North Rim of the Grand Canyon Parkway

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are only twelve mile apart as the eagle flies, however, getting from one side to the other by car involves a drive of 210 miles. Part of that scenic drive is via way of Arizona Route 67; better know as the North Rim Parkway.

The North Rim Parkway is the only road that links Highway 89A to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This route to the rim turns south at Jacob Lake and then crosses the Kaibab Plateau. The road travels through the Kaibab National Forest and is lined with huge Ponderosa Pines for nearly twenty miles.

After the first twenty miles, the road opens up to large meadows to the west. For another fifteen miles, you will travel through vast meadowlands until you reach the north entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park. This is a pristine area of forest of aspens and pine, filled with diverse wildlife including deer, bears, mountain lions, and coyotes. The plateau was called Buckskin Mountain by white settlers. Long before, the Paiute Indians had named it kaiuw a-vwi "mountain lying down". The route passes Crane Lake before reaching Demotte Park, a community with visitor services -- just outside the national park gate.

Once in the park, the road winds through the Park and comes to an end at the visitor center at the North Rim. During the winter months, usually mid-November through mid-May, The North Rim Parkway is closed for its entire stretch south of Jacob Lake due to heavy snowfall.