If you look forward to visiting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon when it opens for the summer every May, you'll want to listen up. Due to record-breaking snowfall this past winter, the opening date for 2023 has been pushed back to Friday, June 2 (with some amenities opening as late as July 1). Here is everything you need to know:
Only about 10% of people who visit Grand Canyon National Park journey to the North Rim, and it is precisely this sense of seclusion that imparts a certain magic words can't fully describe.
While the South Rim is open year-round, the North Rim is typically closed from mid-October until mid-May.
In 2023, however, the closure will extend until 6 a.m. on Friday, June 2 due to a record-breaking snow season. The North Rim saw over 250 inches of snow this past winter!
This delayed opening allows for both the plowing of State Route 67 and the reopening of North Rim visitor facilities.
One of the most important things to note this year is that the North Kaibab Trail is closed from Cottonwood Campground (pictured above) to the North Kaibab Trailhead through June 2.
Both the trail and North Rim pipeline were significantly damaged by rockfall and landslides throughout the winter season, rendering many areas of the trail impassable.
On June 2, the Visitor Contact Station, Grand Canyon Conservancy Bookstore, Backcountry Information Center, and Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim are expected to reopen. Mule ride services will also become available to the public on this date.
A bit later, on June 9, the North Rim Campground will reopen.
Finally, on July 1, visitors can once again traverse Cape Royal and Point Imperial Roads as well as the W1, W1a, W4, and the Fire Point Road. (Check out this view captured along the Cape Royal Drive - isn't it gorgeous?)
For more information about the delayed opening of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2023, please visit the National Park Service website.
How do you feel about the North Rim opening later than usual this year? Tell us in the comments! In the meantime, there are plenty of other beautiful national and state parks in Arizona to explore!
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