a month ago
Wonderful camping experience with our van in site 7 a year after the huge fire at the North Rim. The site is a good one and is mostly shady and also a short walk to the rim. There were quite a few ants so we needed to watch our little dogs. The campground sites are generally in tact with only a few signs that the fire passed through although I believe blogs were lost here. No wood fires allowed when we were here. Showers and water spitgots also were not operational so be sure to come in with your own. From our site, we were able to walk up a hill and get over to the rim via Transept Trail. Amazing views and completely different than the south rim. We were able to take in the sunset from there as well. It is disappointing to see the site where the historic Lodge once stood as very little is left and it is all fenced off with some of the original stonework left. We were not luck enough to have visited the lodge before the fire but can easily see that it had an amazing location right on the rim of the canyon. Don't expect much in the way of services. Only the general store which functions as the campground check in (they do not have ability to change your site or make a reservation) and general store. There is also a fuel station close to the campground. Also note that the only observation points available were on roads for vehicles 22 ft or less. After speaking with a Park Ranger, we agreed that we could do the road to Imperial Point but not the Cape Royal Rd which would be too difficult for our 24 ft van. If you haven't seen the north rim, do it! We were not disappointed and hope to come back when the lodge is rebuilt and the park is fully open.
