Grand Canyon Expedition

Difficulty	Expert
Miles	450+
Time	5-6 days
Land	BLM, NPS, AZTL
Elevation	1300-7000 Ft.

Route Description

Get your rig ready and make sure you’re prepared for this 400 mile plus journey to the most beautiful overlooks of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. You will travel through Arizona’s deepest sandstone canyons as you make your way to the Granet Gorge.

This collection consists of maintained county roads and highly technical 4×4 trails. You will find several sections that require technical driving skills and recovery equipment. Vehicle failure is possible on these routes and could be devastating. A vehicle recovery could take 4 days or more, so be prepared for anything.

There are over 1,500 miles of trails in this collection that provide many route options. These routes are not maintained, and there are no services for hundreds of miles. You will need to pack in a full tank of extra fuel for each vehicle plus enough supplies for a minimum of 5 days. Do not underestimate this area. Climbing in and out of deep canyons will use more fuel than anticipated.

Download

This download consists of GEOJson, GPX, and KML files.

Destinations

There are endless opportunities for adventure along these routes. Nearly a hundred old ranches lay scattered throughout the Parashant National Mount, along with several other relics of the pioneer days.

There are four National Parks in this collection. The only area requiring a fee is the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The Gold Butte National Monument and the Parashant National Monument do not require an entrance fee.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park is accessible from Mollies Nipple. However, you will need to hike approximately 2 miles to visit the Mollies Nipple overlook.

Requirements

This collection consists of about 1,500 miles of dirt roads. The shortest distance required is 400 miles of dirt. This route will require a minimum of 4 days to complete but can take up to 5 or 6 days, depending on the destination. Requires expert driving, route finding, and problem-solving skills. You will find boulders 12 inches in diameter or more on some sections.

Trail Write-ups

Parashant 1 day 1
Parashant 1 day 2
Parashant 2
Parashant 3 is coming soon!
Also, visit the Parashant National Park website to read more about road conditions.

Important information

A $25 entrance fee is required to visit the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Visit the National Park website to learn more.

DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK! There is no gate and only signs to indicate the National Park boundary on your way to Mollies Nipple overlook. You must park at the boundary and hike the last 2 miles to the overlook. No fee is required to hike into the Grand Canyon National Park.

Hi ranger Todd!

There is no cell phone service anywhere along these trails. Cell phone service is currently only available at the canyon overlooks if you use the Verizon network.

Author: Kevin Allard

Kevin is an American outdoorsman born and raised in rural Arizona who grew up exploring the Arizona backcountry with his father. Today, he and his son travel to the most remote regions of Arizona, scavenging for the remains of early western pioneers. As a lifelong outdoorsman, Kevin has learned to stick close to his roots while engaging in important advocacy work regarding motorized access to public lands. You can find his work in many local and nationwide publications, including The Western Journal, 4Low Magazine, and his website AZBackroads.com.