Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Grand Canyon National Park Tuweep At 3,000 vertical feet (880 m) above the Colorado River, the sheer drop from Toroweap Overlook offers a dramatic view. The volcanic cinder cones and lava flows in this ancestral home of the Southern Paiute people make this area unique. A visit to Tuweep provides an opportunity for an uncrowded, rustic, and remote experience. Access is challenging and demands skill at negotiating difficult roadways. Services are non-existent: there is no water, gas, food, lodging, or phone service. Need to Know Prohibited • High clearance vehicles required • Day use area: open sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset • Camping requires reservation permit; permitted campers must arrive by sunset • Vehicle numbers limited; carpool • Pets must be leashed; restricted to open roads and campground • Pack out all trash; there is no water • Vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 22 feet (6.7 meters) are prohibited—this is the total length from end to end, including anything towed • Off-road vehicles, ATVs, side-by-sides, and dirt bikes not displaying highway license plates are illegal; stickers and non-highway plates not valid; proof of highway insurance required • Fires and charcoal grills prohibited • No hunting or collecting Directions and Access Bring tire plugs and a portable air compressor to repair flat tires. Ensure you have enough fuel, full size spare tire, jack/lift, and owner’s manual. Tow service costs $1,000–2,000 and assistance is not guaranteed. Carry extra water, food, and warm clothing in case of emergency. Access the three main routes to Tuweep from AZ 389 between Fredonia, Arizona, and St. George, Utah. Allow two to three hours driving time. Bring the BLM Arizona Strip Visitor Map, and do not rely solely on your GPS unit. Muddy conditions exist during summer monsoons and from winter precipitation. Sunshine Route: County Road #109, the most reliable route, leaves AZ 389 eight miles (13 km) west of Fredonia or six miles (10 km) east of Pipe Spring National Monument. This 61-mile (98 km) road features sharp rocks, washboarding, and dust. Please do not stop on tribal land when traveling this route. Clayhole Route: County Road #5 leaves AZ 389 at Colorado City, Arizona. It is 56 miles (90 km) long and impassable when wet. Main Street Route: BLM Road #1069 and County Road #5 from St. George is 90 miles (145 km) long. This scenic route is impassable in winter due to snow and mud. Tuweep Airstrip: Closed. The stunning view from Toroweap Overlook can only be reached by negotiating difficult roads. © MIKE MCTEER Vehicles have become stuck for several days (top). Conditions require a high clearance vehicle (bottom). © MARJORIE CASSE (top); NPS (bottom) Camping and Overnight Use Permits are required for camping and overnight use at Tuweep Campground and in all backcountry use areas. To obtain a permit, visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/ tuweep.htm. Permits cannot be issued at Tuweep. Camping is prohibited on the land adjacent to the park and at the airstrip. Tuweep Campground: There are nine small, group campsites for one to six people with a maximum of two vehicles, including motorcycles, and one large, group campsite for 7–11 people with a maximum of four vehicles, including motorcycles. • Campers must arrive by sunset • Fires and charcoal grills prohibited; fossil fuel stoves allowed • Picnic tables and composting toilets provided; no water available Tuweep Hiking Trails • Vehicles and vehicle combinations longer than 22 feet (6.7 meters) are prohibited—this is the total length from end to end, including anything towed • Store all food and garbage in a vehicle; pack out all trash • Seven night limit; affiliated groups are limited to one campsite • Horses and mules prohibited Tuweep’s hiking trails are marked with cairns (piles of rocks). Shade is scarce and water non-existent. Walk only on trails, roads, and washes. Each footstep off trail may destroy fragile biological soil crusts and damage native plants. All trails are closed to pets, bicycles, and vehicles. Tuckup Trail: Experience Tuweep’s unique geology on this six-mile (10 km) roundtrip trail. There are two access points: the first is signed before arriving at Tuweep Campground and the second leaves from campsite 10. Saddle Horse Loop Trail: This 45-minute loop offers spectacular views of the Colorado River. Access the trail along the road between Toroweap Overlook and Tuweep Campground or from a trailhead near campsite 5. Trail to Access the Colorado River Whitmore Trail: Located at Whitmore Overlook, a 3-hour drive west of Tuweep, this moderate fourmile (6.5 km) roundtrip trail takes you down to the Colorado River. Access Whitmore Overlook from the Main Street Route; high clearance required. Information http://www.nps.gov/grca/ planyourvisit/tuweep.htm EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™ printed on 100% recycled paper 0417