North Kaibab Trail
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The North Kaibab Trail is a
hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...
trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...
in the North Rim side of the
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...
, in
Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyo ...
, located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
.


Access

Access to this part of the park by car is seasonal, open from mid-May to mid-October or depending on snow cover from the previous winter. It is possible to reach the North Kaibab Trailhead by crossing the canyon on foot from the South Rim or by snowshoe or cross-country ski beginning at Jacob Lake, Arizona.


Description

The North Kaibab Trail begins at the head of Roaring Springs canyon and ends at the
Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
. The trailhead is at a parking area on
Arizona State Route 67 State Route 67 (SR 67) is a long, north–south state highway in northern Arizona. Also called the Kaibab Plateau – North Rim Parkway, SR 67 is the sole road that links U.S. Route 89A (Arizona), U.S. Route 89A (US 89A) at Jacob ...
, about north of the North Rim's Grand Canyon Lodge. The Ken Patrick Trail and Uncle Jim Trail are also accessible from this parking area. The trail is long, with camping available by permit at Cottonwood Camp at and ''Bright Angel Camp'' at . Treated water is available seasonally at the Supai Tunnel, Roaring Springs, the Caretaker's Dwelling, and Cottonwood Campground; and year-round at Bright Angel Campground and
Phantom Ranch Phantom Ranch is a lodge inside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It sits at the bottom of Grand Canyon, on the east side of Bright Angel Creek, a little over half a mile north of the Creek's confluence with the Colorado River. Opened in 1 ...
. Features along the trail include Roaring Springs, Ribbon Falls (140 ft), The Box (a slot canyon), and
Phantom Ranch Phantom Ranch is a lodge inside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It sits at the bottom of Grand Canyon, on the east side of Bright Angel Creek, a little over half a mile north of the Creek's confluence with the Colorado River. Opened in 1 ...
.


Part of Arizona Trail

The North Kaibab Trail is also part of the Arizona Trail system, crossing the state of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
from
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
to
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. The trail is joined by South Kaibab Trail which is located to the south of the trail.


Condition

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyo ...
categorizes the North Kaibab Trail as a corridor trail. With this designation it receives regular maintenance and patrols by park rangers.


Camping

Hikers may only camp at the Bright Angel or Cottonwood Campgrounds, where they can stay overnight with a permit issued by the Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Information Center. Use of the campground overnight is regulated by the National Park Service, and they call for a maximum number of groups (7 to 11 people) and parties (1 to 6 people), as well as a maximum total number of persons. Use permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis from the park's Backcountry Information Center. Requests are taken beginning on the first day of the month, up to four months before the requested first night of camping.


Hazards

Hazards hikers can encounter along the North Kaibab Trail include
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
, sudden rainstorms, flash flooding, loose footing, rockfall, encounters with wildlife, and extreme heat. At the
Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
, additional hazards include
hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...
(due to the river's consistently cold temperatures), trauma (due to collisions with boulders in rapids), and
drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...
.Grand Canyon National Park Summer Hiking
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See also

* List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park


References


External links


Official Grand Canyon National Park website

Grand Canyon Explorer
{{Grand Canyon trails Grand Canyon, North Rim Hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park National Recreation Trails in Arizona