Angel’s Window

Best Time to Visit Angels Window

The North Rim's developed viewpoints, including Angels Window, are only reachable while Cape Royal Road is open for the season; check current park status before planning a North Rim trip, since facilities here close seasonally. Morning light works well for photographing straight down through the arch toward the river.

Tips for Angels Window

• Guardrails line the overlook, though the exposure isn't for everyone — supervise kids closely near the railing.
• The paved path means this stop works for visitors who can't manage rougher North Rim trails.
• Continue past the Angels Window spur to finish the walk out to Cape Royal itself, since both share the same easy trailhead.

Getting to Angels Window

The spur to the Angels Window overlook is about 0.4 mile round trip from the Cape Royal parking area, flat and paved with minimal elevation change — the same easy walk that continues on to Cape Royal itself. It's reached via Cape Royal Road, at the end of the North Rim's scenic drive, and is one of the more accessible viewpoints on this end of the park.

What to Expect at Angels Window

Angels Window is a natural arch on the North Rim, carved by erosion through a fin of Kaibab limestone along the Cape Royal Trail. A short paved side-path branches off about halfway along the main trail to a railed overlook directly above the opening, where you look straight down through the arch to the Colorado River far below. Views from the overlook extend to Vishnu Temple and other named formations across the canyon.