Grand Falls, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Grand Falls is a natural waterfall system located 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona
in the Painted Desert
on the Navajo Indian Reservation. At 185 feet tall, it is taller than Niagara Falls
. It dumps snow melt or monsoon rain into the Little Colorado River
below. It is famous for its extremely muddy flow which is a major contributor to Little Colorado River opacity. It is said that the waterfalls are analogous to flowing chocolate depending on the amount of water present. Heavy rains or snow melt will produce spectacular viewing, photography and sound whereas the scarcity of water will produce only trickles or no flow at all.
Grand Falls was formed when lava from nearby Merriam Crater flowed in to the Little Colorado River creating a lava dam. The river was forced to reroute itself around the dam and Grand falls formed where the reroute rejoins its original course.
The waterfall is remote and no major paved roads access it. In fact the closest road, Grand Falls Road, crosses the floor of the Little Colorado River since at times during the year, a 4 x 4 vehicle can traverse it - the falls are dormant for months of the year and reduces to only a drip. To access the falls a passenger car can reach the south side of the river. A 4 x 4 vehicle is required and only Navajo guides or experienced back country people are advised to take the road across the river.
Admission is free but the site and the roads to it are located in the Navajo Nation so leaving the roads or trails is against Navajo Law. Picnic benches are provided at the viewpoint. The trail is one-half mile long and easy.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
in the Painted Desert
Painted Desert
Painted Desert may refer to:In places:* Painted Desert, Arizona, an area of badlands in the southwestern United States* Painted Desert , a mountainous area in south-central Australia...
on the Navajo Indian Reservation. At 185 feet tall, it is taller than Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. It dumps snow melt or monsoon rain into the Little Colorado River
Little Colorado River
The Little Colorado River is a river in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico...
below. It is famous for its extremely muddy flow which is a major contributor to Little Colorado River opacity. It is said that the waterfalls are analogous to flowing chocolate depending on the amount of water present. Heavy rains or snow melt will produce spectacular viewing, photography and sound whereas the scarcity of water will produce only trickles or no flow at all.
Grand Falls was formed when lava from nearby Merriam Crater flowed in to the Little Colorado River creating a lava dam. The river was forced to reroute itself around the dam and Grand falls formed where the reroute rejoins its original course.
The waterfall is remote and no major paved roads access it. In fact the closest road, Grand Falls Road, crosses the floor of the Little Colorado River since at times during the year, a 4 x 4 vehicle can traverse it - the falls are dormant for months of the year and reduces to only a drip. To access the falls a passenger car can reach the south side of the river. A 4 x 4 vehicle is required and only Navajo guides or experienced back country people are advised to take the road across the river.
Admission is free but the site and the roads to it are located in the Navajo Nation so leaving the roads or trails is against Navajo Law. Picnic benches are provided at the viewpoint. The trail is one-half mile long and easy.