Point Imperial

— One day during our last visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon NP, we spent quite some time exploring the area around Point Imperial. This is the highest point in the North Rim at an elevation of 8,803 ft (2,684 m). As the sun was beginning to set that afternoon, we marveled at the rapid changing colors in the canyon. Besides being the highest point at the North Rim, other highlights here include the fact that the Colorado River is at about 7 miles (11 km) away from this overlook running at a depth of one mile (1.6 km) below this overlook. What made this scene more enchanting for us was the fact that the goldenrod was blooming all over the park. In the shot above, it beautifully framed Point Imperial. Just about everywhere you went in the park, you’d see these flowers along the roads and hiking trails. The view before our eyes here is known as the Painted Desert. The point peak seen in the foreground is Mount Hayden (8,372 ft / 2,552 m).