Arizona Trail Passage 39: Grand Canyon – North Rim

This is a 12-mile, one-way stretch of the Arizona Trail from North Kaibab Trailhead north to the Kaibab National Forest boundary. It crosses high country through conifer forest and open meadows, with a short spur near the start to a view into Roaring Springs Canyon. It is a point-to-point walk, not a loop, so arrange a pickup at the remote north access or plan for the full return distance.

Allow about 6–7 hours including short breaks. The route rolls across the plateau, staying above 8,000 feet and climbing toward roughly 9,100 feet before ending near 9,000 feet. The mapped route endpoint is about half a mile from the published north road access, so confirm that connection before relying on a pickup.

At the beginning, a short walk through pine and fir reaches a view into red limestone Roaring Springs Canyon. The trail then leaves the rim and heads through Harvey Meadow, mixed conifer forest and open meadows. Expect a mix of dirt road and singletrack, rolling grades, and a few short steep pitches rather than a continuous canyon-edge path.

Parts of the passage and nearby North Kaibab Trail follow an older route developed by Edwin Wooley and his son-in-law David Rust. Rust extended the route toward the Colorado River by 1907. Harvey Meadow recalls Professor Harvey DeMotte, who traveled through the area with John Wesley Powell’s 1872 expedition; nearby Thompson Canyon is named for the expedition’s topographic mapper Almon Thompson.

Water is scarce and unreliable on the Kaibab Plateau, so carry what you need and purify any water you collect. Snow can linger into early summer above 8,000 feet. There are no identified food, water or toilet facilities along this remote point-to-point stretch.