Gaelyn set aside a precious day off to go on a ranger's holiday: she took us to Crazy Jug Point!
Crazy Jug is ON the Grand Canyon's North Rim, but it belongs to the National Forest Service rather than the National Park. Take a step over the edge, and you just scored a free admission into the park, which begins where the rock ledge ends.
I didn't think it was possible to be more awed by the Grand Canyon than I already was, but Gaelyn proved me wrong. Quiet so solid I could feel it in my chest. All the North Rim points seem to offer panoramic (from the Latin "canyon all around you") views, but Crazy Jug Point also usually offers complete seclusion (offer does not apply on holiday weekends).
There's a reason tourists don't flock here, and Gaelyn's giant diesel crew cab is a BIG clue. This is a definite "yes" for boondocking, but don't try it with a big rig. High-clearance and low-profile is what you need to get here. And a Kaibab National Forest map, because I'll never be able to give you directions. Marianne's Shunpiker's Guide to Boondocking in Arizona is our friend, too, because she camped here and lived to tell you how to do it, too.
This would work.
In the distance, you can see other view points (right to left: Timp, North Timp, other points I can't remember). At the South Rim you can walk out to points, but the North Rim points demand a greater devotion, and a car.
We behaved unlike tourists and spent hours oohing over the vista. There was nowhere else in the world to be. We had brought a lunch, and Gaelyn sensibly carries blankets in her truck.
The point to the middle-right is Havasupai land on the South Rim.
Here's some cows. You'll see their corral, and maybe their snouts, on your way to Crazy Jug.
Thank you, Gaelyn! We keep saying "that was a great day!" to each other, so we say it to you, too.
