General Information

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General Information

North Rim

The north rim of the Canyon is sometimes referred to as the "other" Grand Canyon. It's a different world up there on the north side. The scenery is different, the climate is different, the plants and animals are different and even the people are different. This is the part of the Grand Canyon that the wild west never left. It is still very wild up there on the north side and the reason for that is probably because the place is so isolated. From the south rim, as the crow flies, the north rim is only 12 miles away, but by automobile it's a long drive of 215 miles, and 5 hours to the other side. This discourages a lot of visitation and keeps the north rim wild, secluded and peaceful. The normal hustle and bustle that the peak tourist season sees on the south side never really happens on the north side. To visit the north rim is to understand the meaning of the term 'laid back'. Who knows, maybe it was invented there.

The plant life on the north rim is adapted to a much wetter climate. It rains much more frequently on the north rim than the south and the winters on the north rim are much more intense with snowfalls of up to 25 feet (7.7 m) not being uncommon. Because of this damp climate the large conifers such as the Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine are the dominant trees. Deciduous trees, such as the Birch and Aspen are also to be found in scattered groves. There are also many large fields of grass located on the north rim which makes it an ideal location for grazing.

Some animals that can be found on the north rim are Mule Deer, Rock Squirrel, Kaibab Squirrel, Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel, Raven, Pinon Jay, Steller's Jay, Wild Turkey, Coyote, Bobcat and Mountain Lion.

The north rim was not visited by Europeans until 236 years after the South Rim, when in 1776 Father Escalante became the first European to visit the north rim. Another reason for the north rim being so isolated is because it's ownership remained questionable well into the 20th century. Both Arizona and Utah claimed the territory and it wasn't until Arizona was granted statehood in 1912 that the issue was finally decided. Even after that the "Arizona Strip" remained a no-mans land for sometime and all that was to be found there were a few scattered Mormon settlements, and some sizeable herds of cattle, horses and sheep. Hunting on the north rim was also very popular and one of the most notable hunters who frequented the area was president Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt eventually declared the area a Game Preserve and in 1919 persuaded Congress to protect the area by declaring it a national park.