Worth driving to N Rim of Gr Canyon end of Oct. if closed?
 

We'll be in the Zion/Bryce area in the fall and have talked about taking a day trip to the North Rim. We wanted to eat lunch at one of the window tables in the lodge, but now I understand "it" closes on October 29th. From where we may be staying, they've told us it's a 2.5 hour drive.

Since none of us have ever been to the Grand Canyon, is it still worth the drive for a peek? Will anything be open?

Let me correct myself..."it" closes MID-October.

If the North Rim is open, it is very much worth the drive.

The North Rim area is absolutely worth the ride...just pack some eats/drinks and try to pick a nice, clear day, 'cause the views are spectacular, the crowds non-existent, and the facilities closed. My wife and I did the North Rim trip two years ago in late October about a week after the lodge closed - in fact, two staff members were doing the final clean of several of the cabins and the place was totally shut down a few hours before we left.

The main lodge is a grand old structure that - although closed for the off-season - you can peer in the windows to admire. The walking trails from the lodge area have great views and, as I recall, there is a "window" in the rock formations along the rim that is really incredible to see, and just a short walk from the lodge area. The drive into the North Rim area is very deceiving - you see nothing but nondescript flatlands and trees for most of the ride in from the highway until you get right up on the lodge, then its a breathtaking 4,500 feet straight down, and about 10 miles across to the South Rim! Bring binoculars so you can see the busses and crowds on the South Rim peering back at you! With the crowds you'd definitely hit on the South Rim, this is the peace and quiet that will take you back to what it must have been like 100 years ago! Enjoy!!!!

Kingofcollectors...you are the best! Thanks for the very informative response. We'll go!