The sweet side of the canyon

The less-visited North Rim of the canyon offers adventure without the crowds. More than 4-million people a year visit the Grand Canyon. But only 10 percent make the 215-mile, 4.5-hour drive from the South Rim. This makes the North Rim one of the least-visited national parks in the scenic West.

The Kaibab Plateau

The 44-mile approach to the North Rim from Jacob Lake via Hy 69, a designated National Scenic Byway, crosses the spectacular Kaibab Plateau, which forms the edge of the North Rim. The route winds through towering ponderosa pine-Douglas fir forests into stately spruce-fir-quaking aspen woodlands. Mountain meadows packed with wildflowers and wildlife, ponds, and grasslands border the roadsides. Reaching 9,200-feet in elevation, the plateau is home to the beautiful Kaibab squirrel, endemic to the region, as well as deer, elk and a controversial herd of bison (buffalo) established in 1906 and crossed with cattle.