Fire Point Loop
Drive through the scenic Kaibab National Forest on this easy loop near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. With numerous viewpoints and other trails in the area, easily extend your trip to Fire Point.
Where to go:
From Jacob Lake, head south on Highway 67 towards Grand Canyon National Park. After passing the North Rim Country Store (about 26 miles), turn right onto F.R. 22 just past a small pond. The dirt road heads west across a meadow into the forest.
Trail Description:
From Highway 67 head west towards the tree line. The trail remains washboardy as it quickly climbs and twists. Arrive at a junction at 2.1 miles and stay left, onto F.R. 270 towards Fire Point. Straight is the return route from Timp Pt. and also leads to Jumpup Canyon. Continue south on the smooth trail. Stay right at 4.3 miles onto F.R. 223. The road heads west as it slowly descends. There several really nice sections of aspen trees as the trail remains smooth with occasional rocky parts. Ignore all side roads.
At 11.0 miles, continue straight where F.R. 609 goes right, but remember this junction. You will return here after visiting Fire Point. The trail gets slightly rougher before crossing a cattle guard at 16.5 miles and enters into Grand Canyon National Park. Remember, unlicensed vehicles are not allowed within the park. After the park boundary the trail gets rougher and narrower. There are quite a few tight sections where a slow pace and careful navigation are required. At 17.5 miles the road dead ends at the overlook at Fire Point. Park in the roundabout area and head west to see an incredible view looking west into the Grand Canyon. This makes a great lunch or break spot. Return 6.5 miles back to the intersection of 223 and 609.
At 24.0 mile mark, turn left onto F.R. 206 to head north. This will take you on a longer loop past Timp Point and a fire tower. The shortest way back is to continue to retrace your route back to Highway 67 on 223.
Continue along F.R. 206 as it gets narrower and descends through more aspen trees. Stay right at 25.7 where a lesser forest road leads to Timp Point to the left. Timp Point is about 6 miles to the west and requires a short hike to see the overlook. 206 continues to climb as it heads north. Stay straight at 27.9 miles where a trail joins from the right. Stay left at the first intersection at 29.3 miles, then stay right where another road leads to Timp Point. Ignore all side trails as the road levels off. At 34.5 miles, you’ll reach F.R. 22. To the left leads to Jumpup Canyon and Jumpup Point Trail (click here to read more on that trail). This description will continue to the right, which leads back to Highway 67. Feel free to make your own route piecing together fragments of different trails.
Continue right on F.R. 22. The trail crosses a meadow before twisting back into the trees. Off to the right at 36.8 miles is a spur trail that leads to Dry Park Fire Tower, one of the taller lookout towers in the area. The fire tower may or may not be manned depending on the time of year. Continue southeast on 22 as it slowly climbs but remains fairly smooth and quick moving. The trail arrives back at the junction of 270/22 at 42.9 miles. Continue an additional 2.1 miles back to Highway 67 where you will come out just south of the North Rim Country Store.
Notes & Trail Ratings:
The hardest part of this trail is the navigation. There are a myriad of forest roads that criss-cross this area, making prior research AND carrying a map on your trip a must. To get to Fire Point, remember F.R. 22 to 270 to 223. This entire loop involves F.R. 22 to 270 to 223 to 206 back to 22. To complete the entire 42 mile loop, allow for a solid 2-4 hours. The road just to Fire Point will take about an hour. With so many great trails and camping opportunities nearby, consider extending your trip and combining this trail with Pt. Sublime Trail and Jumpup Point trail. In good weather, most stock SUVs will do fine. Passenger cars can make it on F.R. 22 without any issue. We’ve rated this trail a “3” out of “10” due to occasional rocky sections and narrow road. High clearance is recommended for Fire Point and the rest of the loop. 4WD is not necessary unless it has recently rained and there is mud on the trail. Because this area is remote and cell reception is limited, remember to carry extra gear and notify someone of your trip plans!