The Arizona Strip: Toroweap and Nampaweap Rock Art Site

A thunderstorm brewing over the Grand Canyon, as viewed from the Toroweap Campground.

It's apparently my destiny to learn the same lessons over and over and over...

1. The act of packing sunscreen, even SPF 50, does not keep me from getting sunburned unless I actually apply it.
2. Drinking an iced espresso at 4:00pm will result in lying awake until 4:00am.
3. The Grand Canyon, no matter the viewpoint or time of day, is always spectacular.

I would prefer not to repeat lessons 1 and 2 ever again (hey, it's possible), but I wouldn't mind rediscovering the last one every year for the rest of my life.

The intimate camping accommodations at Overland Expo West, 2017

We spent a long weekend enjoying Overland Expo West in Flagstaff Arizona, camping alongside about 7,000 other outdoor enthusiasts at the new venue site. Fort Tuthill County Park was the perfect place to hold this type of event: close enough to town to run in if you forgot something, camping under trees (instead of the dust bowl/mud pit at Mormon Lake), and a large area for vendors to show off the latest equipment you didn't know you needed. Mark took classes during the day while I sat in on presentations, drank espresso drinks and basked in the sun (see lessons 1 & 2 above).

Mark and Ryan toasting to another Overland together.

Mark, in his natural habitat.

It was fun, but I was more than ready to hit the road on Monday morning. I'm not much for crowds, and after camping four nights in a row packed in with so many people, I had hit my limit. We had made arrangements to meet up with our buddies later that day, so we took off early with our friend Mel and had our traditional breakfast at Macys Coffeehouse in Flagstaff. Breakfast burritos, waffles and a giant sticky bun were exactly what we wanted, blissfully enjoyed in the relative quiet of this sorta new-age/kinda hippy place. Unfortunately, Mel couldn't join us this year on our post-Expo trip, so we had to say goodbye as he headed back to California and we took off for the nearest grocery store for supplies.

It's highly recommended to air down before you take on these roads. On our last trip, two of the four vehicles ended up with flat tires from the sharp rocks. The long distance also tempts one to go a wee bit faster than 35mph.

We were headed back to Toroweap Overlook and campground on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Our friend had scored a reservation at the group site that night and we were thrilled to go back, it being one of the most beautiful campgrounds we've ever visited. Wrangling four vehicles of various sizes and speeds had proven too difficult to coordinate a convoy, so we had all agreed to keep in touch and meet wherever we could along the way. It was a great plan, taking pressure off those of us who are early birds and those that need a bit more time to gather themselves in the morning. Mark and I were able to stop and take some photos, and visit the Navajo bridge near Lee's Ferry without feeling like we were holding anyone up.

To get an idea of how big the Arizona Strip is, and just how few developed places there are inside it, here's a map. What you can't see is the extensive system of dirt roads that wind around the place, running out to the edge of the Grand Canyon and up into the mountains to the north. We could have spent two months out there and not seen everything. If only we had brought a fuel tanker truck along with us.

Our plan for the week was to explore the Arizona Strip, which encompasses the northwestern corner of the state and includes the Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument, and Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim, along with various national monuments and BLM wilderness areas.  It's a huge area, and our planned route would take us over almost 300 miles of dirt roads with no access to services. Since our truck's range is 230 miles with it's stock tank, we would be relying on our three 5 gallon jerry cans to get us out. We stopped in Fredonia, the last town before heading off-road, and filled those suckers to the tippy top.

Didn't look too inclement...

oh, wait...

The long road to Toroweap was particularly beautiful this year, after a winter of heavy rains made the desert bloom.

The Toroweap Overlook is sixty miles down a dirt road; the first fifty or so you could make in the family car (providing you brought a spare or two in case of blow outs) but the last ten miles would be almost impossible without high clearance and four wheel drive. It's a spectacular view though, and worth the trip. Things had changed since our last visit to this spot. The Tuweep campground is now available by reservation only, having been first come, first served previously. It kind of makes sense, I can only imagine the disappointment of driving all the way out there to find the campground full. A ranger is stationed there at the Monument and Grand Canyon National Park boundary. It must get lonely, because he was quite talkative when we checked in with him. He didn't seem too concerned about reservations, more so about the news and weather. I guess not that many people are committed enough to travel so far when there's a perfectly nice paved road to an overlook at the North and South Rims of the park (not to mention the lodge and gift shop there). This campground is pretty bare bones: you have to haul in your own water and haul out your own trash. There are some pretty nifty composting toilets though, so no worries in that department.

This sign should be posted on every public restroom in the country.
Not that it would help.

We cruised into the campground and found our friend Ron's car waiting for us. We assumed Ron would turn up eventually, so we busied ourselves with the campground dance, slowly driving back and forth trying to find the flattest spot we could on the pock-marked sandstone surface. Soon enough, all four vehicles were there, and eventually Ron walked in from a hike to the Toroweap Overlook.

Toroweap Group Camp, after a passing shower.

The rain and hail made an interesting pattern on the (formerly) blue paint on the truck.

This was the first time we had seen Ron since last year's White Rim experience. It was a melancholy trip for him; his VW Touareg was slated for the crusher soon, it being one of the German diesel-cheating-debacle vehicles. It would be the last big trip for his beloved car before turning it in for the rebate, and his sorrow showed every time it came up in conversation. A lot of our campfire discussions revolved around what vehicle he would be getting to replace it. (Note to self: never (even accidentally) call his car a Passat. I believe I lost any respect he may have had for me with that slip up.)

The Toroweap Plateau was green and lush this year.

Cactus were in full bloom.

Cactus garden on the plateau.

The passing rain clouds broke for some dramatic sunset shots.

The sheer 3000' drop off at Toroweap is a little unnerving. If you look closely, you can see Mark standing on the edge.

A rare photo of Mark and I, together in one shot. Thanks Ron!

Two boats approaching the Lava Falls area (around the corner)

A view toward Lava Falls and the same two boats. Apparently it's a pretty hairy rapids section for rafters.

Ron contemplates an agave flower stalk on our walk back to the Toroweap campground.

We had a great time posing on the edge of the 3000' drop at the overlook, taking photos at sunset after a passing shower/hail storm went through. The next morning we took some more pictures before heading off toward Twin Point. We took off a bit early with Ron so we could stop in at the Nampaweap Rock Art site.

Nampaweap is located about three miles from the turnoff on Mt. Trumbull Road, about seven miles back up the road from Toroweap Overlook. A short ride down a side road leads to a small dirt parking lot surrounded by a barbed wire fence. This area is still used for cattle grazing, and the fence keeps the cows from destroying the site. A half mile trail leads to a jumbled pile of volcanic basalt, blackened with desert varnish and decorated with hundreds of petroglyphs formed by the Southern Paiute tribe.

An informative sign about the area. It was nice to see the park put so much effort into this remote area.

At first it just looks like a jumble of rocks.

Closer examination reveals petroglyphs.

and more...

and more.

Mark and I have been known to hike many miles to find petroglyphs and have come close to dehydration a few times trying to find the more elusive ones. These were conveniently located on a well worn path, with signs pointing the way. It's a miracle they were as intact as they were; we've seen some sites that have been destroyed by people trying to steal them, touching them (skin oils destroy them), making rubbings (which slowly wear them off), and even spray painting over them with their own "witty" sayings. I think perhaps the miles of rough road and the hike itself keep most people from going out there.

If you find yourself in the area, it's definitely worth the side trip. A nice place to get out, stretch your legs and wear off the "bumpy road butt" that builds after a few hours of off-road travel. It was especially nice, considering what lay ahead; we were about thirty miles of rough road away from our next destination: Twin Point.

A rainbow forms after a thunderstorm, on Grand Canyon National Park's Toroweap Plateau.

Grand Canyon's North Rim: Toroweap/Tuweep Area

"Where's Kevin?"

That's how our next adventure started--we lost Kevin.

Mark and I are used to going it alone; we aren't big on planning our adventures to the letter but prefer to have a vague destination in mind. This enables us to stop when we feel like it or stay longer if we find a really nice spot. A large part of this philosophy is based on laziness; making reservations is a pain in the neck sometimes. When traveling as a group certain adjustments need to be made, the first of which is: patience. Number Two? Keep track of your travel mates.

We were traveling with four other vehicles on a 270 mile journey to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, a plan that we had hatched with our Overland buddies a few months previous. Our goal was to reach the Toroweap/Tuweep area in Grand Canyon National Park, an overlook and campground 65 miles down a rough gravel road outside of Fredonia AZ. Ideally, we would all be camping together there, 3000 feet above the Colorado River.

But first we had to find Kevin.

Our friend Mel had lined us up that morning at Mormon Lake outside of Flagstaff; he would take the lead, Mark and I would be second in line with our CB radio, then two other vehicles would be between us and Kevin, who also had a CB. The plan was we would keep an eye on Mel, and Kevin would keep an eye on the two between; we would communicate backwards any important info and Kevin could keep us updated on any problems from the rear. What we didn't count on was traffic lights.

Flagstaff is full of traffic lights. It's also heavy with right angle turns and convoluted roads, mostly due to all the railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. To navigate from one side of Flagstaff to the other as a group requires a bit of finesse and a large quantity of green light luck.

The plan was to go into town, grab coffee and a pastry and head out the other side. After the first few traffic signals it was clear we were losing a vehicle after every major intersection. It was somewhat miraculous that four of us ended up at Macy's coffeehouse. Poor Kevin had missed the turn, and by the time we got ahold of him he was several miles out of town. This was when we found out our borrowed CB was only good within a two mile radius. And one of the trailers in the party needed grease before we could go any further.

After a few starts and stops looking for an open auto parts store, we were finally on our way. We found Kevin patiently waiting for us near the KOA about three miles out of town, finally completing our wagon train.

Mel up ahead on Highway 89A

The crew behind us. Yes, that's Kevin bringing up the rear (we managed not to lose him again.)

Grand Canyon National Park covers 1900 square miles, but it's far from square; it follows the contours of the Colorado River for 277 miles, making it a long park (with a big ditch down the middle.) Driving from Flagstaff to the north rim isn't a straight shot either; you have to drive up and around to the nearest bridge across the canyon at Lee's Ferry, then backtrack west.  If we had purchased a helicopter for the trip it would have only been 106 miles away (but we would have missed out on some spectacular scenery.)

We followed Highway 89, turning onto 89A to cross the dry scrub lands of the Kaibab plateau. We passed Highway 67 at Jacob's Lake--the road leading to the official North Rim part of the park--and headed to Fredonia, where we turned off on highway 389 towards Colorado City. Eight miles from Fredonia, we turned onto Mt. Trumbull Road. From here we left the pavement behind for the last 65 miles of the journey.

Judd Auto is a must stop before heading to Toroweap. Located in Fredonia AZ, it's the last stop for ice, gas, water and of course Lotto, guns, ammo and beer if you feel the need.

The website for Toroweap lists dire warnings about the road: unmaintained surfaces, high clearance required, no cell coverage, have good condition tires and matching good conditioned spare on hand.
Help (if you can manage to summon it) is miles and hours away so be prepared for an overnight stay if you get stuck.  While we would never ignore the warnings, we found the road to be in excellent condition, especially compared to many of the tooth-grinding washboard roads in the California deserts. Traveling with this group made any worries we may have had go by the wayside, as we probably had more air compressors, winch kits, hi-lift jacks, gasoline and water between us than a fleet of tow trucks.

Lined up and ready for our 65 mile journey to Toroweap.

The first sixty miles were easy: A wide gravel road traveling across a gently rolling plateau, up and over a set of hills, then descending into the wide Toroweap valley. The only unsettling thing we saw were a couple of large tractor-trailers hauling something mysterious with signs reading "Radioactive Materials Only" on their sides. We were glad they were traveling the other direction, but not sure exactly where they were coming from.

What sign in the west is complete without bullet holes? Someone must have stocked up at Judd's Auto. 

Through the bullet hole "Unimproved Road Surface"

We reached the park boundary and the "Greater Tuweep Metropolitan Area" (the ranger station) at about mile 60. From there, the road is a bit more challenging.


There is a parking area here for two wheel drive, low clearance vehicles that make the trek this far. From here, those unfortunate people either have to walk the hot and dusty last few miles, or hitch a ride with a high clearance friend. The road narrows to a single lane, and the going gets rocky and uneven. Taking it slow and getting out to survey the more boulder-strewn areas is the way to go here. I can imagine after a rainstorm it would have been a tire sucking slog; we saw a few places where deep grooves had been dug in the previously muddy parts of the road. The most technical part of the road was actually within the campground: a sharp drop off a rocky shelf had all of us assisting each other with picking the best route for the vehicle on the way down.

Mel guiding Shaun down the rock shelf, Tuweep campground

The Tuweep campground is on a first come/first served basis except for the group site (this is about to change in September. Read about it here) so we were worried we had driven all the way out just to find it full. We hadn't reserved the group site since we didn't know how many vehicles we would be camping with until the day before we left Overland. We were relieved to see only a few sites were taken.

There are rules. Follow them and everyone is happier.

After some shuffling back and forth, Volunteer Ranger Bob appeared and we talked him into letting us have the group site. No one was occupying it and he told us we could stay until someone showed up claiming to have reservations. (Apparently the reservation system books the site, but that information doesn't make it out to the ranger station.) We set up camp and held our breath every time we heard an engine in the distance, sure a group of reservation-wielding overlanders were on their way to take our spot. That didn't happen until the second night.

Setting up at the group site, Tuweep campground.

The Grand Canyon is truly an amazing sight. Like most people, we had first viewed it several years ago from the south rim, driving from overlook to overlook trying to make sense of the Hollywood backdrop-ness of the scenery. Even standing on the edge you get the feeling that this huge chasm just can't be real, that someone's clever 3-D effects are messing with your brain. Then you descend just a few hundred feet down a trail and realize, yes, this is very real and if I don't turn around soon I don't think I'll make it back up without medical support.

The rough road to Tuweep cuts out 99% of the potential visitors, and the length of the road cuts out another 0.5%. Since the campground only has 10 primitive campsites (no water, no electric, pit toilets) you can be pretty sure it won't be crawling with people once you get there. Our party more than doubled the occupancy of the place, for which we sincerely promised the two other campers there that we would be very quiet and respectful. After spending four days at Overland Expo in the company of 7,000 of our closest friends, we were relieved to sit and listen to the wind for a while.

The Tuweep area is covered with this potholed sandstone; in fact this surface made up most of the campground road, making it difficult to walk at night.

Mel found these tiny tracks in the dust on his back bumper in the morning.
Another reason to keep a clean camp.

We were tired from our long drive so after setting up camp we lazed about, had dinner and went to bed early, vowing to get up in the morning and walk to the overlook. (One thing to note about camping on the edge of the Grand Canyon: don't wander around without a flashlight. It's dark--really dark--and it would be very easy to take a misstep...say...over the edge of the Grand Canyon.)

The view from under a rock overhang in the campground. A great place to hang out to get out of the sun, wind and dust.

Waking up to this view out the camper window? Priceless.

The Toroweap Overlook is stunning. Most of the views from the South and North Rim areas of the park have a graduated cliff side--more like a very steep mountainside than a cliff--but Toroweap is as close to sheer as you get. The overlook parking area cracked us up; it's a gravel road that leads to a lone picnic table sitting under a forlorn little tree. It looks like a roadside pullout, except for the 3,000 foot drop immediately behind it. There are no guard rails, hand rails, warning signs: nothing. You are (refreshingly) on your own and I'd advise putting your pets, children, and unruly spouses on a short leash if you enjoy having them around.

The "parking lot" at Toroweap Overlook

The view to the east...

...and to the west.

Mark perched on the edge.

We all clambered down to the rock shelf on the edge and had the requisite photo taken, then stood for a while in silence admiring the view. The river looked so small down there, and we wondered if rafting season had started up yet. Just then, we spotted three little yellow dots; sure enough, they were rafts full of people. We had to use our strongest telephoto lens to catch them, and even then they were just slightly larger dots in the water. It's a long way down.

Group photo (From left: Mel, Andrew, Kevin, Kelly & Mark), Toroweap Overlook

That next step is a doozy.

Rafters down below

The best we could do with our telephoto lens.

There are a couple nice hiking trails out of the campground: the Saddle Horse Loop Trail has trailheads at both the campground and the overlook parking area as it circles through the high desert near the canyon, meandering through the sandstone and cactus (which was in bloom while we were there in May); the Tuckup Trail starts at the group camp and follows the canyon rim for 6 miles along an old two track road. There are multiple smaller canyons to explore and interesting rock formations to poke around, just be sure to watch for hidden cactus spines and sleeping snakes.

This gopher snake had just had a meal when we came across it near the overlook.
He got a bit grumpy as Mark tried to get his photograph.

Yucca in bloom, Saddle Horse Loop Trail

Cactus garden, Tuckup Trail

Yucca seed pods, Tuckup Trail

Many thanks to Mel, Andrew, Shaun & April and of course, Kevin for making the trip with us. You made us realize just how much more fun an adventure can be when you share it with really good people.

Check out Andrew's account of the trip on his blog: The Dusty Trail to Toroweap Point