RRFW Riverwire – Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry Update

RRFW Riverwire – Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry Update 

January 13, 2024

River Runners for Wilderness presents this report of river conditions and updates for those river trips traveling below Diamond Creek in Grand Canyon National Park. This update covers the Colorado River from Diamond Creek at river mile 226 to the Pearce Ferry Ramp at river mile 280. There have been a number of changes brought about by the High Flow Experiment conducted in April 2023, then flows throughout the entire summer near 18,000 cfs. 

Campsite Update January 13, 2024

226.2 Mile Right is the first large campsite below Diamond Creek and is at the foot of Diamond Creek Rapid in Grand Canyon National Park. The pull-in must be made by running the right side of Diamond Creek Rapid. The pull-in eddy is easy to miss. 

229.4 Mile Right is a nice small camp just across from Travertine Canyon and is in Grand Canyon National Park. 

230.7 Mile Left is small camp at Travertine Falls and is hard to see until you are right on it. Stay close to the left shore to not miss the pull-in. You will need a Hualapai Nation camping permit to camp here.

235.3 Mile Left at Bridge Canyon is campable for a small group with a Hualapai Nation camping permit.

238.7 Mile Left at Bridge City is campable with a small group and a Hualapai Nation camping permit.

239.8 Mile Right at Separation Canyon is in Grand Canyon National Park. This is a large camp on the gravel outwash of Separation Canyon and is not a good place to camp during monsoon season.

242.6 Mile Right is in Grand Canyon National Park. This small debris fan camp is susceptible to flash flooding during monsoon season. 

243.0 Mile Right is a large camp and is on river right and in Grand Canyon National Park.

243.1 Mile Right is a medium sized camp on river right in Grand Canyon National Park.

246.2 Mile Left is a large camp at the mouth of Spencer Canyon and requires a Hualapai Nation camping permit. 

247.6 Mile Left is a large debris fan camp on cobble. Camping here requires a Hualapai Nation camping permit. 

248.7 Mile Right at Surprise Canyon Camp has recently changed. The large sized cobble beach is campable at low flows below 11,000 cfs but is under water at 18,000 cfs. At higher water, this camp requires a hike up a very steep sediment bank to a small camping area. The camp is in Grand Canyon National Park. 

249.0 Mile Island Camp ¼ mile below Surprise Canyon was completely removed by last summer’s flows. A low water camp has formed on river right here and is in Grand Canyon National Park.

250.0 Mile Right is a small sized camp on river right on cobble outwash and it is in Grand Canyon National Park.

251.1 Mile Right is now a small debris fan cobble camp and is in Grand Canyon National Park. 

252.1 Mile Left is a small debris fan cobble camp that requires a Hualapai Nation camping permit. 

253.9 Mile Right is a medium cobble and sand camp and is in Grand Canyon National Park. 

259.8 Mile Right is a vegetated sand flat that could be a good medium sized camp with some brush clearing. This camp is located in Grand Canyon National Park.

260.2 Mile Left is a large low water camp just below the mouth of Quartermaster Canyon. This camp requires a Hualapai Nation camping permit.

263.5 Mile Right is a small ledge camp located in Grand Canyon National Park.

264.8 Mile Right has a gumbo mud pull-in at shore and is up a steep hillside. This camp is located in Grand Canyon National Park.

265.5 Mile Right is a small grass covered ledge camp located in Grand Canyon National Park.

265.6 Island camp has a very small area campable at low water at its downstream end. 

269.9 Mile Right is a small to medium sized camp at a sidecanyon outwash on river right in Grand Canyon National Park. This camp is not recommended in monsoon season.

274.0 Mile Left is gone. Yup, this nice camp has completely eroded back to the angle of repose slope up to a very high bench. 

275.1 Mile Left offers some ledges for a small group. This camp is located in Grand Canyon National Park.

277.5 Mile Right offers a series of small ledges and needs some work. This camp is located in Grand Canyon National Park.

279.5 Mile Left continues to move downstream as the upper end cutbank moves downstream. There is a large midlevel bench but the pull-in is difficult. You may need to do some shovel work to make a ramp from the river up to the bench. 

National Park Service rangers note that no camping is allowed at the Pearce Ferry ramp and take-out areas.

There is a strong flow of current all the way to Pearce Ferry at this time.

Diamond Creek

The Hualapai Diamond Creek road access fee is $60 per person for river runners, shuttle drivers, and vehicles if you pay the day you launch. This fee applies whether arriving or departing from Diamond Creek. A Hualapai Tribal tax of 7% is added to this fee, for a total of $64.25 per person/driver/vehicle. This fee is decreased to $55 plus tax if you pay in advance by credit card. If paying by credit card for a launch or take-out at Diamond Creek, you will need your trips National Park Service permit number. For additional information contact the Hualapai Tribe Game and Fish Department at 928-769-6050 or 928-769-6043.

The Hualapai Nation does not allow vehicles to be parked at the Diamond Creek ramp overnight and strongly requests that river runners schedule their Diamond Creek put-ins and take-outs before 7 AM or after 10 AM. Between 7 AM to 10 AM Hualapai River Runners are launching day-trips. Pulling into the boat rigging-derigging area during the time, between 7 AM and 10 AM, even if waived in by people standing on the ramp, is not recommended.

The Hualapai Nation sells camping permits for river runners who would like to camp on river left on tribal lands. This includes Diamond Creek. The camping fee is $108.50 per person and is good for multiple nights camping at all the camps on the Colorado River that are on Tribal land. Hualapai Tribe lands extend from River Mile 165.2 all the way to River Mile 273.9 upstream of Columbine Falls. For additional information contact the Hualapai Tribe Game and Fish Department at 928-769-6050 or 928-769-6043.

River runners who are not taking out or exchanging passengers should note that if they stop at Diamond Creek and use the shade structure, they may be charged a camping fee. The trash cans at Diamons Creek are not for river trip trash. Pack your trash out. 

Summer monsoon rains, typically in July through September, may cause damage to the Diamond Creek road between Peach Springs, AZ, and the Diamond Creek launch ramp. This twenty six mile dirt road is subject to closure during these rainstorms. Road crew maintenance workers from the Hualapai Nation diligently work to keep this road open during summer monsoon season. In the winter, there may be deep snow in Peach Springs at the start of the Diamond Creek road, and chains or four wheel drive vehicles are advised. For additional information on road conditions, contact the Hualapai Tribe River Running office at (928) 769-2219.

Night Floats

The NPS is still suggesting river runners avoid night floats due to the existence of rapids, floating docks in the 262-263 mile area, the potential for collision risk with other watercraft and/or submerged trees.

All night float trips, as per US Coast Guard regulations, must have a person on watch with a lantern or flashlight ready to warn oncoming boats. Any boats with a motor running at night (only four stroke motors allowed), whether tied together as a single craft or running as separate craft, must have navigation lights displayed red/green on the front and a white 360 degree light at the stern (back of the boat visible 360 degrees).

Two floating docks between 262 Mile and 263 Mile on river left pose a serious navigational hazard to river runners on night floats.

Rapids and Other Hazards

232 Mile (Killer Fang Falls) should be scouted on river right. The run is a right to left ferry across strong current that wants to push watercraft toward the right sided fang. A far left run close to the left shore is also an option and can be scouted on river left. At higher flows of 15,000 cfs and above, this rapid washes out.

234 Mile Rapid is entered on the far right. At higher flows of 12,000 cfs and above, the hole at the bottom of the rapid is washed out.

Gneiss Canyon Rapid at 236 mile has a large debris fan blocking the right side of the river, with a large hydraulic hole against the left cliff. Pulling in to stop at the potential campsite on river right is very difficult and is not recommended at this time. 

Large amounts of side canyon debris have washed into the river channel at both Separation and Spencer Canyon. The Separation and Spencer Canyon Rapids are a Class I on the I-V scale.

Down-cutting of the section of the river between Separation Rapid and Lava Cliff Rapid at Spencer Canyon is occurring very slowly, if at all. This is due to a lack of significant flushing flows of 100,000 cubic feet per second or more to remove over 50 years accumulation of large and small boulders and gravel from numerous side drainages in this area of the Canyon.

Pearce Ferry Rapid, just below the Pearce Ferry take-out, is a solid Class V rapid at this time. This rapid may be scouted following a trail for ½ mile that leads west from the Pearce Ferry takeout lower parking lot. A very difficult portage is possible on river right. 

Pearce Ferry Takeout Information

The Pearce Ferry take out ramp is operational, with mud/dirt take out areas either side of a middle concrete ramp and metal plate ramp also covered with mud/dirt. The concrete ramp is for removing watercraft by trailer.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is still not allowing river runners to launch at Pearce Ferry Ramp for the day run to South Cove due to the challenging nature of Pearce Ferry Rapid. River runners arriving from Diamond Creek or Lee’s Ferry are allowed to proceed if they wish. An inspection of Pearce Ferry Rapid is highly advisable. A portage of this rapid will require a very difficult portage of 150 yards on river right.

River runners are asked by the National Park Service to be patient and understanding in the de-rig area at Pearce Ferry as public rafters, Hualapai, and river concessions rafters are all taking out in the same area after April 1.

River runners are encouraged to maintain as small a take-out footprint as possible, and to de-rig as quickly as possible. Early morning take-outs are recommended in the high use seasons of late spring, summer and early fall, to beat the heat and crowds. Daytime temperatures in the heat of summer can reach 120 degrees.

The Mead View SCAT (toilet wash out) machine is in operation during the summer. Please note that during the summer months, there is only recycled non-potable water available for cleanup purposes at this location. The NPS notes it is illegal to leave unattended toilet cans at the Mead View Scat machine.

Jet Boat Operations

Commercial jet boat operations occur most days in the summer along the forty miles from Pearce Ferry Ramp to Separation Canyon. Shallow sandbars in the river between 253 Mile and 274 Mile require the jet boats to make sudden changes in navigation. As a reminder, jet boats will not slow down for muscle powered watercraft, and their wake is substantial.

Other Information

The riverside silt banks on both sides of the river channel now reach heights of 60 feet. These banks regularly tumble down into the river in spectacular clouds of dust at unpredictable times. River runners are encouraged not to float close to the sides of the river channel where tall silt banks are present.

Helicopter and tour boat activity continues to increase year-round near Quartermaster Canyon. An operational fleet of eleven to twelve hard hull motorboats operate out of two floating docks between 262 Mile and 263 Mile. A new two and a half hour extended boat tour leaves the dock area twice a day and travels downstream to view the Skywalk at mile 265.5 and then travels back to the docks. 

These boats conduct boat trips for helicopter passengers from Grand Canyon West and Las Vegas. These boats ply this section of river daily, with intense helicopter activity in this area sunrise to sunset. Expect over 60 helicopters per hour to be present on busy days between dawn and dusk. 

During the summer season, day trip Hualapai River Runner pontoon boats leave Diamond Creek before 10:00 a.m. and travel almost 40 miles to arrive at the floating docks at 262-264 Mile around three o’clock in the afternoon. These pontoon boats will disembark their passengers at the floating docks and continue on with crew only to the Pearce Ferry Ramp.

For river runners traveling east, the Stockton Hill Road is paved all the way to Kingman. The turnoff for the Stockton Hill Road is a quarter mile south of the dirt and washboard Antares Road to Antares on Highway 66.