BauerPowerPhotographs: Toroweap Overlook on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

The Toroweap Overlook area of Grand Canyon National Park is one of the least visited areas of the park. The Toroweap area is one place that does not charge either an entrance fee or a camping fee.

To get there you must drive on a gravel road for 60 miles after leaving pavement. The best maintained road to Toroweap leaves Arizona Highway 389 about 5 miles west of Fredonia, Arizona. The road is suitable even for sedans who will go slow in dry weather. In wet weather there are portions that will cause even a 4WD vehicle to slip and slide. The road meanders generally southwest to the park entrance. The road gets rocky and very slow once inside the park.

There are a few campsites in the Toroweap area. The campsites have a fire ring and a picnic table. There are composting toilets available. There used to be two marvelously located campsites almost literally on the canyon edge. Those have been converted to day-use-only sites. There are no other services at Toroweap. Make sure your tanks are full of gas and you carry sufficient water and food for your trip.

Be warned that there are no guardrails along the canyon edge. One miss-step and you will be making a 3500 foot plunge.

When you are at Toroweap you are about halfway down the geologic column that you encounter at both the North Rim Lodge or the South Rim Visitor Center area. When you are standing on the edge of the canyon at Toroweap and look back to the north, the top of the hills you see are where you would be standing if you were at the South Rim.

The main reason folks come to Toroweap, is the stomach-tingling view over the edge. The only time I have looked directly down is when I crawled on my belly to the edge and stuck my head over. It's a dizzying look. Several tourists have lost their lives by falling over the edge.

The Colorado River, one of the most important waterways in the United States, is cutting its way through theses rocks. Where rock falls into the canyon, rapids are formed. If you listen carefully, you can hear the rushing water.

Fire has also played an important role in the development of the Grand Canyon. Lava flows have blocked the canyon several times. Lakes were formed which stretched back up the canyon from the dam. Once the dame was over-topped by the lake, the water wore away the dam. You can see evidence of the dams just downstream from Toroweap. Look at the dark rocks on the far side of the canyon in the next photo. Those are lava flows.

Many of the lava flows come from a volcanic cone called Vulcan's Throne on the north side of the river.

The area between the Colorado River and the Arizona-Utah state line is called the Arizona Strip. The Strip was originally settled by Mormon pioneers. It is one of the largest areas in the country without paved roads. It is a great place to explore and get away from other people. Here are some photos of the Arizona Strip.