Nankoweap Drive, Starting Point, Etc.

[ddgrunning]

Looking for intel on the status of the road to the "north" TH to Nankoweap, off 89A by Vermillion Cliffs. The maps show it a "Buffalo Ranch" Road, then 8910. Is it a high clearance/4WD situation?

Also, while I'm at it, I get the sense that this is generally the preferred starting point, as opposed to starting from the Saddle Mountain Overlook. That said, I'm interested in hearing views of those with experience.

Finally, I've got a 4 day permit, but considering just taking 3--with two night base camp at Nankoweap Creek. If we were to add the additional night, suggestions on what else to see/do? Looking forward to the day hiked down to the granaries, but not sure what else there is to explore in the area. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Canyonram]

@ShatteredArm
Thanks for calling out my misstatement. I apologize. Your initial post to the OP provided some good info. I should have said: “Do you have any additional advice for the OP or is it your intent to simply troll my responses to the forum?”

[Canyonram]

@nonot
Great list.

Butchart used the phrase 'sporty' when describinng his more extreme routes. It means, "Good God---you want me to go that way!"

[ddgrunning]

@nonot
Thanks. Looking hard at Mystic Falls. Looks like a solid bushwhack on the final approach, but not too bad in the creekbed before that, and manageable AEG. Also, considering Nankoweap Butte per @friendofThundergod's suggestion, or along the Colorado to Kwagunt Canyon/Creek. Making it down and back to the LCR would be cool, but probably a little much for a day hike for those of us not named @toddak ;-)

[FOTG]

@ddgrunning I might be putting Mystic Falls on my list too for the future

[FOTG]

@ddgrunning
Also I think a fun test for your pretty rugged family would be hike down CO, up Kwagunt and then summit Nankoweap Butte, by using the Fault Butte route, pretty straight forward off trail navigation. I didn’t post a route but details of route are in here.

[ triplog ]

[nonot]

@ddgrunning
I've wasted far too much of my life researching every Grand Canyon hike from Butchart and others I could get my hands on. The last triplog to Mystic Falls I have is over 10 years old, but reported brush only in the last segment, with the majority of the trip up that branch of the canyon described as fairly easy. I have no idea though if the falls will run in the fall, or if it is a spring snowmelt only deal. In any event, I've found exploring the various side canyons in the big ditch to always be enjoyable even without big waterfalls.

[ShatteredArm]

@nonot
I had Mystic Falls penciled in last year, but yeah, hard to find any intel on if it would actually be flowing. Seems especially doubtful this year.

[louie]

This seems like a fun thread to bump. But I didn't want to start a new one since the topic addresses my questions. I'm doing this in a few weeks and wondering which trailhead people prefer. I like the idea of the higher elevation start simply because I love seeing aspens in the fall plus it's a bit shorter, but it looks like we would get quite a bit more AEG going that route, correct? Are there some decent aspen groves coming in the route from the lower elevation start via FR455? And of course I gotta ask...are the forest roads on the route to the higher elevation TH ok for me to get my 25ft RV to the trailhead in one piece? I would not take it 27 miles to the lower elevation start, but 14 miles is doable if the road is a decent maintained forest service road. Thank you much!

[ShatteredArm]

@louie
I think the lower TH would be much better for an RV, honestly.

[louie]

@ShatteredArm
Thank you for the info. I had it in my brain the lower road was sandy and needed high clearance, but 26 miles on dirt is too much for the old girl. I’ll take the Jeep. No TH glamping this trip. On that lower route to the Nankoweep TH do you know if there are any aspens along the way? Love me some fall colors!

[ShatteredArm]

@louie
Nope, it's grassland most of the way, and you start getting into some juniper forest the last few miles. If you're taking a Jeep, the upper trailhead is easy and scenic to get to. The primary advantage of the lower TH is that the hike out is easier (and I think it's a shorter drive if you're coming from the Flagstaff direction).

If you want to camp, but don't need to necessarily be at the TH, you might consider bringing the RV and camping closer to the highway, and unhitching it. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to get an RV as far as the Marble Viewpoint area. East Rim area also has some RV-friendly campsites and a lot of aspen trees.

[azbackpackr]

@ShatteredArm
Unhitching it? I think he's talking about a motorhome.

[ShatteredArm]

@azbackpackr
That wasn't clear; I'm not really used to the term "RV" being used when not referring to a trailer.

[louie]

It’s a 25ft class C recreational vehicle. I could pull the Jeep behind it and just drive as far as I could on the road. But I’d like to camp at the TH and not take the Jeep and was hoping the upper TH road since it is shorter was maintained enough to drive the motorhome to the trail head or grab a camp site close to the TH for the night that would accommodate it and start our hike from there in the AM. The east rim area with the RV sites, that is along the road to the upper elevation TH correct? But IDK even thought the distance is shorter from the higher elevation start it sounds like a lot more work physically. I appreciate the info. Greatly appreciated. I tried posting a pic of the RV, from my phone but couldn’t get it to work, but here’s a google link of the ride to give an idea of what I would be driving. https://photos.app.goo.gl/cPVRRwWNxeDnru8q9 I recognize the difference between could you do it and would you do it so definitely don’t want to get myself into a driving predicament with it where it ends up damaged or no way to turn around. But if that upper road is maintained and wide enough and not to steep and you don’t need tremendous ground clearance it would be tempting…

[ShatteredArm]

@louie
Seeing the picture, I'd say, you might be OK getting that to the upper TH. How experienced are you at driving it? The road is relatively smooth, the biggest issue I saw when I went there last summer was deadfall that was only partially cleared. Are you planning on towing the Jeep regardless?

The East Rim campsites aren't technically on the same road, but it's just a 3-4 mile detour. Basically the road heads east just south of the Kaibab Lodge, and a couple miles in it forks, with one road going to Saddle Mtn TH and the other going to East Rim. And there are some other good campsites in the Marble Viewpoint area (also a detour from the road to Nankoweap, I think about 5 miles each way to the viewpoint).

[louie]

@ShatteredArm
Got it! Great info! I think I’ll go for it and take the RV to the upper TH and triplog it when we get out. There is another vehicle meeting us there so if I get in a bind I’ll just park it and jump in their truck. I got plenty of experience taking the RV on roads I should never have been on lol, but looking to minimize those adventures. I travel with a chainsaw for many reasons with road obstructions being one of them. Great info! Much appreciated and will relay the outcome when we get out.

[azbackpackr]

@louie
I lived in a 26 ft Class C for 6 and a half years. Now I'm in 34 ft Class A for almost three and a half years. It'll be 10 years of full-time rving in February. I can certainly understand your hesitation and need to know condition of the roads.