I’ve been to 20 national parks and forests around the US. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is the most underrated.
August 28, 20240
A wide view of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
From Yosemite in California to Acadia in Maine, I’ve visited many US national parks. Each has surprised me with unique geographic features and diverse plant life — but the North Rim of the Grand Canyon amazed me the most.
With a higher elevation than the South Rim, it has cooler temperatures, snowy winters, and more plants and trees.
Unlike the more popular South Rim entrances open year-round, the North Rim entrance is only accessible from May to October for overnight stays and through November for day trips (depending on the weather).
The North Rim of the Arizona national park isn’t as accessible as the South Rim.
The North Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.
Wild Horizons/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Although it has fewer visitors, I expected to see some crowds at the North Rim since it is smaller than the South Rim and has only one entrance (the South Rim has two).
I was thrilled to be wrong: the North Rim entrance had no line during my July 2019 visit. Although some clusters of people were at viewpoints, I rarely encountered other hikers on trails.
Outside of the national park, I found the most beautiful campsite I’d ever seen — and it cost nothing.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
My campsite was right off of Rainbow Rim Trail, which goes from the North Rim to the South Rim. The views were mesmerizing.
While the South Rim is home to the canyon’s most iconic scenes that are mostly red and brown, the North Rim is lush with forests. The canyon beneath my campsite was filled with rich green trees that starkly contrasted the warm-toned canyon rocks.
In the park itself, I avoided looking up popular hikes and simply stopped when I saw trails I was interested in hiking.
A unique rock formation on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The formation that stumped me most was this rock with a triangular hole near the top that towered over the others.
The North Rim’s peaceful atmosphere and surprising landscape helped me reach a place of presence I’d never before experienced at a national park.
The author enjoys the view from Rainbow Rim Trail.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
During most of my national park experiences, crowds make it difficult to live in the moment.
But sitting on the edge of the North Rim, I easily forgot about work and my busy lifestyle. My mind was clear up there — and I can’t wait to return.
Although my last visit was in 2019, the North Rim remains significantly less popular than the South Rim.
I can only hope for more isolated experiences in the future.
