The North Rim of Grand Canyon is somewhat of a hidden gem. With about 1/10th of the tourists who bustle through South Rim, the North side can feel like you’ve got the place to yourself! And at about 1,000 feet higher, the North Rim boasts cooler temperatures all year round.

North Rim is not open all year long like South Rim is. In fact, the season runs only from mid-May to mid-October due to snowfall in the winter months that makes the single road to the North Rim Lodge impassable. The only lodging at the North Rim is Grand Canyon Lodge at Bright Angel Point, and like many Grand Canyon lodges, reservations are taken 13 months in advance.
Dining in the historic Grand Canyon lodge comes with great food, historic charm and incredible views. Again, you may want to think about making reservations.

To experience the full impact of the design of the lodge, take the historic route. Go through the front entrance. Walk across the carpeted lobby and descend a stairwell. Shining through great windows across the “Sun Room” is the much-anticipated first view of the Grand Canyon.

The architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood, following the wishes of then-Director of the National Park Service, Steven Mather, designed a rustic national park lodge. Grand Canyon Lodge served as a symbol of the importance of the preservation of this natural wonder, while allowing for luxury and enjoyment. Yet, Underwood had incorporated something extra—a surprise view!

Underwood’s 1928 Grand Canyon Lodge, designed for then-concessionaire the Union Pacific Railroad, is not today’s lodge. Underwood’s design included a massive Spanish-style exterior with a high front topped by an observation tower. The original burned down in 1932 and a “new” 1937 lodge sits on its footprint.

Forever Resorts operates the Grand Canyon Lodge, restaurants, retail, gift and convenience stores, service station, and Grand Canyon Cookout Experience in the park under contract with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Forever Resorts trains and encourages employees to foster a sense of awareness and stewardship in park visitors through an appreciation of park resources.

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