Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim) is just 78 miles south of Kanab, Utah. Kanab is one of the closest communities to the north rim. (Click here for area map) As one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon shows an impressive display of erosion and mother earth's natural beauty. Stretching for 277 miles, the Grand Canyon ranges in elevation from 2,400 feet to over 7,000 feet above sea level. Many attractions and activities are located in the canyon as well as in the nearby community of Kanab, Utah. The breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon is enjoyable for all who visit. For your convenience, we have outlined some sample itineraries for traveling in the area.

The Grand Canyon is a geologic museum of epic proportions. Of the earth's 4.6-billion-year history, nearly half is put on display in the canyon. If you were to hike one of the trails leading to the Inner Gorge, you would be able to see exposed rock strata ranging in age from 1.7 billion years at the Inner Gorge, to limestone deposited 250 million years ago on the Kaibab Plateau, to the 1-million-year-old black lava flows in the western canyon. It took the Colorado River a mere 4 to 6 million years to cut through these rock layers to create the Grand Canyon.

With a history that starts nearly 4,000 years ago , the North Rim has been home to the Desert Archaic people, the Anasazi, and the Paiute all before Europeans came in 1540. The Paiute were the ones to give the plateaus of the North Rim their names. It was the beauty of the area that gave the Paiutes the ideas for names. Kaibab, meaning "Mountain Lying Down," is the easternmost plateau. Here you will find Grand Canyon Lodge and major trailheads. Kanab, meaning "Willow," is just west of Kaibab and home to Kanab Canyon. Uinkaret, meaning "Place of Pines," is home to Toroweap Point. Here, millions of years ago, molten rock flowed over the canyon rim and coated the walls with lava. The Shivwits, meaning "Little People," are home to Hurricane Cliffs.

The North Rim is a great place to see some unique rock formations and the Colorado River. The North Rim is home to six hiking trails and two scenic drives. The trails range from an easy half-mile trail to a two or three-day trip to the canyon bottom. The driving trips offer beautiful views of the canyon. On one hand, you can see Mount Hayden and Saddle Mountain while standing on the highest point in the park, Point Imperial. On the other hand, you can see stunning vistas of the canyon and the Colorado River.