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Whitewater timing varies with scouting, portages, and group pace. Use as a planning baseline.

Description

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven Wonders of the World. Magnificent views of the geological record are on prominent display throughout a journey through this canyon. Every day that passes reveals new eras of time and new aspects of creation. The long history and lore of the Grand Canyon have built the whitewater up to heroic proportions in the public mind. However, river running knowledge, skill, and equipment have improved tremendously in the century that boaters have been running this section of the Colorado River. By modern outdoor sports risk standards the Grand Canyon is a very reasonable adventure. The gradient tells the tale as most of Grand Canyon is flat water. The infamous 1 to 10 rating system does not mean that these rapids are harder than class 6. The hardest rapids on the run were simply given a 10 rating and everything else was rated respectively lower. A Grand Canyon 10 corresponds approximately to a class IV rating on the international scale. The 1 to 10 rating was system developed for heavily loaded large rafts, and a 10 on this scale might not require a single stroke from a kayaker (though perhaps a lot of bracing and rolling if one wanted to try that!). Experienced river runners can apply their usual river-running judgement. The skills required for a kayaker to negotiate Grand Canyon include: 1\. A bomber roll. The water is cold and the river is so wide that swimming to shore is difficult. 2\. The ability to turn sideways to a big wave train and paddle out of it. 3\. The ability to keep your balance and your cool in sustained funny water (whirlpools and boils occur at the bottom of many rapids and along eddy lines). 4\. The ability to scout and choose a big-water line and smash it. The skills required for an oarboatman in the Grand Canyon are in some ways much more difficult. Rafts are typically overburdened and heavy. It takes a good understanding of the rapids, early decision making and positioning at the top, and a lot of hard work to get a raft to the right place in a rapid. The risk to a baggage boat is much greater than for other river runners. A swimmer can flush through the biggest rapids. A kayaker can get flipped and easily roll back up. But if a baggage boat flips, it will take a long time to get it to shore and a lot of manpower to got it flipped back over, upright. A flip can cost hours of effort and important supplies can be lost or ruined. Boatmen need the ability to: 1\. Tie great knots and secure boats overnight 2\. Hang on to the oars in heavy water, the ability to manuver with only one oar if needed and the ability to quickly replace an oar. 3\. Maintain or recover a ferry angle in heavy water. 4\. Catch eddies at the bottom of rapids and the ability to break out across big eddy lines. 5\. Keep rowing when you miss a line, straighten out and push when facing a big hole, and get back in the seat when knocked off. 6\. Rig very well and maintain your anchor lines through changing night time water elevations. Putting together an expedition that meets National Park Service requirements and keeps a group of river runners well fed and happy for 18 or more days requires strong leadership skills. Put-in: The launch point is Lee's Ferry, which is measured as mile zero. Trip participants can arrange to hike in or out at a variety of trails in the mid-section of the run. The most common location to exchange participants is Phantom Ranch (mile 89). Trip exchanges allow people to do the upper or lower half of the run even if they do not have the time to do the full trip. National Park Service fees are about the same whether you do a full or half trip and these arrangements must be made prior to your launch. Take-outs: The majority of trips in Grand Canyon travel 226 miles to Diamond Creek as the whitewater ends about 10 miles downstream of this point. Diamond Creek is an intermittent stream that doubles as a roughshod road and is adminstered by the Hualapai Tribe who regrades it after floods. Those continuing on downstream past Diamond have another 50 miles of floating (typically done over 2 days), to reach Pearce Ferry. This option gives you the option to experience the entirety of the Grand Canyon but requires floating through flatwater (but with swift current) where reservoir sediments have buried many rapids. The Pearce Ferry access is administered by the Department of Interior, at the upper end of Mead Reservoir (mile 279). The access has been rehabilitated and re-opened after being closed from 2001 to 2010 due to low reservoir levels. The next access point to the Colorado River is South Cove, which is 17 miles farther downstream through Iceburg Canyon into Mead Reservoir. Few groups take this option due to the challenge of navigating Pearce Ferry Rapid and the need to paddle across the reservoir to reach the ramp at South Cove. Diamond Creek access information: The Hualapai Tribe charges a fee for each driver, person, and vehicle that accesses Diamond Creek Beach. In 2018, that fee is $67.50. You can arrange for a shuttle service to pick you up or you can make arrangments with the Tribe for shuttle between the river and Peach Springs. This creek sometimes has a road in it. Flashflooding is regular. Hualapai River Runners P.O. Box 246 Peach Springs, AZ 86434 (928) 769-2210 / (800) 622-4409 Boaters may also launch at Diamond Creek and travel 54 miles to Pearce Ferry Boat Ramp. The permit for doing this section is much easier to obtain than for launching at Lee's Ferry: Grand Canyon NP: Diamond down information. Grand Canyon Weather links: Weather and Road Conditions for Grand Canyon National Park NOAA Forecast for Page, AZ, just upstream of the put in. NOAA Zone Area Forecast for Marble and Glen Canyons, AZ NOAA Zone Area Forecast for Grand Canyon Country, AZ NOAA Forecast for Phantom Ranch, is about half way through. NOAA Forecast South Cove, Mead Reservoir Grand Canyon Sunrise/ Sunset Other information Sources: Grand Canyon National Park: River Trips and Permits information Grand Canyon Private Boaters' Organization. Non-profit organization with a mission 'to protect access to and enhance an individual’s experience of a float trip through the Grand Canyon while protecting the resource.' River Runners for Wilderness wiki Grand Canyon River Guide's Association USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Grand Canyon Favorite Hikes Packing for Grand Canyon Trip Durango Bill's 3D tour There are many videos on youtube videos referencing rapids of the Grand Canyon. Search for grand canyon, rafting, kayaking, whitewater and similar, or by rapid names. Outfitters who provide gear, food packs, and shuttle service for river trips: PRO - Professional River Outfitters Canyon REO Moenkopi Riverworks River Runner's Shuttle Service Ceiba Adventures Interesting water facts: Lee's Ferry is the dividing point between the Upper and Lower Colorado Rivers for water rights politics. Water for the South Rim Village flows through a pipe from near the north rim, down right Angel Canyon, across a bridge and then back up to the south rim. It is all gravity fed. Pumpkin Springs water contains arsenic. Other Reaches of the Colorado River: 01\. Hot Sulphur Springs to Hwy 40 bridge (Byers Canyon) (CO, IV) 02\. Gore Canyon (CO, IV-V) 03\. Pumphouse campground to Rancho Del Rio (Pumphouse) (CO, III) 04\. Hanging Lake Exit 125 (I-70) to Shoshone Power Plant Exit 123 (I-70) (Barrel Springs) (CO, IV-V \[V+\]) 05\. Shoshone Power Plant, Exit 123 (I-70) to Grizzly Creek, Exit 121 (I-70) (Shoshone) (CO, III-IV) 06\. Cameo Dam (Big Sur / Lucky 7) (CO, III) 07\. Loma to Westwater (Ruby / Horsethief Canyons) (CO-UT, II) 08\. Westwater to Rose Ranch (Westwater Canyon) (UT, I-IV) 09\. Cisco (Rose Ranch) to Moab (Professor Valley) (UT, I-III) 10\. Moab to Powell Reservoir (Cataract Canyon) (UT, I-IV) 11\. Lees Ferry to Lake Mead (Grand Canyon) (AZ, I-IV) 12\. Black Canyon (AZ-NV, I)

Rapids in this Run (111)

North Canyon Rapid (5)

23-1/2 Mile Rapid (4)

23.6 mi

Rapid III+

24 Mile Rapid, Georgie (6)

24.4 mi

Rapid III+

24-1/2 Mile Rapid (6)

Cave Springs Rapid (5)

25.8 mi

Rapid III

27 Mile Rapid, Tiger Wash (5)

President Harding Rapid (4)

Mouth of the Little Colorado

61.5 mi

Rapid III

Lava Canyon Rapid, Chuar (4)

Sockdolager Rapid (7)

Bright Angel Canyon and Trail

87.8 mi

Rapid II+

Bright Angel Rapid (3)

Lower Tuna Rapid, Willies Necktie (4)

Deubendorff Rapid (7)

Matkatamiba Rapid (1)

Little Bastard Rapid (3)

Three Springs Rapid (2)

Trail Canyon Riffle (1)

219.5 mi

Rapid II+

Granite Spring Rapid (2)

Diamond Creek takeout

225.9 mi

Rapid III

Diamond Creek Rapid (4)

232 Mile Rapid, Killer Fang Falls (6)

Bridge Canyon Rapid (4)

235.2 mi

Rapid III

Gneiss Canyon Rapid (5)

Reference Point Rapid (1)

252.7 mi

Rapid I+

Last Chance Rapid (1)

253.3 mi

Rapid I+

Devils Slide Rapid (1)

255.8 mi

Rapid I+

Triumphal Arch Rapid (1)

Playspots (1)

Playspot

Lava Falls (9)

179.3 mi

Hazards & Portages (4)

Caution: The following locations may require scouting or portaging. Always check current conditions.

Difficulty

Class III-IV

Length

300.0 mi

Gradient

9 ft/mi

max 35

Rapids

111

4 Hazards

Access Points

Shuttle Info

Lee's Ferry Campground is located 128 miles North of Flagstaff, Arizona on HWY 89.

Difficulty Classes

I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable

Permit Required

Permits for the Grand Canyon are required and available through a weighted lottery system in February (additional dates may be distributed throughout the year). Get Permit

Current Conditions

5-Day Forecast

Whitewater data from
American Whitewater

19. Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead

Gauge Conditions

Run Map

Run Time Estimate

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Description

Rapids in this Run (111)

Playspots (1)

Hazards & Portages (4)

Access Points

Shuttle Info

Difficulty Classes

Permit Required

Current Conditions

5-Day Forecast