Brand New Release
Dates For 2025-2026
Pre-Booking Available Now
Pre-Booking Available Now
Office Closure: In honor of Veterans Day, our office will be closed on Monday, Nov. 11th. We will resume normal business hours on Nov. 12th.
Find Your Next Photo Adventure
Trip Calendar Most Popular Photography Tours 2024 Photography Tours 2025 Photography Tours 2026 Photography Tours 2027 Photography Tours Spring Photography Tours Summer Photography Tours Fall Photography Tours Winter Photography Tours Landscape Photography Tours Wildlife Photography Tours International Photography Tours
Stay Up To Date On All Things
Backcountry Journeys
Backcountry Journeys
Our Photography Community
Our Blog
From articles on the latest camera gear, to trip reports from our latest expeditions, our blog is meant for all interested in travel photography.Our Webinars
Our regularly hosted webinars provide photography instruction from our own guides on a wide range of topics.Our Education Portal
Explore our library of articles that cover everything from common questions, to in-depth guides on how to achieve that perfect shot.Community Testimonials
We're proud to foster an amazing group of photo travelers, and here you can find their stories from their past adventures.About Backcountry Journeys
Why Choose Backcountry Journeys
If you're considering a photography tour, hear why Backcountry Journeys delivers the best experience in the industry.Frequently Asked Questions
If you're new to photography tours, or new to BCJ, you can find our common travel questions here.Fitness Levels
Our trips vary on physical intensity, and by reviewing our fitness levels, you can find out which trips may be more challenging, or aligned more closely with your comfort level.Meet The Crew
We've built an amazing team of experienced guides, and dedicated office staff that elevate your travel experience. Get to know their backgrounds, and hear their stories.Travel Desk
You can review our various payment, and travel policies here, along with resources regarding international travel.Gift Certificates
Give the gift of photo adventure! We offer gift certificates that can be applied to any of our upcoming tours.Contact Us
If you need to get in touch with our office staff, or have additional business inquiries, you can find our information here.Resources For Photographers
About Our Company
JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP - THE BCJ TRIBE
JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP - THE BCJ TRIBE
The North Rim Lodge
The North Rim Lodge
by Kenton Krueger
Backcountry Journeys is headed back to the Grand Canyon in late July for our Southwest Monsoon: Grand Canyon Country photography tour. We are extremely excited about this tour, as Grand Canyon is one of a few special locations BCJ likes to call “home.” We’ve explored and guided at Grand Canyon for years and years and as special as all of our tour locations are to us, this one is at the top! While at the North Rim on this tour, we’ll be staying at the beautiful rustic North Rim Lodge cabins, which is a treat in-and-of-itself! In advance of this great trip, let’s take a look back at an old piece about the Lodge.
Completed in 1928 by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the original North Rim Lodge burned to the ground just four short years later as a fire quickly destroyed the majority of the building.
The lodge standing today, finished in 1937, was built in the wreckage and designed to mimic most of Underwood’s original. The stonework utilized the neighboring natural Kaibab limestone and Ponderosa pine logs so as to blend in with the rock outcroppings at the rim of the canyon where the majestic lodge sits near Bright Angel Point.
Completed in 1928 by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the original North Rim Lodge burned to the ground just four short years later as a fire quickly destroyed the majority of the building.
The lodge standing today, finished in 1937, was built in the wreckage and designed to mimic most of Underwood’s original. The stonework utilized the neighboring natural Kaibab limestone and Ponderosa pine logs so as to blend in with the rock outcroppings at the rim of the canyon where the majestic lodge sits near Bright Angel Point.
This historic lodge will serve as our home for two of our six nights on Backcountry Journeys’ upcoming Southwest Monsoon: Grand Canyon Country landscape photo tour, set for July 24th to 30th, 2021.
The Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge stands tall on the edge of the grandest canyon of the world, at the very end of the long Arizona Highway 67 that brings visitors to the north side of Grand Canyon National Park. It has been in operation since it reopened in 1936 where it has offered up luxury accommodations at an otherwise wild Grand Canyon. As visitors approach the lodge from the parking lot, by Underwood’s design, there is no canyon view so the lodge is the most prominent feature. For years and years during the early days, employees of the Lodge would greet new arrivals with a song as they made their way through the entrance towards their initial canyon viewing. They’d later entertain with a talent show after serving dinner.
It was Underwood’s desire to create a surprise view, and that is exactly what awaits. The idea was that visitors would enter the lodge through the front doors, walk across the lobby to a short staircase that descends to the “Sun Room,” where floor-to-ceiling windows frame an expansive view of the Grand Canyon.
The lodge itself does not house guest rooms, accommodations are rustic cabins spread among the forest of Ponderosa and Aspen. They sit just a short walk to the lodge itself, and to the edge of the Canyon. We’ll spend two nights at the North Rim where we’ll be able to return to our private cabins at the end of long long days shooting glorious scenes at sunrise, exploring the fir and aspen forests, and creating images of some of the more stunning sunsets you’ll ever see.
The lodge itself does not house guest rooms, accommodations are rustic cabins spread among the forest of Ponderosa and Aspen. They sit just a short walk to the lodge itself, and to the edge of the Canyon. We’ll spend two nights at the North Rim where we’ll be able to return to our private cabins at the end of long long days shooting glorious scenes at sunrise, exploring the fir and aspen forests, and creating images of some of the more stunning sunsets you’ll ever see.
“The earth suddenly sinks at our feet to illimitable depths. In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, the awful scene is before us.”
-Clarence Dutton, A Tertiary History of the Grand Canyon District
Written in the late 1800s, Dutton’s description of the Grand Canyon is both accurate and amusing. The views of this natural spectacle, in fact, are the reason folks are visiting here in the first place. The Lodge officially earned designation as a National Historic Landmark in May of 1987.
arrow_drop_down_circle
Divider Text
AUTHOR
AUTHOR
SEARCH THE BLOG
clear
Join our free photo-travel community group on Facebook. A great place to swap stories & share images with fellow photographers!
Live events & webinars from the comfort of your own home. Free webinars on a variety of photography related topics – from photo editing to composition & more.
Check out the BCJ Trip Calendar for all of our upcoming Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris!
FEATURED TRIP:
Ultimate Botswana Wildlife Safari
Discover the ultimate African Wildlife Photography Safari and capture images to last a lifetime!
Ultimate Botswana Wildlife Safari
Discover the ultimate African Wildlife Photography Safari and capture images to last a lifetime!
UPCOMING TRIPS WITH AVAILABILITY
UPCOMING TRIPS WITH AVAILABILITY
[Block//Web Spots Left]
[Block//Trip//Trip Category (Destinations)]
[Block//Start Date %M d %+0]- [Block//End Date %M d, Y%+0]
From [Block//Current Price]
arrow_drop_down_circle
Divider Text
READ OUR NEWSLETTER FOR NEW TRIPS, ARTICLES, & PROMOS
READ OUR NEWSLETTER FOR NEW TRIPS, ARTICLES, & PROMOS
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2024
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.