what to do there? can't hike a lot. much to see? going to bryce and zion, wondering if a trip to north rim is worth it. have seen grand canyon from south rim several years ago.
would time be better spent in zion and bryce area?

If you plan on going after Oct. 15 or before Mid-May then your choice is made for you. The N. Rim will be closed between those dates.

I personally don't think it would be worth the time. It's only 170 miles out of your way but the driving is slow to the N. Rim and it will cost you at least 7 hours of driving time.

I also think there's plenty to do and see in Zion and Bryce to use up any extra time. If you find you have extra time on your hands then I would suggest driving scenic Hwy 12 from Bryce to Boulder, Utah. This is one of the most scenic roads I've ever been on. It's 145 miles round trip and will take about 4 hours to drive both ways....that is if you don't make any stops on the way....I would plan on making numerous stops.

http://www.so-utah.com/hwy12/homepage.html

Utahtea

I agree with Utahtea. I worked one Summer at the North Rim Lodge. The views are absolutely breathtaking but if you've seen the Canyon from the South Rim then this won't be any sort of "new" experience for you. I'd spend my time in the other areas mentioned, especially if you haven't seen them.

If you want a tranquil experience, away from crowds, the North Rim is the place to go. The lodging consists of depression-era cabins nestled among the trees. We stayed there 2 nights on our Bryce/Zion/etc. trip, and it was absolutely the best part of the trip for us all.

The North Rim is at a higher elevation than the South Rim, so it's cooler (pleasant even in July/August) and you can see much farther--past the South Rim to the plains and mountains beyond.

Other than mule rides and hiking, there's not much to do, but in my opinion that's the benefit of the North Rim.

We just got back from a two week trip to the S. Rim, Bryce and Zion in early August.

I was worried about going at this time because of crowds, but we didn't have a choice if we wanted to go with our other family members. Let me tell you, the crowds just were not there this year!

Utahtea