Capes of the Canyon – North Rim

The North Rim Capes of the Canyon takes riders from the desert base of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument to the subalpine meadows and sprawling aspen forests of the Kaibab Plateau. In-between, it weaves a circumference dirt tour of North Rim viewpoints along the edge of Grand Canyon National Park. Capes include Vermilion Cliffs, Gunsight, Jumpup, Sowats, Thunder River, Crazy Jug, Monument, Parissawampitts, Fence, Locust, North Timp, Timp, Fire, Swamp, Point Sublime, Crystal Canyon, Bright Angel, Point Imperial, Vista Encantada, Roosevelt, Walhalla Overlook, Angel’s Window, Cape Royal, Nankoweap/Saddle Mountain, Marble Viewpoint, East Rim, and Dog. Look forward to multiple views of the Esplanade along the Kanab Creek Wilderness, the possibility of sleeping in old Forest Service cabins at Jumpup and Big Springs, riding through Coyote Valley beside the Paria Plateau, seeing high-altitude meadows cupped by conifers, and absorbing views of the Grand Canyon along remote dirt roads.

The goal of the route is to hit every bike-legal track that takes riders to views of the Grand Canyon along the North Rim on the Kaibab Plateau. Capes of the Canyon provides an additional tour of the Colorado Plateau by way of an extensive network of forest service roads that wind through ponderosas, spruce, firs, aspen, sage, tablelands, and plateaus in and near the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument and the Kaibab National Forest. This route offers remote high-country riding down seldom-visited roads, a chance to bike singletrack along the Grand Canyon at Rainbow Rim, multiple opportunities for dispersed camping at the rim edge, sections of the Arizona Trail, and, for those who store their bike on top, the chance to hike down into the inner gorge at notable trailheads within Grand Canyon National Park.

The recommended tire size is 2.3″ – 2.6″ (2.3″ Minimum). The route is intended to be ridden in a counterclockwise direction.

The North Rim COTC travels down a trove of Forest Service roads and old doubletrack. Some of the Forest Service roads are regularly maintained, wide, lightly graveled, and sometimes hero dirt. The spurs off of these carry riders down smooth-to-chunky-to-decayed doubletrack – especially out to the most remote capes of the route, where vehicles infrequently travel. The dirt roads in Grand Canyon National Park are especially poorly maintained. I’ve been told the USFS puts spending priority on their unpaved roads, while the NPS does not. Overall, there can be extended sections of washboard, ruts, and chunk with ample babyheads. Some of the viewpoints that the North Rim Capes utilizes are very remote and are often littered with tree blowdowns come early summer. The deadfall will get removed, but anyone traveling in the early season may have to go around/over trees until agencies clear them.

If any rain/snow is forecast, most of the unpaved route will become peanut butter/death mud and impassable in places. Leave No Trace and avoid riding at these times until the route dries out. In addition, flash flooding from precipitation is a real possibility in the lower portions of the route around the Vermilion Cliffs and House Rock Valley – stay safe and stay out of washes or low areas at those times.

The technical difficulty of the route is due to the abundant spread of surfaces that range from pavement, to smooth dirt, to chunky doubletrack. There are stretches with several miles of rugged and rocky tread. There are also miles of gorgeous, wide dirt roads coursing through the woods or across plateaus.

The physical difficulty is mostly due to the climbing. Make no doubt, this route is hilly and can be steep. The North Rim Capes travels across the mountainous folds of the Kaibab Plateau; riders should expect rolling terrain that frequently ascends and descends ridges and canyons. The route ascends to the Kaibab High Point at 9200 feet from a low point in Fredonia at 4600 feet. Although the route is gradual on average, there are some sections featuring steep grades. And most salient, almost every cape has to be reached by traveling one-way down a dirt road that invariably descends several hundred to a thousand+ feet. This means that you must immediately turn around and climb back up to rejoin the route’s loop. You will think about this each time you head to a cape. But take succor in knowing that those views of the Grand Canyon are well worth it.

• Paved: 17%
• Smooth Gravel: 15%
• Rough Gravel: 25%
• 4×4 Road: 36%
• Singletrack: 7%

1. Head to Recreation.gov for Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Permits.
2. Click “Check Availability” under Available Permits on the right hand side.
3. Choose the button tab “Above Rim Areas – North Rim” at the top.
4. Choose from the following options:
   • NJ1 – Fire Point Campsite – Large or Small Group
   • NJ2 – Swamp Point – Campsite – Large or Small Group
   • NH1 – Point Sublime – Campsite
   • If it’s less than 30 days until your planned date to camp here, and the “1-6 people” permit is taken, you are allowed to choose the “LARGE GROUP” option if it’s still available.

If you want to backcountry camp anywhere else above the Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, you’ll need to navigate to the same link above and make sure to choose the proper Use Area. This Use Area Map will help you determine which zone is appropriate for your intended backcountry campsite.

Outside of GCNP in the the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument, Kaibab National Forest, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and House Rock Valley, excellent and numerous dispersed camping abounds. The North Rim is truly one of the most remarkable places to disperses camp right up against the edge of the Canyon at numerous locations for those making the remote trek out. Just make sure to pay attention to boundary lines between Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest.

Food Resupplies:
There are several food resupplies on this route. However, they are greatly spaced. The distance between Jacob Lake and Demotte alone is 184 route-miles. The remote nature of this route means riders need to carefully plan how much food to carry and to expect several days between resupplies.

Fees and Permits:

• Grand Canyon National Park requires a fee for entry. No cash, credit/debit only. ($35 for a vehicle; $20 for a bicycle).
• Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument, Kaibab National Forest, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument have no fees.
• A Recreational Land Use Permit is required for any travel or camping on Arizona State Lands. Apply for and pay for one before you head out on the route. Carry it with you.

Other Important Information:

• Hunting Season: Starts in September and goes through December. The Kaibab National Forest on the North Rim is considered one of the best mule deer hunting areas in the United States. Hunting season is a big deal here and the forest will be filled with hunters looking for deer and bison. Expect to see more trucks, backcountry campers, ATVs, and individuals on foot. WEAR ORANGE and make yourself visible as you ride. Be smart and be seen during hunting season. Wildlife Tanks may have more hunters scoping them out.
• Dark Skies: Grand Canyon National Park is an International Dark Sky Park. This means that you can expect to have anywhere between Bortle Class 1 – 3 night skies overhead (even better night viewing during a new moon). The Bortle Class Scale is used to rate night skies on their clarity and lack of light pollution. A Bortle Class 1 is the darkest possible and there are several locations along these routes where, should you camp, you will have this level of darkness. Here, night skies will be virtually unimpeded by artificial light.
• Fences: There may be “cowboy fences” on this route which consist of barbed wire wrapped around vertical wooden branches that are strung across roads. They can be opened by removing a loop of wire on one side. Most importantly, leave fences as you found them; re-close them if they were closed.
• Black Bears: There are black bears which means you need to properly store your food at night using a bear-aware method. This is also good for the
• Hantavirus and Plague: Bubonic plague and hantavirus are frequent enough amongst the rodent population that you should avoid their saliva, feces, urine, and direct bodily contact. Be careful when entering old cabins and caves where dropping are plentiful and ventilation is limited. These are prime areas for possible contraction of these diseases.
• Bugs: Mosquitoes and biting flies can be abundant on this route in the forest valleys and drainages where moisture and standing water collect. This will be especially true in the summer and early fall, especially if precipitation has been plentiful.

Access:

North Rim Capes Specific Bike Access:

• When traveling out to Jumpup and Sowats Point, make sure to stay on established roads/the route and not to stray into the Kanab Creek Wilderness which will come right up to the road in places. Bikes are not allowed in Wilderness Areas.
• No riding singletrack or trails above the rim in Grand Canyon National Park except for the Arizona Trail. You are allowed to cycle on any established dirt roads.
• *Why May 15th, specifically?* Bicycles are prohibited on North Rim Grand Canyon National Park roads from Dec. 1 until May 15. You can start the route prior to May 15 as it’s 350 miles before you’ll reach the Park boundary, but be sure not to enter the roads of Grand Canyon NP before that date. No backcountry permits for overnight camping will be issued prior to May 15.

General Access:
Bikes are STRICTLY forbidden below the rim in the inner gorge of the Grand Canyon. DO NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE DOWN INTO THE CANYON – you will get fined, it is illegal, and you will hurt the perception and opportunities of other bikepackers on this route. There are certain trails on top that are also off-limits to bikes; this route expressly avoids them. No cross-country travel in Grand Canyon National Park; practicing Leave No Trace means staying on established trails, roads, and paths.

Bicycles are prohibited on all Grand Canyon National Park North Rim backcountry roads from December 1 until May 15. No backcountry permits will be issued prior to May 15 for campsites. If starting in the early season, time arrival at the Park boundary to be right on May 15. The Kaibab National Forest permits bicycle travel outside these dates.

Finally, respect tribal land and do not ride without permission in either the lands of the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians just outside of Fredonia or the Navajo Nation (Diné) just across the Colorado River at Marble Canyon. This route stays explicitly within land domains where riding is public and legal. Although it may approach boundaries with the surrounding tribal nations, you should never ride onto the reservations without securing tribal government permission. Doing so otherwise is disrespectful and unlawful. I must note that although this route stays on “public lands,” the formation of Grand Canyon National Park involved the forced removal of tribes such as the Havasupai, and they have endured legal battles to keep their vastly smaller chunk of land out of their historical precedent. Know the land you are riding on is traditionally theirs, know their current reservation boundaries are smaller than where they historically inhabited, and know where you are riding to keep yourself both legal and respectful.

• Please see the route webpage on Forrest’s website.
• Information about all of his Capes of the Canyon Routes can be found here.
• Capes of the Canyon is also on Instagram.
• If you ride this route, please consider filling out a rider survey from Forrest.

Forrest Radarian created and stewards this route. Here are some acknowledgements and a little about Forrest in his own words:

I’d like to thank Janna, Kate, and Dan for their time riding, scouting, and helping me network within Grand Canyon National Park. For sharing beta from his own scouting trips and discussing water sources in the area, I’d like to thank Kurt Refsnider. I’d like to thank Matthew Jenkins for sharing ideas for crossing the Kaibab Plateau and Emily Hansen for information on Dog Point. I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Rebekka Anderson of Erosion Studio for her fantastic artwork creating the route logo. For his thoughts and guidance on Indigenous perspectives of the Living Landscape, I’d like to thank Jack Pongyesva of the Intertribal Centennial Conversations Group and Grand Canyon Trust.

Forrest (he/him, Grand Canyon, AZ) is a high school science teacher at the only pre-K-12 public school located in a National Park at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. He is passionate about (a) education and teaching, (b) biodiversity, environmental science, and evolution, and (c) outdoor adventuring. Forrest is dedicated to getting his students into the outdoors and helping them to learn science deeply. He’s built a strong love for Arizona – a topophilia enriched by bikepacking and backpacking around the state. He created the Capes of the Canyon routes on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon National Park, as well as El Lobo Lupus.

Forrest has offered to be available to answer questions if you are planning a trip on this route. We encourage you to be respectful of Route Stewards time though and to review publicly available materials first before reaching out with questions.

Please also get in touch with any updates on route conditions that may be relevant to other riders.

Please submit your questions and comments on the route via the contact form below.

This route traverses the traditional lands of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Band of Paiute Indians, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Diné (Navajo Nation), Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah San Juan, Southern Paiute Tribe, The Pueblo of Zuni and the Yavapai-Apache Nation.