Grand Canyon North Rim Drive

Grand Canyon North Rim Drive

Highway 89 from Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Lodge. 

There’s nothing like tracing the Grand Canyon’s edge with the Colorado River raging below, the sun sinking on your left, the moon rising in cool luminescence on your right. If that isn’t enough to inspire a drive on Highway 89, might we also tempt you with Marble Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs and the aspen golds of the North Rim?

Plan this trip for early fall, since the Grand Canyon’s North Rim closes for the season on October 15. Launching from Flagstaff, you emerge from the pine forest to a desolate expanse of land with sightlines for miles. The road undulates over rounded slopes while red-chunked sandstone cliffs tower on either side. At Bitter Springs, veer left on Highway 89A to Marble Canyon, which offers a good stopping point for breathtaking photo-ops and sustenance. First up, pics: Stand on the Navajo Bridge, a historic span over the Colorado River, to memorialize this swath of untamed backcountry. Then, food: Marble Canyon Lodge serves a hearty lunch and dinner, with outdoor seating to boot. 

Marble Canyon marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon, and nearby Lees Ferry is a popular put-in for river runners and Horseshoe Bend paddlers. Push on southwest, nestling close to the bewildering spectrum of reds, yellows and oranges of Vermilion Cliffs rising from Paria Plateau. 

You’ll spot junipers and pines the closer you inch to Kaibab National Forest, but once you reach the North Rim, in true grand finale fashion, the scenery explodes in leafy canopies of firs, spruces, tall pines and slender aspens.

Driving Distance
208 miles from Flagstaff

Turn-by-Turn Directions
Head north from Flagstaff on US-89 to Bitter Springs. Here, turn left onto US-89A. Follow this north to SR-67. Turn left and drive south on SR-67 to the lodge.