If you only have one day or a partial day at the North Rim, this is where you should spend it. Luckily we had five days and could spend an entire day on the Cape Royal Road's trails, but still didn't hike them all. Our main stops on our first day were the Cliff Springs Trail, Imperial Point, Roosevelt Point, Angels Window, and Cape Royal. On our last full day we hiked the Cape Final Trail.
We wanted a fairly gentle hike while we adapted to the 8,000’+ elevation. The half-mile Cliff Springs Trail was a perfect choice. After a gentle drop from the roadside parking spot, most of the trail was level and easy.
We soon saw how the trail was named: it ends at a massive overhang where seeping springs support mosses and wildflowers. This magical place was alive with pollinators including Arizona’s state butterfly, the two-tailed swallowtail and White-lined sphinxes, large moths that zipped around like tiny hummingbirds hovering as they visited pink thistle flowers.
Next, we drove the rest of Cape Royal Road. Each scenic stop had its own character. The 8800’ Point Imperial is the highest vista in the park; Roosevelt Point is named for President Theodore Roosevelt who designated the Grand Canyon a national monument in 1908 using the Antiquities Act.
The road ends at a path leading to Angels Window and Cape Royal. The Window is visible from many points along the walk and I followed a turnout ending at large flat rocks, perfect for a memorable photo. At one spot, we could see the muddy Colorado River far below through the Window.
A left split in the trail led to the viewpoint for Angels Window after which the main trail allows visitors to actually stand on top of it. Our walk ended at the Cape Royal vista. Wish we had stayed until sunset but we had a dinner reservation back at the Lodge.
On Friday, we set out for our 4.2-mile roundtrip hike to Cape Final, a trail that also begins along the Cape Royal Road. After a gentle ascent through a shady forest, the rest of the route following the rim and is level.
Before the trail ended at Cape Final, overlooks presented panoramic views of layered terrain and allowed us to take distant photos of each other.
The last segment was a scramble up some boulders to what some consider one of the grandest vistas in the park, a view overlooking the eastern Grand Canyon. It is marked by three U.S. Geological Survey shields, one dated 1903 noting an elevation of 7919’.
I hope that you take my advice and prioritize the Cape Royal Road when you visit the Grand Canyon's North Rim. You won't be disappointed!