Cliff Dweller Spring

This spring sits at the end of the short Cliff Spring Trail on the North Rim, reached from a pullout on Cape Royal Road about 0.3 miles before Cape Royal itself. It's an easy out-and-back: 1 mile round trip with roughly 300 feet of elevation change, typically a 1-2 hour outing.

What you'll see

The trail drops through a forested wash in ponderosa pine, passing a marked archaeological site along the way, before the path narrows beneath rocky outcrops. It ends at the spring itself, tucked on the cliff side of a large boulder under a rock overhang — a small, shaded seep rather than a dramatic waterfall. The park service is explicit that the water here is not safe to drink.

It's a good pick if you're already driving Cape Royal Road and want a short, low-effort stop that's a different flavor from the road's overlooks — forest and rock instead of open canyon view. Like the rest of the North Rim, it's only accessible in season (the road typically opens mid-May), and trail status can shift with weather or fire-related closures, so it's worth a quick check before you go.