Description: As you near the end of the drive south to the North Rim, the lodging finally comes into view. The road traverses Bright Angel Point, and is significantly closer to Roaring Springs Canyon on the east, so that all of the facilities lie to the west between the pavement and Transept Canyon. The motel-style units are first, about a mile before the road's end at the Grand Canyon Lodge. These are the most recently built, and date from the 1960s. Next is the large Campground complex, followed by the large array of the Lodge's cabins, which fill most of the continually narrowing space between the road and the canyon.
There are three styles of cabins: Frontier, Pioneer, and Western, in order of increasing amenities. The Western Cabins lie at the point's southern end, north and east of the lodge. Four units actually feature views of the canyon, and are immediately snapped up when reservations open two years out. (My brother was lucky enough to land one several years ago, and rearranged his life several times to keep that reservation.) Like the similarly named units at other parks, these sleep four, and provide more space and comfort than the others (and more proximity to the Lodge).
The Pioneer and Frontier cabins are on the west side of the roadway, in a tightly clustered village of log cabins with little separation. Your first impression may be that no lodgings that close together could possibly be quiet. You’d be wrong, however: we slept with windows open both nights, and enjoyed the breeze with little or no noise. Most people here tend to approach the entire experience with quiet reverence for the awesome formality of the canyon, and evidently that spills over into the evening.
Our Pioneer cabin had a ¾ bath in the middle—sink, toilet, and shower stall—that separates two bedrooms. One bedroom has a pair of twin beds (and its own sink), the other a queen and a twin. The simple, rustic surroundings were perfect for a stay here, and the five of us were very comfortable during our two nights. We checked in fairly late, and since Xanterra assigns cabins on a first-come, first-served basis, we ended up at the northern end of the complex. I’d read that several of the Pioneer cabins have views west into Transept Canyon, and were available on request if still open, but we were too late for that (although it looks like these are now booked on-line for $10 extra). Still, it was a only few hundred yards walk south to the Visitor Center, the Snack Bar (which we never visited), the Coffee Shop, and the Lodge and its amazing balcony.
If all five of us returned, I’d probably stay in a Pioneer again. At $112/night for summer 2008, they’re still a fantastic bargain. For $25 more, the Western Cabins have two queen beds in one room, but need a rollaway to sleep five (and have ‘finished’ walls). Space permitting, I’d definitely choose any of these cabins over the more distant motel units.
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