Where is Point Sublime?
Point Sublime is a remote viewpoint located on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Unlike popular viewpoints such as Bright Angel Point or Cape Royal, Point Sublime requires a long drive down unpaved forest roads and a backcountry permit if you plan to camp overnight. The viewpoint offers sweeping panoramic views of the Grand Canyon and is one of the few places where you can camp directly on the rim. Because of the drive required to reach it, Point Sublime sees far fewer visitors than other areas of the park, making it a great option for those looking for solitude and a more rugged Grand Canyon experience. Lastly, unlike the Tuweep area and Toroweap overlook, a day use permit is not required for single day visitors.
Please remember to follow the Leave No Trace and TREAD Lightly principles when visiting. Thank you and enjoy!
How to Get to Point Sublime
Point Sublime is located on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and can only be reached by driving on unpaved forest roads. There are two routes that access Point Sublime Road, but during our June 2026 visit, only the northern route through Kaibab National Forest was open.
From Jacob Lake on the Kaibab Pleateau, drive south on Highway 67 toward the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Before reaching the park entrance, turn onto Forest Road 22 and continue following the designated route toward Point Sublime. From this point, expect roughly 18 miles of unpaved roads before reaching the viewpoint. Take FR 270 south to FR 223. At the junction with FR 268 take the road south towards Grand Canyon National Park and stay on the road all the way to Point Sublime.
While the distance may not seem far, the drive is slow. Road conditions include rocks, sand, roots, ruts, blind corners, and narrow sections lined with trees. Plan for the drive to take significantly longer than a typical paved road of the same distance.
Cell service is limited to nonexistent along most of the route, so we recommend downloading offline maps before leaving Jacob Lake. We used OnX Offroad to navigate the route and monitor road conditions throughout the trip. Use code AZHIKE20 for 20% off OnX Offroad.
Road conditions can change quickly due to factors like weather, erosion, and previous users. We highly recommend driving the road with a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle and 4 Low gearing. We didn’t need 4 Low on our trip but with stretches of sand and some hills, conditions can become much more challenging. Additionally, we recommend a high clearance vehicle with strong tires that can handle rough terrain.
Point Sublime Campground
Camping at Point Sublime is one of the most unique camping experiences in Grand Canyon National Park. Unlike the developed North Rim Campground, Point Sublime offers a more remote camping experience with just two designated campsites available through the Grand Canyon backcountry permit system.
One campsite is located directly along the rim of the canyon, while the second campsite sits across the road in the forest. Both campsites provide easy access to the viewpoint.
Despite its remote location, Point Sublime does have a composting vault toilet available for campers. However, there is no potable water or trash service, so visitors should arrive prepared with everything they need and pack out all trash. And much to our surprise, with Verizon Wireless we had decent cell phone service coming across the canyon from Williams.
While permits are required to camp at Point Sublime, we found them to be easier to obtain than many of the park’s more popular backcountry campsites. Still, it is a good idea to reserve your permit as early as possible, especially if you are hoping to camp during the busy season.
For us, camping was the best way to experience Point Sublime. Having the opportunity to watch the sunset over the canyon, spend the night on the North Rim, and enjoy the viewpoint again the following morning made the long drive completely worth it. During our trip the other campsite was not occupied and it was extremely peaceful. We didn’t even have a day use visitor.
This area is a naturally wind prone location as temperature and pressure difference above and below the rim battle it out. We were visiting during a particularly windy weekend but managed to have have a great time. We slept with our tent window covers open because the night time felt amazing, however we did get a few heavy gusts of wind and dust, but worth it! For a weather prediction, we suggest using weather.gov.
Point Sublime Viewpoint
The actual Point Sublime viewpoint is 0.3 miles from the campground. We established a good spot to set up our roof top tent and left the truck in place, walking back and forth to the viewpoint. At the viewpoint there are 2 picnic tables and a horseshoe style turn around that is wide enough for parking. There is a short trail down the most expansive view. Day use at the viewpoint is free!
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