North Rim Grand Canyon and Kaibab National Forest

Located in the remote and mostly uninhabited Arizona Strip, Whitmore Overlook is an iconic Overlanding destination. The trail ends at an uber-impressive viewpoint 500 feet above the Colorado River as it snakes through the western end of the Grand Canyon. The ambitious can hike down to the river. But most will be content to sit on the cliff's edge admiring the scenery and possibly seeing a group of river rafters passing below. While the end of the trail is a worthy destination, getting there is special too. The trail begins at the historic Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse. Constructed in 1922, the schoolhouse was the civic focal point for the hardy residents of the area until 1966. Today it houses artifacts and photographs of the era. Passing through a pinion-juniper forest, every curve on the trail presents a new and impressive view of the Uinkaret Mountains to the east and the Whitmore Plateau and flat-topped 6,500-foot Grassy Mountain to the west. The sandstone cliffs glow in a rainbow of reds, oranges, pinks, grays, and white. Traveling farther south, ominous dark lava flows spill over the sandstone heights. Part of the Uinkaret Volcanic Field, the lava flows range from 850,000 to 72,000 years old. Uinkaret flows dammed the Colorado River at least 17 times, forming a lake that spanned back to the present-day Phantom Ranch. Each time the river overflowed the dams. The silt-laden water of the Colorado River eroded the basalt dams allowing the river to return to its voyage to the Gulf of California. From the Whitmore Overlook, you can see the remains of one of the lava dams across the river. The climax of the trail is obviously a night spent under the stars on the edge of a cliff above the mighty Colorado. With no light pollution, the night sky comes alive with a blanket of twinkling billions of stars and galaxies overhead. Sunrise and sunset views are nearly unparalleled. It's worth the trip.

You've undoubtedly seen the photographs though you might not have known where they were taken. The dramatic sandstone cliff dropping 3000 feet straight down to the Colorado River below is an iconic image. The location is the Toroweap Overlook. It sits in one of the most remote areas of Arizona, the Arizona Strip. Toroweap and Tuweep are used interchangeably. Both are derivations of a Paiute word meaning dry, barren valley. The long drive to Toroweap bears out the applicability of the name. But even barren locals can be dramatically beautiful. Multihued sandstone cliffs rise on either side of the Paiute's barren valley. To the south lies cinder cones and lava flows from the ancient Uinkaret Volcanic Field. Long views abound as the road descends towards the canyon cut by the Colorado River, the grandest canyon of them all. Walking to the edge of the Toroweap Overlook is a profound experience. The views are breathtaking. The immenseness of your surroundings is almost incomprehensible in human terms. The view here is like no other along the entire Grand Canyon. You have to work to get here, but it's worth the effort.

In an effort to manage the number of visitors to the area, all motor vehicles entering the Toroweap area of the Grand Canyon National Park require a backcountry permit or a day-use ticket available through Recreation.gov.

In the late 1870s, Edward Dutton led various geological survey teams deep into what was then the unmapped northern side of the Grand Canyon. He found a long narrow promontory extending far out into the canyon with views he called "most sublime." Today there are only two routes to Dutton's Point Sublime. The first originates at the Grand Canyon's North Rim Village and is appropriately named Point Sublime. The second route comes in from the north and is named Kanabownits for a picturesque spring along the trail. Kanabownits Road passes through a fertile forest with ferns towered over by old-growth Ponderosa pines. Spruce and aspens dot the forest. The tight trail drops into small tight canyons, grips hillsides on narrow shelves, and bursts into open glades fed by springs. Once a ranger lived along the trail watching for wildfires. Today only the small deteriorating cabin remains up a small spur trail. While Point Sublime is the objective of the area, should you choose to enter or depart by the north, Kanabownits Road is a worthy part of the adventure.

Located in northern Arizona, within a vast area known as the Arizona Strip, the Mount Trumbull Scenic Loop is a picturesque drive through the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument that takes drivers through nearly every aspect of terrain the monument offers. Cutting through the desert, shrubland, and montane habitats, drivers are rewarded with picturesque views of deep canyons, vast valleys, lonely buttes, and 8,000-foot mountains.

Main Street is the western section of the CR 5, Mount Trumbull Loop, traveling between Wolf Hole Valley and the Mount Trumbull School House, essentially connecting St. George to Mount Trumbull. This is the primary access road for those visiting the Mount Trumbull School House and the Whitmore Overlook. The Mount Trumbull School House is a historic replica of the 1918 schoolhouse that served as the school, town hall, church, and community meeting place for the local homesteaders until 1966, when it was shut down. The original building burned down due to arson but was rebuilt to its original specs in 2001 with the help of volunteers. At the schoolhouse, you will find many relics of the past, informational signs, and a public outhouse. The road through Main Street Valley has a well-maintained, hard-packed gravel and clay surface, is multiple vehicles wide, and is suitable for any vehicle in dry conditions. After mild rain, the clay sections of the road become impassable for a few hours, while a heavy rain event can make the road impassable for days.

Located in northern Arizona, within an area known as the Arizona Strip, the Mount Trumbull Scenic Loop is a picturesque drive through the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument that takes drivers through nearly every aspect of terrain the monument offers. Cutting through the desert, shrubland, and montane habitats, drivers are rewarded with picturesque views of deep canyons, vast valleys, lonely buttes, and 8,000-foot mountains.

Clayhole is the eastern section of the CR 5, Mount Trumbull Loop, and connects Colorado City to Tuweep. This is a primary access road for those visiting the Toroweap Overlook. The road winds through Clayhole Valley, traversing a scenic volcanic field and the dramatic Hat Knoll cinder cone. The road surface is generally very easy, with hardpacked clay mixed with sections of gravel and small protruding rocks. However, the clay quickly turns to a peanut butter consistency after any rain, making the road totally impassable and very dangerous until it dries. Users should always check recent and future weather forecasts before traveling on this road. In dry conditions, this is a 2WD road that is suitable for any vehicle with good ground clearance and rugged tires, such as all-terrain tires.

Vulcan's Throne, a cinder cone volcano, erupted 72,000 years ago, sending a 1200-foot-high wall of lava into the Grand Canyon. One of at least 17 in the Grand Canyon's history, the resulting lava dam created a lake that ran as far back as the present-day Phantom Ranch. The silt-filled Colorado eventually overcame the dam, grinding away the basalt and returning the river to its present state. Today Lava Falls, one of the largest rapids on the Colorado River, marks the existence of this massive volcanic dam. A sandy trail leads to the western slopes of Vulcan's Throne and then on to a hiking trail that leads down into the Grand Canyon. The geological history of the region is written largely along the trail. A part of the six million-year-old Uinkaret Volcanic Field, Vulcan's Throne's dark volcanic cinders stand in dramatic contrast to the red and orange Toroweap Formation sedimentary sandstone through which the volcano rose. Both were tectonic forces instrumental in shaping the Grand Canyon. In the quiet of the area, you can pause and contemplate the wonder of the ever-evolving earth on which we reside.

In an effort to manage the number of visitors to the area, all motor vehicles entering the Toroweap area of the Grand Canyon National Park require a backcountry permit or a day-use ticket available through Recreation.gov.

Water is life in the desert. Places where water collects are called pockets in the deserts of the Southwest. These relatively verdant pockets are gathering places for animals and humans. Native tribes knew the large rock cisterns carved into a tight slot canyon of a sandstone ridge would collect and hold the water from infrequent rains. Early settlers often improved on these natural features. Pa's Pocket is such a place. James Bundy, a prominent Mormon settler who lived near Mount Trumbell, built a dam in 1920 to capture and hold the runoff rainwater in this slick rock sandstone canyon to support cattle ranching in the area. Atwood and Ben Bundy built the cabin in 1945. Pa's Pocket is an oasis in a beautiful but parched landscape. The small canyon leading to the dam is often 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment. The trail to Pa's Pocket is scenic and just challenging enough to keep things interesting. The Pocket is a great payoff for the effort. Please respectfully visit the area and admire both the natural beauty and the efforts of the hardy people who lived in this land.

Located in northern Arizona, within a vast area known as the Arizona Strip, the Mount Trumbull Scenic Loop is a picturesque drive through the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument that takes drivers through nearly every aspect of terrain the monument offers. Cutting through the desert, shrubland, and montane habitats, drivers are rewarded with picturesque views of deep canyons, vast valleys, lonely buttes, and 8,000-foot mountains.

The southern section of CR 5 travels east to west through significantly different terrain than the other two sections of the Mount Trumbull Loop. This section ascends a half-mile-long dugway constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps into mountainous terrain with a ponderosa pine forest reaching 6,800 feet. The road is continuously rocky and rough, only 1.5 vehicles wide across the dugway. Drivers of this road are rewarded with plenty of scenic views, including the 8,028-foot Mount Trumbull and 7,866-foot Mount Logan. The trail passes a historic sawmill site that once supplied lumber to build the St. George Morman Temple in the 1870s. It also offers a short side trip to petroglyphs at Nampaweap.

There is substantial dispersed camping along this road, with many large sites suitable for groups or multiple vehicles.

This road is suitable for any high clearance 4WD vehicle, and it is highly recommended to air down to make the ride more comfortable due to the roughness of the road surface.

East Side Game Road is a picturesque track connecting Tater Ridge FS 213 and Buffalo Ranch Road. The trail provides a convenient offroad shortcut from the Grand Canyon's North Rim to or from Highway 89A via the eastern slope of the Kaibab Plateau. The shortcut saves you from traveling more than 40 extra miles, offering a significant advantage in distance and perhaps time. Spanning approximately 8.3 miles, the elevation gradually decreases from 7400 feet to 5500 feet going east. The track traverses diverse landscapes, transitioning from verdant meadows and dense alpine pine forests to the expansive open grasslands of the high desert.

The trail is narrow in hilly sections but progressively widens in the lower section. A section of shelf road along the edge of a drop of several hundred feet. While 2WD vehicles with standard clearance can easily navigate this route from west to east, off-road tires are highly recommended due to the rocky terrain encountered in the hilly areas. However, traveling from east to west requires 4WD due to loose rocks, and steep inclines, all exacerbated in unfavorable weather conditions.

While the trail's western end offers several camping spots, the area's most remarkable camping is on the eastern end of Buffalo Ranch Road, with an awe-inspiring 360-degree view of the Grand Canyon.