Point Sublime

Best Time to Visit

Access depends entirely on North Rim seasonal operating status and current road conditions — confirm both before committing to the two-hour drive.

Trail Tips

• No trails descend into the canyon from here and no facilities are maintained at the point.
• Backcountry camping is allowed nearby with a permit.
• Budget the full two hours each way for the drive alone, on top of time at the point itself.

Getting to Point Sublime

Road is rough dirt/gravel the whole way; high-clearance 4WD is recommended, not optional. Wildfires in the area have periodically closed the access road, so check current conditions before heading out.

What to Expect at Point Sublime

Point Sublime sits at the end of an 18-mile unpaved road branching off the North Rim's developed area near Bright Angel Point, and the drive alone takes about two hours in a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle. What you get for the trouble is one of the most complete views in the park: a narrow peninsula pushing out into open canyon with almost nothing of the rim itself in the frame. Geologist Clarence Dutton used this exact spot in the 1880s to lay out his case for how the canyon had formed.