by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
![]() | Grand CanyonTuweep/Toroweap |
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covered parks
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™
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