Greenland Lake on the North Rim reflects a forest of aspen and pine trees under a clear blue sky.
Day Hike

Greenland Lake Trailhead

Grand Canyon's only lake, temporarily off-limits after the fire

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Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ

About

Greenland Lake sits just off Cape Royal Road on the North Rim's Walhalla Plateau, a small, intermittent pond formed in a sinkhole and shaded by aspen and pine. It's the only lake found anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park. A short loop trail, only a couple hundred yards, circles the water to an old line cabin built in the 1890s to store salt for grazing cattle, a quiet leftover from the plateau's ranching days.

Current Access

Cape Royal Road reopened for the 2026 season on May 15, but the National Park Service has specifically closed the Greenland Lake pullout and trail because of damage from the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Check the park's North Rim status page before planning a stop here, since this one hasn't reopened along with the rest of the road.

  • Located on Cape Royal Road, roughly 1.5 miles north of Vista Encantada
  • Short loop trail around the lake to a 1890s line cabin
  • Currently closed to visitors due to Dragon Bravo Fire damage

Planning Around the Closure

Check the park's North Rim status page before planning a stop here, since this one hasn't reopened along with the rest of the road.

What to Know

  • This is currently closed to visitors due to Dragon Bravo Fire damage — don't build a Cape Royal Road itinerary around it.
  • The rest of Cape Royal Road, including Vista Encantada nearby, remains open in season.
  • Check current status before your trip rather than assuming last season's access still applies.

Current Access

Cape Royal Road reopened for the 2026 season on May 15, but the National Park Service has specifically closed the Greenland Lake pullout and trail because of damage from the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Located roughly 1.5 miles north of Vista Encantada.

What Greenland Lake Trailhead Normally Offers

Greenland Lake sits just off Cape Royal Road on the North Rim's Walhalla Plateau, a small, intermittent pond formed in a sinkhole and shaded by aspen and pine — the only lake found anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park. A short loop trail, only a couple hundred yards, circles the water to an old line cabin built in the 1890s to store salt for grazing cattle.

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