Saddle Mountain, Grand Canyon North Rim

Saddle Mountain is a part of the Grand Canyon National Park, situated on its North Rim. It covers over forty thousand acres, offering extensive views of the canyon's many attractions, as well as providing a fun place to climb and hike. Visitors will be intrigued to find that its main ridge lives up to its name.

With a ridge that is shaped true to its name, Saddle Mountain (Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim) is an amazing extinct volcano that has some of the most amazing views of the entire park. It is mainly visited by hikers, backpackers, skiers and campers, but climbers also find its cliffs and other ridges a welcome challenge.

The mountain, though popular, is rarely visited as a great vantage point. To get up its steep slopes it is necessary to turn off the main road, heading down another and hiking up a long trail through juniper and pine forests.

The walk is tough. As the trail climbs the mountain's rocky side, it begins a sudden descent into Saddle Canyon, but the scenery is a good diversion from its incredible intricacy. In fact it is all very grand. The northern Vermillion Cliffs, eastern Echo Cliffs, Marble Canyon and the edge of the northern rim of the Grand Canyon are in clear view.

It is not uncommon to run into wild deer, mountain lion prints or even the odd mule tracks when traversing the rest of the way. As the trail rises up the slopes further, the way becomes trickier. Certain dips allow for rest spots, and for the person wanting to reach the top, some sections are flat enough to set up camp.

The final stretch is hard. Most will never reach the top without climbing gear. It is necessary in parts to get around this, but to get on top of the main ridge requires cliff climbing. However, the rewards are nothing short of incredible.