles, then take the Ariel branch about 3.1 miles to the rim and return the same way. Allow 6 to 7 hours from the road access. The nearest named parking is at Vista Encantada, about half a mile east; using it adds about a mile on the road round trip, and no walking connector or parking pullout at the route entrance was verified.
This is a half-day-plus backcountry walk, not a quick viewpoint stop. The plateau approach is long, and the return includes the same 3-mile Komo section after the Ariel branch.
The Komo approach and Ariel branch follow rough old roadbeds through plateau forest and occasional meadows. The grade is relatively gentle across the high ground, but the old tread fades and route-finding is necessary. Markers disappear in burned sections. At the Walhalla Connector junction, stay straight and south for Ariel Point; the final stretch drops more steeply toward the rim.
The route ends near Ariel Point on a rugged rocky projection with an unobstructed view into the canyon. There is no described built overlook or guardrail at the end, so keep well back from the rim. The return follows the same route, including the climb back from the point.
Wildlife
718 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
533 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
169 sightingsAmerican BisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,891 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
59 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
27 sightingsGray FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateKomo Point Trail10 mi · 4.5 hr · At the trailheadFollow a fading old road to a remote canyon rim.
EasyGreenland Lake Trail0.3 mi · 45 min · 1 mi awayA quick detour from Cape Royal Road to Greenland Lake.
ModerateFrancois Matthes Trail10.7 mi · 5.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA long former road to a brush-framed North Rim overlook.
ModerateWalhalla Glades Trail15 mi · 6 hr · 1.1 mi awayA 15-mile out-and-back on Walhalla Plateau's old road.
EasyRoosevelt Point Trail0.3 mi · 24 min · 1.9 mi awayA woodland loop opens to the Painted Desert and canyon views.
ChallengingKen Patrick Trail9.8 mi · 6 hr · 3.3 mi awayForest miles and big canyon views along the North Rim.
ModeratePoint Imperial Trail5.2 mi · 2.8 hr · 3.4 mi awayA rim walk through the 2000 Outlet Fire burn.
ModerateWalhalla Spur Trail5.4 mi · 3 hr · 4.1 mi awayA remote, rough forest track across the Walhalla Plateau.
Picnic area · 0.5 mi awayVista EncantadaA pine-shaded picnic stop above the North Rim’s layered cliffs.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayRoosevelt PointA short walk finishes at an east-facing canyon panorama.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayPoint ImperialThe North Rim's highest lookout opens onto the Painted Desert.
Sight · 3.8 mi awayRoaring SpringsA lush waterfall at the end of a steep canyon hike.
Sight · 4 mi awaySupai TunnelA four-mile hike to a tunnel framing streaked sandstone.
Sight · 4.1 mi awayCoconino OverlookA steep 1.4-mile out-and-back earns a Roaring Springs Canyon view.
Gas station · 4.4 mi awayNorth Rim Service StationA seasonal fill-up just beyond the campground turn.
Sight · 4.5 mi awayBright Angel PointA high rim panorama framed by the canyon’s temple buttes.Parkwolf’s Grand Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
