The Arizona Republic
Sept. 18, 2008 02:21 PM
Even longtime Arizona residents are surprised to learn that you can drive all the way down to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
Diamond Creek Road on the Hualapai Reservation is the only place between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead - nearly 280 river miles - where you can do so. The drive makes a great trip for anyone who's unable to make the demanding hike to the bottom, is looking for a different view of the Canyon or is simply pressed for time.
River rafters know all about Diamond Creek Road, as it has long been one of the major take-out points for raft trips.
Although the Canyon isn't as deep or wide or colorful here as it is in the highly developed, heavily visited areas along the South Rim, the drive is nevertheless a first-rate adventure through a geologic wonderland.
Start at Peach Springs, the capital of the Hualapai Reservation. You'll need a permit, which you can get at the Hualapai Lodge, on the south side of Route 66, between mile markers 103 and 104.
The drive begins on the unsigned road almost directly across the highway from Hualapai Lodge. (It's the corner where the market is.)
You'll go up a small rise at first, and pass through a residential area. You'll reach the end of the pavement about a mile from the highway; it's all downhill from there.
The road is well graded for the most part and you could, with care, make the drive in a sedan. But because the road is pretty washboardy in some places and rough in others (especially as you approach the river), you'll probably feel more confident in a high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Cliffs seem to rise up from the ground as you proceed down Peach Springs Canyon. The slow passage from one layer of rock to another represents the passage of the eons. The farther you drive, the further back in time you go.
The most prominent rock layer on the left (west) is the umber Tapeats sandstone. Geologists say this stratum was laid down about 545 million years ago, tens of millions of years before the first fish, nearly 100 million years before the insects and more than 200 million years before the dinosaurs.
Notice how much different the canyon walls on the west look compared with those on the east. That's because a major fault line runs through the canyon, and the layers of rock on the western side are substantially lower than their equivalent layers on the eastern side.
You can't miss the prominent, pyramidal mass of Diamond Peak standing near the river. It, along with Diamond Canyon, was named by Army Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives and Dr. John S. Newberry in 1858. The peak stands 3,512 feet high.
If you've been paying attention, you've noticed the foliage has changed from piņon and juniper scrub in the upper reaches to a distinctly desert landscape, characterized by ocotillo, barrel cactus and cholla, down below.
A little more than a mile from the river you'll pass a couple of picnic tables under a ramada.
This last stretch of road is sandy in places and can get washed out. But it's an easy walk from here down to the river.
There's not much in the way of amenities at the beach - just a couple of shaded picnic tables and a handful of portable toilets.
The Colorado River rolls along quickly here, tumbling over a series of riffles just west of Diamond Creek. The area is about 240 river miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam.
Visit between mid-April and mid-September and you're likely to see the powder-blue rafts of the Hualapai River Runners in the area. Visit outside that time frame, especially during the week, and you may have the place to yourself.
Return to Peach Springs the way you came, allowing about an hour, each way, for the drive, plus a couple hours to explore up the creek and along the river.
Diamond Creek Road on the Hualapai Reservation is the only place between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead - nearly 280 river miles - where you can do so. The drive makes a great trip for anyone who's unable to make the demanding hike to the bottom, is looking for a different view of the Canyon or is simply pressed for time.
River rafters know all about Diamond Creek Road, as it has long been one of the major take-out points for raft trips.
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Although the Canyon isn't as deep or wide or colorful here as it is in the highly developed, heavily visited areas along the South Rim, the drive is nevertheless a first-rate adventure through a geologic wonderland.
Start at Peach Springs, the capital of the Hualapai Reservation. You'll need a permit, which you can get at the Hualapai Lodge, on the south side of Route 66, between mile markers 103 and 104.
The drive begins on the unsigned road almost directly across the highway from Hualapai Lodge. (It's the corner where the market is.)
You'll go up a small rise at first, and pass through a residential area. You'll reach the end of the pavement about a mile from the highway; it's all downhill from there.
The road is well graded for the most part and you could, with care, make the drive in a sedan. But because the road is pretty washboardy in some places and rough in others (especially as you approach the river), you'll probably feel more confident in a high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Cliffs seem to rise up from the ground as you proceed down Peach Springs Canyon. The slow passage from one layer of rock to another represents the passage of the eons. The farther you drive, the further back in time you go.
The most prominent rock layer on the left (west) is the umber Tapeats sandstone. Geologists say this stratum was laid down about 545 million years ago, tens of millions of years before the first fish, nearly 100 million years before the insects and more than 200 million years before the dinosaurs.
Notice how much different the canyon walls on the west look compared with those on the east. That's because a major fault line runs through the canyon, and the layers of rock on the western side are substantially lower than their equivalent layers on the eastern side.
You can't miss the prominent, pyramidal mass of Diamond Peak standing near the river. It, along with Diamond Canyon, was named by Army Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives and Dr. John S. Newberry in 1858. The peak stands 3,512 feet high.
If you've been paying attention, you've noticed the foliage has changed from piņon and juniper scrub in the upper reaches to a distinctly desert landscape, characterized by ocotillo, barrel cactus and cholla, down below.
A little more than a mile from the river you'll pass a couple of picnic tables under a ramada.
This last stretch of road is sandy in places and can get washed out. But it's an easy walk from here down to the river.
There's not much in the way of amenities at the beach - just a couple of shaded picnic tables and a handful of portable toilets.
The Colorado River rolls along quickly here, tumbling over a series of riffles just west of Diamond Creek. The area is about 240 river miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam.
Visit between mid-April and mid-September and you're likely to see the powder-blue rafts of the Hualapai River Runners in the area. Visit outside that time frame, especially during the week, and you may have the place to yourself.
Return to Peach Springs the way you came, allowing about an hour, each way, for the drive, plus a couple hours to explore up the creek and along the river.
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