Highway 67 to Grand Canyon’s North Rim now closed for season

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — The entrance gate on State Route 67, which provides vehicular access to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon closed Nov. 30. The general store and gas station are also now closed.

The North Rim began transition to day-use operations the week of Oct. 15, when the Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center, Roaring Springs Overlook Kiosk closed and limited visitor services were available.

The North Rim campground closed Nov. 1. Visitors wishing to reserve campsites for next year began accessing reservations Nov. 15 for May of 2022. Campsite reservations can be made six months in advance, on a continuous basis.

The highway to the North Rim typically reopens midMay.

The North Rim, at an elevation of 8,200 feet and isolated in far northern Arizona, receives a fraction of the national park’s 6.25 million annual visitors. Plus, its visitor season is only about half the year. SR 64 to the South Rim is open year-round.

The North Rim is 220 miles from the South Rim and 350 miles from Phoenix. Cross-canyon hikers traverse 21 miles from the North to South Rim and an elevation change of more than 10,000 feet or roughly a mile down and a mile up.

SR 67 is typically open from May 15 to Dec. 1 but closes earlier if there’s heavy snowfall. North Rim lodges and most facilities close in mid-October.

With the park closed each winter, the Arizona Department of Transportation does not plow snow from SR 67. The North Rim averages about 9 feet of snow annually.

All visitors traveling on SR89 north of the Grand Canyon should be prepared for winter driving conditions. Snow, ice and rain are common during this time of year. More information is available by calling Arizona Highway Information to check road conditions: 1-888-411-ROAD (7623).

Nearby, year-round lodging, food services and fuel are located 45 miles north of the North Rim at Jacob Lake. Additional lodging and guest services are available in Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab, Utah.

More information about the North Rim is available at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/north-rim.htm.