Lat/Long: 36.21025, -112.06088
Location: North Rim, Grand Canyon
Electric Hook Up: No
Water Hook Up: No (water available at different locations thru campsite)
Bathroom: 25 yard walk
WiFi: No (Wifi at Grand Lodge)
Shower: Yes – 1.50 for 5-7 minutes
Reserve on web at: http://www.recreation.gov
Site: 67
Wow. What a place. We arrived on Thursday, set up camp and drove down to get our first view of the canyon at the lodge. What a view! The awesomeness of the canyon is something you can’t explain in words or in pictures. Neither would bring justice to it, you just have to see it for yourself.
The trek thru Arizona went fine. We left Durango around 6 am and arrived here at the Rim around 3 in the afternoon. We made a few stops along the way for a few “left behind items” and stopped to take some pictures. I was disappointed in how commercialized the Navajo tribe has made the sites of this gorgeous state. We paid 6 bucks to see the 4 corners. Cool, but not worth 6 bucks. I wanted to stop at a canyon that I had seen a lot of pictures of near Page, AZ – however, 12 bucks a pop to go in and see that. There were other areas as well that I would have loved to take some pictures of…but they were all at a cost. Luckily the National Parks owned horseshoe bend – so got that. It was a .5 mile hike (uphill both ways) in – definitely worth the hike, view and the stop. I was really surprised at our drive in – the beginning starts in Kaibab National Forest, which takes you straight into the North Rim Entrance. The whole area is full of pine trees and aspens. After driving a whole day in the Arizona desert I pictured a desert area surrounding the North Rim….totally wrong – couldn’t be more wooded.
The campground is gorgeous. This was our first experience dry camping. So far, no issues. It has gotten a little cold at night – enough for me to “think” about running the furnace. But, it’s been ok without too. About 4 am though, it’s mighty chilly. To chilly to even think about getting up to turn the propane on. During the day it’s very mild – mid 60s to 70s. Thunderstorms rolled in everyday around 4 or 5 pm. Thunderstorms like I’ve never seen anywhere else. I’ve stood on 14,000 foot mountains and heard thunder…nothing compares to this lightning. By the time you see the flash, the boom has already started. The first crack we experienced scared the complete crap out of us. The welcome newsletter warns visitors of this, it says – “If you should see or hear lightning or if your hair stands on end, RUN.” Doesn’t say seek shelter, but simply RUN. Rest of campground is very accommodating. There is laundry available and little general store attached to campground. If you drive about a mile south there is the Grand Lodge and other shopping areas (souvenirs, Post Office, Saloon, Sandwich place). Lots of trails are accessible from the campground as well. There is one that follows the rim all the way down to the Lodge and also one that follows the road down to the lodge. Since we are on National land, no dogs allowed…except for trail parallel with road. Kayle doesn’t seem to mind a bit that we aren’t walking on the rim. ;)
Another interesting thing we read in a ranger book is called the “Sipapu”. This is within the bowels of the Grand Canyon. The Indians say that it is a place to sacred for human eyes. They believe it is the portal from which their people emerged into this world to light and into which the spirits of the dead return to darkness. People hiking within the vicinity of the Sipapu can choose from a long list of torments: nightmares, ghostly visions, violent episodes of vomiting, madness, lightning strikes, bone breaking falls, flash floods and death. Woman and whites especially should avoid visiting the area. So…we will be skipping anything remotely close to a place like this.
Catch you on the flip, coming soon…Kodachrome State Park with some highlights from Bryce Canyon. ;)
Happy Trails!
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