Grand Canyon North Rim Parkway

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Arizona

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 2 visitors

State: Arizona
Date Submitted: December 31, 1969
Submitted by: J. Striker
Motorcycle Road Length: 42 Miles

Written Directions

The route starts in the town of Jacob Lake Arizona (click here for an online map to Jacob Lake). From here you simply take Rte 67 south towards the Grand Canyon.

Scenery

This route gives you a unique look at northern Arizona and the less visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon. You will be traveling at approximately 8,000 ft above sea level. The route travels through the 650,000 Kaibab National Forest offering plenty of hiking and camping. On this route you will travel through rich forests of ponderosa pines and mixed conifers. There is much wildlife to observe including mule deer and wild turkeys. When you finally reach the end of the route, you will be presented with a unique view of the Grand Canyon due to the north rim's 1,000 ft elevation advantage over the southern rim. Bring plenty of film on this route!!! The Grand Canyon view is indisputably a 5 in terms of scenery but the majority of your driving will not give you a view of the canyon so we decided to go with a conservative 4 star rating.

Road Quality

The road is fairly smooth for the most part offering gentle turns and inclines/declines. Since the route is enclosed in a national forest you won't have towns to interrupt your traveling enjoyment. Keep your eyes out for wildlife though. Also, for those of you who think of Arizona as a dry desert and a place for year round motorcycle driving, this route is closed during the winter. At around 8,000 ft of elevation, northern Arizona becomes a winter wonderland in the winter months.

Roadside Amenities

Along this route you will find two campgrounds, hiking trails and picnic areas located in the beautiful Kaibab National Forest. The largest campground, Jacob Lake, is at the northernmost end of the route and offers campers approximately 50 well-equipped campsites. About Ω way along the route you will find the Demotte Campground offering 20 sites. Keep in mind that camping is allowed outside of the designated camping areas for those who prefer to ruff it. The route ends at the north rim of the Grand Canyon and offers some breathtaking views that the more crowded south rim visitor center can't match. There is also the Grand Canyon lodge at the end of the route for those of you who prefer to sleep in something more comfortable then a tent. Make sure you gas up in one of the towns before the route such as Jacob Lake or Fredonia.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather . - Kaibab National Forest (520)635-2681 - Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center (520)643-7298 - Grand Canyon National Park (520)638-7888 - North Rim Lodging Information

Nickname (optional) J. Striker

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Reviewed by Guest on May 30, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Wade Norton
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: What a great ride. We started out in Southern Utah (St. George) and made this loop. The North Rim is quite unique and so very different from the viewpoints on the south rim. The ride to the canyon was pleasant but we missed the weather forecast. We weren't as prepared as expected so we had to do the "dumb tourist" thing and buy jackets in the gift store (ouch). On the map the North Rim is near the Toroweep overlook, having been to Toroweep often (not a motorcycle trip) we assumed the climate would be similar. Boy were we wrong. Toroweep is in the desert and aprox 4200 ft elevation. The North Rim is considerably higher than that. So please plan ahead. Leather, leather, leather... Enjoy the trip and amazing views! Wade
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Reviewed by Guest on May 6, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Tyler M
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Victory
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Ride is a lot of fun, don't go in the middle of the summer, it is really hot, best time to go is either in the spring or the fall, cooler temperatures. Only bad part of the ride is going through the Indian Reservations, they aren't the friendliest people, and watch out for the Drunk Indian Drivers, I almost got hit by one.
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