Spectacular Little Colorado Gorge Return: Backpacking Beautiful Grand Canyon

Little Colorado Confluence: Backpacking Grand Canyon National Park – Day 3, Part 3

Disclaimer: backpacking to the Little Colorado Gorge and Confluence is an advanced route that should only be attempted by experienced canyon hikers between October and April. Those who have not hiked in the canyon before should look at hiking on the Corridor trails. Doing these as an overnight is a good intro option instead of the strenuous Beamer Trail. Please also refer to the Hike Smart material from the park to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the conditions you will encounter on your selected hiking trail at Grand Canyon National Park. You can find day 1-2 of my hike here and the first part of day 3 here.)

Read on for inspiration for what awaits you at this Arizona gem with preparation nonetheless!

Lower Little Colorado Gorge: Grand Canyon National Park Boundary-Beamer Cabin Return

From the park boundary, I retrace my steps down the Little Colorado Gorge. As was the case on the outbound journey, the eroded spires of rock that comprise the canyon walls glow gold in the sunlight and reflect in the calmer stretches of the river. The color only deeps as the day progresses. I follow the gorge back toward the Confluence itself, soaking in the milky blue color of the river.

Back at the confluence, I follow an established trail, perhaps a game trail, and make my way out onto the island at the mouth. Here the Little Colorado joins the Colorado and you can watch the waters flow together. Much like the Paria River confluence upstream, the merge is not instantaneous. The color of the Little Colorado is preserved for a distance as the Colorado wraps around the island, with the two rivers flowing almost beside each other in the same channel for a stretch. As the Colorado resumes its southward flow on the west side of the island, the merge is roughly completed and the green color dominates throughout again.

Camping is not permitted within 0.5 miles of the Confluence. Most people use a small sandbar a bit south of the confluence. I opt to go a little up the LCR gorge instead and find a shelf with a rock overhang that might trap some heat, as I’m expecting another cold night. On the way, I stop to check out the interior of the Beamer Cabin that I passed earlier. There’s a fully intact shelf on the wall, and it’s fascinating to see just how the stones fit together to form the walls of the cabin.

As night falls, I hold out some hope for additional meteors, but it seems again that the first night held the highlight in this regard. The walls of the gorge do provide some incredible framing for one of the darkest skies in the lower 48, though. It adds yet another dimension to the Confluence experience that one might not initially think of or expect.