Located on the very southern tip of the Kaibab Plateau, and the prime vista location for the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Point offers a bird’s-eye view of the meeting of Roaring Springs Canyon and Transept Canyon at the Bright Angel Fault. It is 4/10 mile from Grand Canyon Lodge to the point on a paved trail that offers several overlooks along the way. High altitude (8,148′) and an elevation change of 200 feet warrant extra caution for those with heart or respiratory conditions, so take your time. The trail is high above the canyons, and very narrow at points, so if you have extreme acrophobia, you may want to be wary on this one. Watch too for lightning storms, as this area is very exposed. We hiked to Bright Angel Point on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 beginning at 5:30PM and ending about 6:30PM after finishing our hike on the North Kaibab Trail. Our plan was to catch the sunset.

My brother and I still had some energy left after hiking down into the canyon on the North Kaibab Trail, and no visit to the North Rim of Grand Canyon is complete without seeing Bright Angel Point, so off we went. It’s about a mile and a half from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Grand Canyon Lodge at the terminus of the North Rim.

This is touristy Grand Canyon. There is a parking lot large enough to accommodate at least a hundred cars. The Grand Canyon Lodge is one of those quaint, environmentally sensitive structures on the North Rim that complement rather than conflict with their setting. Consisting of a main lodge and a dozen cabins, lodging here is reasonably priced, as long as you don’t come during peak season. You can experience fine dining, mule rides into the canyon, hiking, and of course, the allure of Bright Angel Point.

That allure is what brought us on this beautiful October evening. As we hit the trail toward the point, we noticed immediately the difference in plants out here. Whereas we walked among fir and aspen and scrub oak on North Kaibab, here on the point trail the ravages of time limit the vegetation to gnarly juniper and pinyon pine. But the ones that are here have been here… for a long time. There is one particularly hearty juniper that is 600 years old.

Down in the canyon, multicolored rock layers record the rise and fall of oceans and continents. That’s the fascinating thing about the walls of Grand Canyon. The layers of red and white and orange tell tales of the formation of this grand hole in the ground, written over two billion years. The North Rim is a good thousand feet higher than the South Rim, a result of the tremendous geologic uplift that has occurred.

Though invisible at Bright Angel Point, the Colorado River is the erosive force responsible for the depth of Grand Canyon. Over the past 5 million years or so, it has carved a canyon a mile deep. The canyon overlook at Bright Angel Point is above Bright Angel Creek, one of the major tributaries of the river. The name Bright Angel originated on John Wesley Powell’s pioneering exploration of the Colorado River in 1869. Powell regretted having named a muddy creek upstream the “Dirty Devil.” Later, when he found a creek with sparkling clear water, he gave it the more reverent name, “Bright Angel,” after a character in Milton’s Paradise Lost.

The large tributary canyon to the east (on your left as you walk out to the point) is Roaring Springs Canyon, a major source for Bright Angel Creek. That’s the canyon you are hiking in on the North Kaibab Trail. The main origin of water for both of these drainages is Roaring Springs. Water from Roaring Springs is pumped to the North Rim for use at the lodge and campground, as well as to watering holes for hikers and mule trains along the canyon trails. During snow melt season, Roaring Springs is flowing so strong that it can be heard from Bright Angel Point, 4,000 feet above on the canyon rim.

Farther out toward the point, plants give way to bare rock. The rocks appear worn and in some places precarious. Chances of the rocks giving way beneath you on any particular day are exceedingly small, yet you can feel and see signs of erosion. One particular spot very near the point is especially dicey. They had to construct a narrow foot bridge to reach the point. The drop on each side is precipitous. Fortunately, for those like me who aren’t fond of heights and edges, there are handrails.

An example of Grand Canyon’s dynamic forces occurred on January 3, 1991, in The Transept, the large tributary canyon to your right as you walk out to the point. A massive section of Coconino Sandstone (the light-colored layer of rock near the top) succumbed to gravity and erosion, cascading into the canyon and trailing debris along thousands of feet of canyon wall. In 1992 similar landslides closed several major trails. So, y’know, erosion does happen. Watch your step. I’m just sayin’.

Bright Angel Point is large enough for about a dozen people. While we were on the point, there were no more than four at any one time. The overlook is surrounded by a waist-high chain link fence that will help you feel secure. Roaring Springs Canyon and Transept Canyon meet directly below the point within what is called the Bright Angel Fault. The fault is still active, occasionally startling visitors when it slips. If you look closely you may see Bright Angel Trail coming down from the South Rim.

On the way back, there are a couple more caged-in observation points with excellent views of the depth of Transept Canyon and of the stunning architecture of Grand Canyon Lodge. The present-day lodge is the second incarnation, as an unfortunate 1932 fire destroyed the original building only a few years after its completion. Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed a rustic lodge and cabins rather than a single hotel unit that seem natural among the surroundings. When you get back to the lodge, you can continue on the Transept Trail for more canyon views and a pathway to the North Rim campground.

To summarize, whether you came to North Rim of Grand Canyon to hobnob, or to get out on the trails, you owe it to yourself to at least check out Bright Angel Point. You may not even have to break a sweat. While not as popular (or crowded) as the South Rim, the North is forested, not barren, so it makes for an extremely pleasant experience.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon doesn’t get nearly the traffic as its more touristy neighbor to the south. For one thing, it is a lot more remote. The North Kaibab Trail is the most difficult of the three trails that dissect the canyon, but it also holds the most varied ecosystem. Somewhat surprisingly, it is forested. With fir and aspen and scrub oak, along with ferns and assorted wildflowers, the North Rim enjoys the color of the seasons. The trail descends through redwall limestone, then the Supai Formation, consisting of mostly bright red slate. You can go all the way to the Colorado River, or even beyond to the other rim. But if you’re looking for a delightful day hike, drop down off the North Rim about 2,000 feet or so, then return. My brother and I hiked the North Kaibab Trail on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 beginning at 11:00AM and ending about 3:45PM. Our plan was to descend the North Kaibab Trail approximately 2,000 feet or three hours, whichever came first… then return the same way.

My brother (the other Internet Brother) and I started our day at the local BLM office in Kanab, Utah. We got ourselves in the lottery for The Wave, hoping to gain two of the ten daily permits given to hike this iconic wilderness. Unfortunately, it was not our lucky day, so off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon we went.

We headed south on Hwy 89A into Arizona, past the Pink Cliffs, and on to Jacob Lake where we got on Hwy 67, a national scenic byway. The Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway traverses beautiful land even before it reaches the spectacular North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Kaibab is a Paiute Indian word meaning “mountain lying down.” The Kaibab Plateau is part of a 65-million-year-old folding of the Earth’s crust that pushed the level land upward 3,000 feet – indeed a mountain lying down.

When you think of Arizona, you usually think of dry, dusty desert. You think of brown… not the beautiful green of the ponderosa and lodgepole pines that fill this northwestern corner of the state. Unfortunately though, the long-term drought that has plagued the American West has also affected this scenic plateau. Major forest fires in the North Kaibab Ranger District have devastated mile upon mile of the stunning pine forest along the parkway. It’s in stark contrast to the still healthy portions of the forest. It is truly sad that such beauty has been wiped away.

The Grand Canyon National Park entry station is approximately 15 miles north of the tourist area of the North Rim, including Bright Angel Point, the Grand Canyon Lodge and campground, and our destination, the North Kaibab trailhead. Soon after we passed through the gate, we encountered a surprise bison herd in the large meadows alongside the parkway. Brought to the North Kaibab area in the early 1900s, the herd migrated south into Grand Canyon National Park in the 1990s. Surprised me.

We arrived at the trailhead about 11:00, a lot later than we usually start hiking, but we killed two hours of our morning at The Wave Lottery. This meant we would be hiking down in the canyon during the warmest part of the day. Better make sure we have plenty of water and sunscreen. By this time, the trailhead parking lot was completely full, so we joined the dozens of other vehicles that were parked along the side of the road.

Within the first 10 minutes on the trail, we met the first mule train coming up out of the canyon. Continuing down the trail where the mules had been, we hoped there wouldn’t be many more because of the piles that were left behind. The last rider in line even apologized as he passed for what we would be encountering. It was our good fortune that we saw no other mules the rest of the day.

The North Kaibab Trail actually descends Roaring Springs Canyon, not “The Grand Canyon.” Several miles down, at the Colorado River, it meets the Grand, but it’s really just a matter of semantics. It is still wonderful… but also not what I expected. I’ve been to the South Rim before, many decades ago when I was still a teen. The views there are spectacular, but it’s barren. The North Rim is forested, like the Kaibab Plateau. It is filled with fir and aspen, with scrub oak and other deciduous trees that were displaying their full Autumn regalia on this mid-October day. Another delightful surprise.

We learned as we continued descending into the canyon of the many layers of rock that form the canyon walls. Along the rim is what they call redwall limestone. Mostly white, it is also laced with seams of yellow, orange, and red. About 45 minutes down, we reached Coconino Overlook, a large limestone outcrop that enables views deep into Roaring Springs Canyon, as well as far distant to the San Francisco Peaks scores of miles away.

As you descend below the limestone layer, you enter the Supai Formation, a thicker layer of mostly very bright red slate. The photo at the top of this post was taken of my brother while we were hiking this Supai layer. Deposited millions of years ago when the plateau was covered by a great sea, they say there are many amphibian fossils in this layer, so keep your eyes peeled. The trail itself is dusty and sandy, unlike the more rocky, solid base of the limestone layer.

The next landmark is Supai Tunnel, a kind of way-station for the mule trains and weary hikers. Believe it or not, there is a water fountain here, pumped up from Roaring Springs, a major feature of the North Kaibab Trail that also serves as the water source for the North Rim. Amazingly enough, there is also a pit toilet. This rest area is 1.7 miles below the trailhead. This is a nice place to pause for a snack and refill your water supply, if needed.

The tunnel itself is about 25 feet long, carved through the red slate. A remnant of the original trail, it keeps you from having to drop off a 20 foot ledge. Once you get on the down side of the tunnel, you catch the first glimpse of a bridge across Bright Angel Creek nearly two miles below. My brother and I took inventory of how long we had been hiking (about 90 minutes) and how far down we had gone (1,500 feet). That bridge looked like a reasonable goal for the turnaround point.

It took a little over a half hour to get there. It was easy, fast going as the trail between the tunnel and the bridge is a series of long switchbacks down a major ledge in the Supai layer. Everything is really red here… the rocks of the canyon walls and the dirt of the trail tread. We saw unusual vegetation like Kaibab agave, a very tall yellow-green plant with bulbous yellow flowers. The plant was used for food and fiber by local Native American peoples such as the Havasupai, and to make blankets by the Navajo.

The bridge across Bright Angel Creek provides a nice platform for looking down canyon toward the Roaring Springs area. From this point, the North Kaibab Trail climbs up above the canyon floor and follows a ridge another mile, and another 800 feet down, to the springs. For us, is was a nice place to rest, drink some water, and eat a snack to prepare for the long, 2,200 foot climb back up. We resolved to take it slow, but steady. It was just past 1:00 in the afternoon.

For the next 90 minutes we climbed back through the Supai layer 1,400 feet to the ledge at the tunnel. There were fewer and fewer people coming down now, both for the distance from the trailhead, and for the lateness of the day. You certainly don’t want to get too far down in the canyon with only day hiking provisions and nothing to sleep in. It will get cold overnight in October, and dark by 6:30.

The sun was at its peak now. We were down to shorts and t-shirts as it felt to be about 80°. I was making sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated in the dry high desert air. When we reached the tunnel and the water fountain, I checked the water level in my pack and topped off just to be safe.

We joined a cadre of hikers hanging out there taking inventory of who was where. There were several questions asked and answered about who we had seen where and when, including the unmistakable character we had first met at Observation Point in Zion a couple days earlier. While we energized with food, it was also refreshing to hear the care and concern by other hikers for those still out on the trail.

We had roughly 800 feet and 1.7 miles to go back to the rim. The sun was beginning to set behind the tall canyon walls of the limestone rim. The shade provided by the rim, and by the forest we were now re-entering was a nice relief from the afternoon heat. Our plan of slow, but steady was working really well. We were making the climb at almost the same pace we descended. I had estimated at least a three and a half hour ascent, but we were doing a lot better than that.

We paused one last time at Coconino Overlook for another snack. While looking around I saw a critter that is common to this area. Known as the Kaibab squirrel, it has an all black body and a white tail. It’s no wonder it seemed unusual to me. The Kaibab Plateau is the only place in the world where it is found. Another surprise. We saw another one later in the evening out near Grand Canyon Lodge.

In the late afternoon sun, the scrub oak was really beginning to glow. The final half hour through the colorful fall foliage was delightful. It was a treat I hadn’t expected within the walls of the Grand Canyon, so this had been a day full of surprises.

I had done really well on the climb, but finally started to tire about the last ten minutes. The timing of the completion was ideal. If we had another mile, I would have been very fatigued. Otherwise, I felt great. We even had our own cheer squad at the trailhead, offering a “good job” as we popped back onto the North Rim. It had only taken us two hours, forty five minutes to get back up from the bridge over the creek. Not bad. Not bad at all. Our plan now was to go explore the lodge area and Bright Angel Point.

To summarize this day hike of the North Kaibab Trail, it is entirely different from the South Rim of Grand Canyon. I think it’s prettier. Sure, you don’t have the same massive vistas that you do on the south side, but you also don’t have the lovely forest over there either. If you want to go farther, you can, all the way 14 miles to the Colorado River. But if you’re searching for a nice five hour day hike within the Grand Canyon, then just go as far as your comfort zone. Maybe it’s only to Supai Tunnel, or maybe you go even farther than we did by continuing to Roaring Springs.

The drive through Kaibab National Forest, past the large meadows that flank the scenic byway, and into the national park is also quite memorable. There are other roads that delve deep into the canyon country within the Kaibab with miles and miles of trails. We already have those marked on our to do list for future adventures. Do this some time. You’ll enjoy it. We sure did.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.