KEY INFO
LOCATION North Kaibab Trailhead to Kaibab National Forest boundary
DISTANCE 12.6 miles one-way
DAY-TRIP OPTION See turnaround note in the trail description.
SHUTTLE RECOMMENDATION AZ 67 (passage mile 6.1)
DIFFICULTY Moderate
LAND MANAGER Grand Canyon National Park, nps.gov/grca, 928-638-7888 for general visitor information
RECOMMENDED MONTHS May–October
GATEWAY COMMUNITY See North Rim to Jacob Lake.
GEOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS See “The Grand Canyon: A Geological Masterpiece”.
This passage traverses the seldom-used northern side of Grand Canyon National Park as it heads through rolling, forested hills to the Kaibab National Forest. This section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) follows graded dirt roads for 2 miles, but the majority of the route follows a primitive, remote utility corridor through lush forest. You’re unlikely to see many other people along this passage.
View into Roaring Springs Canyon from the North Rim, near the beginning of Passage 39
For equestrians, the park has a place for you to camp just north of the North Rim parking lot. Follow the road at the end of the parking lot, and head north, up a hill, and bear left as you travel up the road. Call the North Rim Ranger Station 928-638-7875) to check availability.
Just as it is for humans, conditioning is a big issue for horses traveling on the North Rim, which is at 8,800 feet in elevation: they feel the effects of the high altitude, too. Dehydration is also a concern; make sure you and your livestock consume enough water and calories during long hours on the trail.
From the parking lot, carefully cross the highway due west, pass a large metal AZT trail-head sign, and follow a well-defined trail down a drainage to a high-quality dirt road. Turn left (west), and follow the road past the parking lot for the Widforss Trail to a road junction. Bear left and follow the road 0.1 mile to a singletrack that departs on the right side. The trail soon joins a utility corridor. Stay on this corridor as it crosses several dirt roads. Many deer and turkeys that show little fear of humans inhabit this grassy area.
When the trail reaches AZ 67 at mile 6.1 (there is a paved parking area and picnic table as well as another large metal AZT sign), cross the highway carefully and follow a dirt road east for 60 yards.
TURNAROUND NOTE: If you’re just out for the day, the trail crossing at AZ 67 (Lindbergh Hill) is a great place to turn around.
To continue along the AZT, turn left (north) onto a primitive road and continue along the utility corridor again. Where the utility corridor reaches a steep-sided drainage, the trail leaves the wide path to the right (east) onto a singletrack through the trees. The trail descends, crosses a drainage, and switchbacks back up the north slope, crossing the utility corridor several times.
Rejoin the utility corridor and reach this passage’s second-highest point, where a steep descent begins. A flat stretch then takes you to where the trail leaves the utility corridor through the trees to the left, a few hundred yards southeast of the national park’s north entrance station. If you stay on the utility corridor, you’ll pass through the grounds of a small residence used by the National Park Service (NPS). Follow the trail to the parking lot just east of the entrance station, and then pick up Lookout Road going east around the back of the NPS residence.
Pass through a gate and follow Lookout Road along a gradual climb. At mile 11.2 you pass the highest point on the entire AZT, at 9,275 feet elevation. In another 0.3 mile, look for a well-signed junction of the AZT departing on the left (northeast). Notice the carvings on the large aspen trees on either side of the AZT at the junction. These arborglyphs mark the historic North Kaibab 101 Trail, used by early settlers and ranchers. In 0.7 mile, cross a fence marking the north boundary of the national park, the end of Passage 39. Ahead the trail crosses a long meadow to the north-northeast and heads to the FR 610 Trailhead.
This passage is open to bikes, with mostly intermediate riding. The trail may be obscure in places, and you’ll likely walk up some of the steeper grades given the high elevation along the Kaibab Plateau. For more information about mountain biking along the Arizona National Scenic Trail, visit aztrail.org.
Even in early summer, the trail along Passage 39 can still be buried under snow.
The parking area is on the east side of AZ 67, 41 miles south of Jacob Lake and 2.3 miles north of Grand Canyon Lodge. The trailhead is at south end of the parking lot.
From Jacob Lake, drive south on AZ 67 for 26 miles, then turn left (east) onto FR 611 (4.5 miles north of the Grand Canyon National Park North Entrance Station and 1 mile south of Kaibab Lodge). Drive 1.1 miles and then turn right (east) onto FR 610. Wind south and then east 5.1 miles to the FR 610 Trailhead, on the south side of the road. The trailhead, which includes a permanent toilet, is located near where the AZT crosses FR 610, about 0.5 mile north of the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park.