If you are headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with your Great Dane here are some dog friendly alternatives. While the Grand Canyon National Park has some accommodations for dogs, it is not as dog friendly as the surrounding area.
National Forests are typically dog friendly and the north rim is bordered by the Kaibab National Forest.
The north rim does have 2 dog friendly trails detailed in the blog post North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The only regulations in the national forest are that dogs need to be restrained or leashed in developed sites only and are not allowed in swimming areas. Which is to say that the trails are all open and we were even told that the nearby meadow to where we were camped is a good place to let dogs run.
Where to stay in Kaibab National Forest
Camping options
DeMotte Campground is located on highway AZ 67 south of Fredonia. It is 7 miles north of the entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park and 25 miles from the rim and is the closest campground to the park. The forest development roads (FDR) that take you into the Kaibab National Forest are easily accessible to this campground. The camp offer 38 sites of which half are reservable and half are first come. There are no hookups but there is water and vault toilets.
A unique benefit to the DeMotte campground during the summer is the resident astronomers. These fellow campers bring their telescopes which they set up in the meadow next to the campground. They love to share their knowledge with anyone who wants to look through their scopes. They also do talks at the nearby Kaibab Lodge.
Jacob Lake Campground at the intersection of AZ 67 and 89A. This campground has 51 sites but like DeMotte there is water, vault toilets but no hookups. There are a mix of reservable and first come sites.
The surrounding Kaibab National Forest offers dispersed camping as well as a 3 site campground called Indian Hollow. Much of the area has dirt roads of various condition.
Martok had to wear his booties since his soft city feet weren’t used to the gravel and rocks.
Cabins
A less rustic accommodation than camping is the Kaibab Lodge next to DeMotte campground. They offers pet friendly cabins for rent. The lodge also has a restaurant and hosts the star talks that the astronomers provide.
Exploring the Kaibab National Forest
While many of the roads are good enough for standard street vehicles, there are some that are high clearance only or narrow and step with 4WD being a safest option. There are a number of view points along the rim as well as undeveloped camping spots. Crazy Jug has a small parking area and a short walk to an awesome view point (see point 1 on the map below). Take everything you need and pack it out as well. You will also want to have a good map with you. There is an Avenza map available to download for your mobile phone. Don’t count on having mobile service for navigation. There is no cell service at DeMotte but we did get service out on the rim.
Directions and a map to Crazy Jug can be found on the forest service site.
For a different panoramic view we headed up to Dog Point (point 2 on the map below). Getting there is also a series of FDR dirt roads but all were easily navigated by most passenger vehicles. Although, there were some downed trees across the road but not entirely blocking it.
All these areas you can experience with your Great Dane at your side. Be prepared with everything your dog needs. The plateau of the North Rim is 8700 feet so it can be cold and watch for altitude sickness in yourself and your dog if you are not used to being at altitude.
Interactive map of the area for more information
