Away from the leaked gorges: Explore the hidden treasures of the Grand Canyon

Away from the leaked gorges: Explore the hidden treasures of the Grand Canyon

Somehow the Grand Canyon seems familiar to me. His dramatic landscape and its red -gold colors were shown in films, posters, feather pencils and postcards. It is a recurring symbol of the road movie, a faithful piece of healthy Americana - and yet, when you see it for the first time, it is still scary, still overwhelming.

Its sheer size extends over 277 miles (446 km) along the course of the Colorado River and reminds them that America is not just a country of oversized McDonald’s and greasy hot dogs; It is the home of some of the most beautiful landscapes on the face of this earth.

The Grand Canyon alone attracts over five million visitors every year, most of whom explore the South Rim National Park. Much fewer visitors (actually only 10 %) explore the Canyon from the North Rim. This is only 16 km (10 miles) over the gorge from the South Rim visitor center (like the California condor flies), but it is a 220 miles (354 km)-all around the gorge. In addition, it is closed to the public in winter, as it is an average of 2,438 m (8,000 ft) above sea level and 305 m (1,000 ft) is higher than the South Rim.

We wanted to explore another area of ​​the Grand Canyon National Park, somewhere far away from the masses. Since we were visiting at the end of February, the North Rim was unfortunately closed. This did not put us off and with a little research and a pinch of luck we found an adventure north of the canyon that we enjoyed all by alone. We have discovered many other things that can be done around the Grand Canyon National Park.

lees ferry

We stayed in Cliff Dweller's lodge near Lee’s Ferry, which proved to be a great starting point for exploring the area. Due to its unique geography, Lee’s Ferry was once the only place in the vicinity of kilometers where the Colorado River could be entered from both sides. Historically speaking, a boat service at Lee’s Ferry served as an important river crossing from the mid-18th century to the early 20th century before it was replaced by the first Navajo bridge to be completed in 1929.

The Cliff Dweller's Lodge itself delivers everything you need to explore the area. The accommodations are cozy and comfortable with a small food and fishing store, a petrol station and an excellent restaurant on site, which serves delicious, generously portioned meals all day. There is a lot of information in the lodge - just ask Kelly or Eran who will be happy to give you recommendations. We only had a complete day, so we decided on the following two trails.

Spencer-Trail

We spent the morning to climb the Spencer Trail, a steep, meandering climb from the historical area of ​​Lee’s Ferry. The path changes again and again, while slowly he rises 475 m (1,560 ft) to the rocky plateau at the summit. The view is becoming more and more incredible, the higher they rise. We needed almost an hour to reach the summit, which included a lot of stops to take a breath, take photos and take up the intensive panoramic views. Below is the meandering Colorado River emerald green while he winds his way through the limestone rocks.

above stretches the rugged plateau to the northeast, where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city of Page, the limestone landscape and the winding colorado. Take your time to rest, sign the visitor notebook on the central stone heap and enjoy the view before you go down again. Hopefully you have some energy left for the afternoon ...

Wash cathedral

When Spencer Trail has punished the legs, you will find that Cathedral Wash is a greater challenge for the brain. The path begins on the side of the road, just a few kilometers from the historic Lee’s Ferry area, and they are immediately faced with the first of many exercises to solve the problem. The path is less than two and a half miles along the washing to the Colorado and back, but it feels longer if you look for your way through the gorge and often have to reverse when you find that the path down to the bottom of the gorge is blocked or too steeply cross. Don't worry: it is almost impossible to get lost if you go forward or backwards.

The hike is incredibly worthwhile and arouses a real feeling of adventure. We were there in January and had the whole gorge for ourselves. The rock formations and patterns are fascinating and offer the photographer many options. As soon as you have reached the river, there is not much to do, except enjoying the view before you turn back. On your way, pay attention to sights and piles of stone, as you will be grateful for it when you return. Take enough time for the way back - you don't want to hike in the dark!

more to do with Lee’s Ferry

Lonely dell Ranch and Lee’s Ferry Historic Districtparia Canyonnavajaro Bridge and Interpretive Center (Californian Kondore) Upper South Fork of Soap Creekcondor Release SITETHE WAVENORTH RIM Trailshorse Show Bendthe Arizona Trailantelope Canyon

Just ask Eran at Cliff Dwellers about your incredibly helpful instructions!

• Alt = "Photo of activities around the Grand Canyon">
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "Outside-the-leaked Grand Canyon04 ″>
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "Photo by Peter and Kia activities around the Grand Canyon">
• Alt = "Photo by Peter and Kia activities around the Grand Canyon">
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "Photo by Peter and Kia activities around the Grand Canyon">
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "">
• Alt = "">

How to get there

From the visitor center on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, it is about two and a half hours drive to Cliff Dweller's Lodge. Take the street Desert View Drive to the east and stop regularly to enjoy the many viewpoints. Turn left (north) to the US 89 and continue to drive 134 miles. When the street is shared, be sure to turn left onto the 89a. Twenty -three miles later is Cilff Dwellers on the right side of the street.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

 .