It is a 45 mile drive to the North Rim and you have to drive through the Plateu and National Forest to get there. It is a very nice drive but there isn't much to do along the way.
In 20 miles I believe we haven't seen even one pothole - this street is a real joy to drive (even in our 41ft RV pulling a Jeep). We have seen cows, deer (whole herds), wild turkey and eagles. We ended up staying in the National Forest at DeMotte Campground - a real "back to nature" experience, as this campground has no hookups, not even for water. The usual National Park "hole-in-the-ground" toilets surprise you with bearable smell (probably because its very cold up here even in August) and you'll get plenty of visitors (mostly deer) at Sunset. Our slide-out room decided to stop working here, 8 hours away from the nearest service facility (Las Vegas). The campground host dropped everything and rushed to our help, pushing the slide out back in - basically saving the remainder of our trip. He didn't even accept a tip. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon offers more nature (beautiful meadows and wildlife) and less tourists than the South Rim and this experience just added to our sentiment that this is the best way to experience this amazing display of mother nature. Bring warm clothes, as we experienced some rain with temperatures dropping to the mid 40's in late August.
The forest starts on the South Rim of the Canyon, continues on the North Rim. The North side is way different than South. Trees on the South side are shorter, "shrubbier" but plenty of deer/elk wildlife. North is towering pines and meadows; also full of deer and if lucky, you'll see the bison (near North Rim entrance of Canyon). All we saw of both sides of the forest was by car, but there are roads that lead to trials and stopping places/RV and camp sites. As you drive south from Jacob Lake to the North Rim, you'll see a vast area scarred by fire. I had never seen a burnt forest before; very surreal; then it transforms to open meadows flanked by pines. Absolutely lovely!
I personally like all of it.. scenery, wildlife, atmosphere, peacefulness, I imagine earlier times all over were like this in many places...I chose the date cause no earlier dates were there n It wouldn't let me finish..
Except for the first 1,000 acres (2006 fire) this forest is beautiful with rolling meadows for miles! In 2 days I saw a herd of buffalo, deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, and eagles.
This would be a five if the forest had not suffered a bad fire. It is so sad to be driving past so many spindly, blackened stumps of trees.The entrance to Kaibab Forest is near Jacob Lake Inn, where the last gas station before the Grand Canyon North Rim is also located. At the same spot there is a small ranger station with a little museum, clean washrooms and a few picnic tables outside. Jacobs Inn has reasonably priced ice cream and a small cafe.The drive through the Kaibab forest, once you have passed the burned section, is lovely..lots of flowing meadows. There are some pull offs and signs posted along the way to tell what is featured. The most noteworthy sight along the drive is a herd of wild buffalo. Everyone pulls over to take pictures.And, if you are lucky, you might see a kaibab squirrel, with a very fluffy tail, native only to this forest.
We camped in Ten-X campground, which is just outside of the town of Tusayan on the South Rim for two nights. The sites are large and level and can accommodate large motor homes.There are few amenities however the beauty of your surroundings should be amenity enough! There are vault toilets near to the sites that were surprisingly clean. Should you need to shower, you may use the showers and do laundry at the Mather campground inside the park which, with a car, is easily accessed. If you're driving a motor home, there is really no parking at Mather and they want you to use the shuttle system. Ten-X is only a few miles from the town of Tusayan where you can get all the supplies you need including a McDonald's for WiFi (albiet very slow!) as well as restaurants and stores. The entrance to the park is only a few miles further north, past Tuscayan. Ten -X turned out to be a surprisingly great location for seeing the Grand Canyon! Highly recommend!
We love nature, love the forest, love Smokey Bear. What's not to love about ponderosa pines, cedars, pinyon, russian olive and cliff roses? We stayed in a national forest campground on the Kaibab Plateau for two weeks and had an excellet time camping & hiking. Fire restrictions are very high this year and for good reason.
Our trip was at the end of September. We took several routes along scenic routes on our way to the North Rim of he Grand Canyon. Early frost burned most of the foliage killing autumn color prior to our visit. Great drives, beautiful scenery, clear air, next time we'll go earlier in the season.
Dispersed camping is allowed in the Kaibab National Forest. If you choose to camp in the Kaibab National Forest you may be the only people in the area. Peaceful, quiet, beautiful. Before you do this, stop at the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center at Jacob Lake. Get road conditions, fire conditions, and info on the Dispersed Camping process. Basically, you may drive into the Kaibab National Forest on one of the dirt Forest Service roads, find an area, and set up camp. No fees involved. However, there is no water, no bathrooms, no electricity, There are a few "don'ts"--don't camp in meadows, don't camp within 1/4 mile of the highway or surface water, don't dump any water from an RV. The expectation is that you will pack out what you take in.Depending on the fire danger, you may or may not be allowed to have a campfire. Be certain to check at the Visitor Center regarding open fires.Being the only souls around in this beautiful place is a humbling, healing experience.