Thunder, Wonder, and Awe, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Sierra Club Outings Trip | Backpack
Highlights
- Hike through spectacular scenery on a classic route
- Experience canyon sunrises and sunsets
- Enjoy one layover day to explore or rest
Includes
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Planning, permits and expert guides for a 7-day trek
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Group commissary and cooking gear
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Vegetarian-friendly meals and snacks
Overview
The Trip
This is a truly classic Grand Canyon hike and should rank high on your list of "must do" backcountry experiences. Our adventure takes us through some of the most spectacular country in the Southwest, not to mention the world. Some days will be strenuous, but your efforts will gain you access to a vast, magnificent wilderness as far as the eye can see. The weather can be changeable, so we'll arrive prepared for variety, from sunny warmth to the possibility of thundershowers or even snow. While the days will be strenuous, this trip is not rushed and there will be ample time for photography, writing, or just contemplating the vast and magnificent wilderness surrounding us
The Trip
This is a truly classic Grand Canyon hike and should rank high on your list of "must do" backcountry experiences. Our adventure takes us through some of the most spectacular country in the Southwest, not to mention the world. Some days will be strenuous, but your efforts will gain you access to a vast, magnificent wilderness as far as the eye can see. The weather can be changeable, so we'll arrive prepared for variety, from sunny warmth to the possibility of thundershowers or even snow. While the days will be strenuous, this trip is not rushed and there will be ample time for photography, writing, or just contemplating the vast and magnificent wilderness surrounding us.
This trip is best for people with recent multi-day backpacking experience, who are comfortable traversing steep terrain with occasional exposure. The minimum level of conditioning required for enjoying this route is based on the ability to climb and descend 3,000 feet over 5 or more miles in half a day, with a pack weighing 35-40 pounds.
Itinerary
Note: Due to Park Service rules, backcountry permits cannot be obtained until four months prior to the trip. This means that final trip dates cannot be confirmed until then. Slight schedule changes, therefore, may be needed if specific dates are unavailable.
Day 1: We’ll meet at a location near our trailhead in the afternoon on the day before we start hiking. We will get to know each other over dinner (not included in the price of the trip) and answer any last-minute questions.
Day 2: After breakfast we will distribute group gear and food, then begin our trip with a drive over back roads to Monument Point, the trailhead for our hike. The drive will take about two hours
Note: Due to Park Service rules, backcountry permits cannot be obtained until four months prior to the trip. This means that final trip dates cannot be confirmed until then. Slight schedule changes, therefore, may be needed if specific dates are unavailable.
Day 1: We’ll meet at a location near our trailhead in the afternoon on the day before we start hiking. We will get to know each other over dinner (not included in the price of the trip) and answer any last-minute questions.
Day 2: After breakfast we will distribute group gear and food, then begin our trip with a drive over back roads to Monument Point, the trailhead for our hike. The drive will take about two hours. We'll spend our first night on the Esplanade, about 2.5 hours (or roughly 3.5 miles) from the trailhead. We will start at 7,400 feet and camp at 5,500, descending steeply about 2,000 feet. It will be a dry camp with no water, so we'll need to bring extra water for dinner as well as to supply a cache for our last night. We will start the trip at Monument Point with at least 6 quarts of water per person.
Day 3: We will hike along the Esplanade another two to three miles, and then descend steeply another 1,500 feet into Surprise Valley. The descent into the Valley is a steep trail with numerous short switchbacks. It is in the full sun, but we will be hiking it in the early morning. Once in Surprise Valley, we'll hike eastward along rolling hills for two miles; then, we start our descent into Tapeats Canyon. Here, we will be awed by the sight and sound of Thunder River as it bursts straight out of the canyon wall. Another two miles and 1,500 feet along a pretty good trail will get us to our camp at Upper Tapeats (about 2,500 feet) by early afternoon, allowing time to hike and explore the beautiful Tapeats Gorge.
Day 4: As we start toward our next camp at the confluence of Tapeats Creek with the Colorado River, we must choose one of two options: the low route or the high route. High runoff from the rim could make the low route, with its two crossings of Tapeats Creek, an unfavorable choice. The high route has several passages of narrow, sloped trail with exposure, making it challenging for many. After tackling these sections, we'll break for lunch in the shade of cottonwoods alongside the cold, crystal-clear pools of Tapeats Creek. There will be time for a refreshing cold bath if desired. After lunch we will continue to our camp at Lower Tapeats, hiking above the walls of Tapeats Gorge, before descending steeply to our campsite, which is situated where Tapeats Creek meets the Colorado River. We'll keep this challenging section of our trip short and leisurely: 2.3 miles, with 930 feet up/1,400 down.
Day 5: This morning we will start westward along the beach, picking up the trail to Deer Creek, a rough trail along and above the Colorado River. A few steep ups-and-downs (3.5 miles, +1,369/-998) brings us to delightful Deer Creek Camp, nestled beside the creek among cottonwood trees. Just before arriving at camp, we'll enjoy lunch on "The Plaza," an area of colorful water-carved rock at the head of Deer Creek Narrows. After setting up camp we'll have time to explore downstream along Deer Creek Narrows. Energetic hikers can go all the way down to Deer Creek Falls overlooking the Colorado River (showers, anyone?). Others may choose to head upstream, looking for the source of Deer Creek, which gushes directly from a sandstone canyon wall as if out of a hidden pipe. Beneath the spring lies the mysterious Throne Room.
Day 6: This is a layover day with multiple options. Those who wish to stay in camp can relax in the shade of the cottonwoods and enjoy the peace and solitude in Deer Creek Narrows. There will also be opportunities to hike upstream to the Throne room near Deer Creek Spring, or down a steep trail to the base of Deer Creek Falls at the Colorado River.
Day 7: This day will present us with our most challenging hiking. We'll ascend the west side of Deer Creek Valley, which is shady in the early morning, to Surprise Valley -- 1,500 feet of elevation gain in about two miles. Depending on how much water we were able to cache on the way down, we may be carrying extra water for our last night’s camp and the last morning’s hike to the rim. Once we get to Surprise, we will be in the full sun. We'll hike east a couple of miles in Surprise Valley until we ascend to the Esplanade. This is the same descent we did into Surprise our second day out. We will be ascending a south-facing slope in the full sun to the Esplanade (about 1,500 feet up). Once we get up to the Esplanade, we'll make our way to our first camp and our water cache. There is plenty of shade here, and we'll be at 5,500 feet, so it will be cooler.
Day 8: Our last day should be a leisurely three-hour, 2,000-foot hike back up to Monument Point and the cars. Since we’ll all have our “canyon legs” by then, this should simply be an aerobic activity! We'll return to our cars by noon.
Logistics
Getting There
The trek begins and ends on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The nearest airports are Las Vegas, Nevada (240 miles, 5 hours); Flagstaff, Arizona (165 miles, 4 hours); Phoenix, Arizona (310 miles, 6 hours); and Salt Lake City, Utah (350 miles, 6.5 hours). We will meet near Kanab, Utah, and caravan to the trailhead from there. Many lodging options are available in Kanab. Specific driving directions will be sent before departure. We will also send a trip roster to all participants well before the trip to facilitate ride-sharing.
Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member. We also recommend that you do not plan to fly on the last day of the trip as we cannot guarantee completing the trip at a specific time
Getting There
The trek begins and ends on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The nearest airports are Las Vegas, Nevada (240 miles, 5 hours); Flagstaff, Arizona (165 miles, 4 hours); Phoenix, Arizona (310 miles, 6 hours); and Salt Lake City, Utah (350 miles, 6.5 hours). We will meet near Kanab, Utah, and caravan to the trailhead from there. Many lodging options are available in Kanab. Specific driving directions will be sent before departure. We will also send a trip roster to all participants well before the trip to facilitate ride-sharing.
Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member. We also recommend that you do not plan to fly on the last day of the trip as we cannot guarantee completing the trip at a specific time.
Accommodations and Food
All meals and snacks will be provided, beginning with lunch on the first hiking through lunch on the final day. We will offer a variety of nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals. Vegetarians can be easily accommodated, but participants unable to eat either dairy or gluten should consider another outing. Sierra Club provides stoves and cooking equipment, which are divided up among all the participants at the trailhead. Cooking and clean-up duties will be shared by all participants on a pre-assigned basis.
All water will come from creeks, potholes, or the river and must be purified. Participants will be responsible for bringing their own method of water purification (chlorine tablets, filter, steri-pen, etc.).
The Park Service, as well as Leave No Trace principles, requires that all trash be packed out. Ziploc-type bags will be provided for packing out used toilet paper. Two campsites have pit toilets; at the other camps, participants will dig catholes and pack out their own trash.
Trip Difficulty
This trip is rated strenuous (4). Daily backpacking distances range between 3.5 and 5.5 miles, with maximum daily altitude gain/loss of 3,500 feet. The minimum level of conditioning required for enjoying this route may be approximated by the ability to climb and descend 3,000 feet over 5 or more miles in half a day, with a pack weighing 35-40 pounds. The heat and dryness of desert hiking, steep terrain, substantial altitude gain/loss, and occasional narrow, exposed trails all mean that participants will be exposed to a higher level of difficulty than on many Sierra Club trips. We will hike trails that have been unmaintained for the past 80 years. Even the more moderate days on this trip may seem significantly harder than other hikes you've done outside of the Grand Canyon. These factors make proper pre-trip conditioning essential.
If you have previously hiked in the more remote sections of the Grand Canyon, you should have a good sense of the difficulty of this outing. If you have done a multi-day mountain or desert backpack within the last year and are in excellent physical condition, chances are you will be able to enjoy this trip.
This trip has portions with significant exposure -- short stretches of rugged trail or rock where a fall may result in severe injury, or worse. Excellent balance and sure footedness are essential. If you have a fear of heights or falling this may not be the adventure for you!
Phone consultations with the trip leader will be held with applicants prior to approval for this trip, to assure it will be enjoyed safely by individual participants and by the group as a whole.
Equipment and Clothing
Weather this time of year is variable. At best, temperatures should be warm but not excessively hot during the day (70-80 degrees), with temperatures at night around 50 degrees. However, participants must come prepared for a range of weather conditions, ranging from hot and sunny to freezing or wet. Snow is a possibility at the rim.
A comprehensive list of recommended equipment will be sent to participants after trip approval. Essentials include a backpack (internal frame preferred), sleeping bag (30 degree), sleeping pad, light tent or tarp, broken-in boots, and clothing suitable for a range of temperatures from hot to cold. Because you will be carrying up to 18 pounds of commissary gear and food, it is essential that your personal equipment weigh as little as possible for a total (without water and group gear) of 20 pounds or less.
If you do not have a lightweight pack, tent, and sleeping bag suitable for this environment, you might want to consider purchasing new equipment. The leader can give you advice about suitable gear, and stores such as REI provide details about many lightweight options even if you choose to purchase or rent equipment elsewhere.
References
Grand Canyon National Park maps, books, and guides can be purchased from many outdoor shops or from the Grand Canyon Association through their website at http://www.grandcanyonassociation.org
Maps:
- National Geographic/Trails Illustrated Topo Map: Grand Canyon National Park - Map #207.
Books:
- Spangler, Sharon, On Foot in the Grand Canyon: Hiking the Trails of the South Rim. Pruett Publishing, 1989. The first chapter provides an excellent sense of how one feels when hiking on a route for which he/she is not adequately prepared.
- Thybony, Scott, Official Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon Association, 1997.
- Adkison, Ron, Hiking Grand Canyon National Park. Falcon Guide.
- Price, L. Greer, An Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology. Grand Canyon Association, 1999.
Websites:
- http://www.hitthetrail.com/ An informative site detailing excellent information on the natural history of the Grand Canyon as well as providing narratives of several trips in the Canyon.
- http://www.kaibab.org/ Great source of information on backpacking in the Grand Canyon as well as trip reports on the trails we will be hiking.
- http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/index.htm This is the official National Park Service website.
Conservation
The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused organization. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers, including your trip leaders, and aided by a salaried staff, encouraging grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding, advocacy and participation in the goals of the Club.
Sierra Club's motto is "Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet." Your volunteer leaders love bringing groups to "explore and enjoy" remote places in the Grand Canyon, in the hope that participants will be motivated to help protect them. We'll take time to reflect on our most enjoyable experiences during the trip, and what needs to be done to protect the Grand Canyon, the desert Southwest, and the wild places we all love back home.
Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners