In the spring, a thundering torrent of muddy brown water plunges 185 feet into
the canyon of the Little Colorado River about 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff. The
best time to see the spectacle is during March and April; in other months the river
may dry up and yield nothing but an unimpressive trickle. High-clearance vehicles
will be required for the dirt access roads, which should be avoided if muddy.
A lava flow from Merriam Crater, the large cinder cone 10 miles southwest, created
the falls about 100,000 years ago. The tongue of lava filled the canyon, forcing
the river out of its gorge, around the dam, and back over the rim into the original
channel.
Grand Falls lies on the southwest corner of the Navajo
Indian Reservation. From Flagstaff, take US 89 north 1.8 miles past Flagstaff Mall,
turn right eight miles on the Camp Townsend-Winona Road, then turn left onto Leupp
Road. Follow Leupp Road northeast 13 miles, then turn north 10 miles on unpaved
Indian Route 70 or turn north 10 miles on unpaved Indian Route 6910 between Mileposts
5 and 6, seven miles farther east; the overlook is on a rocky road a half mile west
of the main road. (If you come to the Little Colorado River ford, you've gone 0.4
mile too far.) The AAA Indian Country map will help in navigation, as the
unpaved roads may not be signed. You'll see hues of the Painted Desert as the road
descends to the river.
Other approaches: I-40 Winona Exit
211 (14 miles east of Flagstaff)—drive two miles on the Townsend-Winona Road,
then turn right on Leupp Road to the Grand Falls turnoffs; I-40 Exit 245 (46 miles
east of Flagstaff)—take AZ 99 to Leupp, then Leupp Road to the Grand Falls
turnoffs. From Kykotsmovi, on the Hopi Indian Reservation, take paved Indian Route
2 southwest 49 miles to Leupp, then Leupp Road to the Grand Falls turnoffs.
The overlook has picnic tables; admission is free, though the Navajo Tribe asks
you to help keep the area clean and leash your dogs so they won't disturb livestock.
Also, don't go out in the streambed—mud makes the rocks very slippery and
the strong currents have carried people over the falls to their deaths.