Need 5-7 day backpacking suggestion

A friend of mine wants to make a trip out of the Northeast in April and wants me to join her. I want to do some backpacking and she has agreed. We have about 6 full days, maybe even 7 days to work with, it will have to be early in April because that is her time off and I want it to be in the continental US. It also can't be anything that involves winter mountaineering as she doesn't have much winter experience and I don't want to be responsible for her safety. We are both fit and I would want to hike between 4-8 miles a day. A loop or a there and back trip are ideal as we'll only have 1 rental car.

I was thinking about doing a Rim to Rim to Rim hike of the Grand Canyon or a trip to Havasu Falls, both in Arizona, but am looking for other suggestions. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also we are trying to keep costs down to a minimum. Thank you in advance.

sli74

Sli,

Havasu Falls is spectacular, but could be done at a leisurely pace in 3 days.

Day 1 - Hike in and set up camp (8-10 miles).

Day 2 - Day hike from base camp to see four different water falls (6 miles).

Day 3 - Break camp and hike out (8-10) miles.

Don't quote me on the mileage, but I think it's close.

Mt. Humphrey's (Arizona's highest point) is also close by, near Flagstaff. I don't know what kind of conditions to expect in April though. That could be a nice side trip.

A hike to the the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back to the rim could fill another 3 days.

John

The Grand Canyon should be good, or perhaps Zion Nat. Park. April will perhaps see less people. I think somewhere in that area is good because typically you can always find cheap airfare to Las Vegas and it'll be warm.

Jay

Seema, very nice! I'd recommend someplace in Arizona, Nevada, or Utah, like Canyonlands. Even in May the higher peaks can still be covered in snow (Telescope Peak in Death Valley was all white at that time last year). I'd browse the books at the local outdoor store. Backpacker Magazine always seems to have dynamite suggestions. I'll watch for any likely trips.

Seema, 7 days is more than enough time to hike in to Havasu, explore the area, hike out, take a drive to Grand Canyon, hike from Rim to River, and hike out again. Just make sure you give yourself at least one full day, at LEAST, one full day to hang around Havasu!

If you have an extra day to kill and want to give your legs a rest, you can rent a kayak on the nearby Colorado, south of Hoover Dam. It's easy paddling, flat water, and very scenic. It's like a 10 mile trip, and the water is so clear you can see 30 feet to the bottom. Only convenient if you're flying into Vegas though.

--Mark

Wow, Thank you for all the GREAT suggestions everyone . . .

Mark, where did you rent the kayak? I don't know much about the area down there but we have the option of either Phoenix or Las Vegas as a place to fly into, the cost is about the same. The picture is absolutely amazing and I would love to do some kayaking, would that be a side trip to be done between Havasu and the Grand Canyon, or is it closer to Las Vegas? Thanks for any info you can provide me.

sli74

The place is called Willow Beach, it's on the Arizona side, and it's directly between Vegas and the Havasu area. There's a rental shop right in the park. Again, it's only a 10 mile or so paddle up to the dam, so it's not that far away from Vegas, you drive right by it if you're going to the Grand Canyon area. On the river, there's places with ladders and platforms along the sides, and little caves to paddle into. Mountain goats just kind of chill out and drink from the river. I had a great time. And in September at least, the water was so clear, you could see the BIGGEST fish swimming around! Seriously, 24 inches wasn't out of the ordinary!

Seema:

If you want to backpack in the Grand Canyon you will need to apply for a backcountry permit. Permits are granted on a first come, first served basis, and you can apply for one five months in advance. So, if you are planning on April - apply now. Be prepared to be turned down, however, depending on where you plan on hiking. If you are turned down, and you want to take a chance, you can put your name on a waiting list for cancellations at the Backcountry Information Center at the park - but you have to do so in person. More information about backcountry permits, etc., can be found here: http://www.nps.gov/grca/backcountry/

Good luck - I'll be hiking the Canyon in May - can't wait!!!

Hi Seema,

You have a lot of good options that have been posted. I'd like to add Sedona, AZ to your list of options. I've day-hiked in the Secret Canyon Wilderness and Oak Creek Canyon and have been wanting to backpack in that area for years. You can search the web (i.e. hiking in Sedona) for tons of information. (My avatar is from a hike in Sedona).

I've also hiked at the Grand Canyon. April is a great time of year, just remember that the temp at the rim will still be chilly. But you'll be shedding layers as you descend into the canyon. I think permits are required for overnight stays in the canyon, but I've only done dayhikes - - - down and back up the same day. This option as I hiked is not highly recommended, but is good if you only have a day.

Someone mentioned Humphrey's Peak. I haven't hiked it yet, but it looks amazing. You can easily see this peak from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (60 or 70 miles away). In April, the snow will still be there, but I'm not sure how much or if it affects the climb.

The kayaking suggestions sounds like a great one. Thanks, Mark, for the info. I definitely need to do that next time I'm out there.


Rob

I've done a week long trip in Canyonlands in March, but April is probably even a better time since there are some March snowstorms than can really mess things up. The terrain is in stark contrast with New Enlgand.

Canyonlands

We started in Moab, UT, did some dayhikes in Arches National Park, then entered the park in the Needles area. It's easy to plan a week long trip or a shorter one and still see amazing variety. The Island in the Sky area of the park would also be a great choice.

-dave-

I would second the suggestion for the Havasu trip -- that was the one thing I was disappointed we didn't have time for when we did our Grand Canyon trip. If I ever head back that way, that would be the first thing on my list.

I'd also recommend visiting Sedona and hiking up on some of the Red Rocks -- it's absolutely gorgeous and a good warm-up for Humphrey's Peak, if you're highpointing. Humphrey's isn't difficult a hike unless the altitude affects you, though I'm not sure if the snow will be melted in April.

I'm sure you'll have a great time and fall in love with the west... it's just gorgeous out there.

- ivy

As another alternative, you might want to consider Big Bend National Park on the West Tx / Mexico border. One of my favorite places in the world. Dry, barren, and stunning. You can do a three day loop in the Basin area looping around the South Rim trail and up Emory Peak, with views for 100's of miles in all directions. The landscape is like nothing I've seen before. For a longer trip, you can hike along the canyon or several other areas. Very few crowds, great scenery. The only downside is that you have to do water drops for longer hikes - no water sources in the backcountry.

My 2 cents, anyway. You certainly can't go wrong with the previous suggestions, either! Enjoy.

Seema, you've hiked with me so you know my pace.

I hiked South Kaibab trail in October (3 years ago). It took me 5 hours from the rim to the bottom of the Canyon. I tented 2 nights and it took 8 hours to hike back to the rim.

Phantom Ranch is located at the bottom of the Canyon. They serve breakfast and dinner. You'll need to call now to see if there is room.

We did need backpacking permits.

It's spectacular out there. Sounds like a great trip.

We won't be staying at the Lodges because I am trying to skimp on money so we will be camping. Right now I am looking into 3 days/2 nights in the Inner Canyon and 3 days/2 nights at the Campground near Havasu Falls. The extra day we might spend kayaking Black Canyon or climbing Humphrey near Flagstaff. I am also considering that I might stay on for an extra week after my friend leaves but that will depend on my finances. I am going to look into the Canyonlands because that looks like an interesting option as well. In any case, it will be VERY different from what I am used to hiking in the Northeast. A couple of years ago I did a 3 day trip in the Oholone Wilderness in California and that was a strange feeling being in such a different landscape and that isn't as drastic a difference compared to Arizona, Utah, NM, etc . . .

I am pretty excited now, I hope she doesn't back out . . .

sli74

I need some help too

Hey i am kinda doin a similar deal. I have a week to 10 days to kill basically anywhere in the US (this was "dropped" on me recently and so hence my tardiness in planning). Being a college student hiking and camping is my method of choice. It is in the second week of March and so i am worried about weather conditions and such as my gear is spring/fall/summer. So any other ideas out there and or if a similar trip such as the above one are still an option at this time of year? Also the permit deal is that all the national parks in the area? And if you have other ideas feel free to drop em i can literaly go anywhere. Thanks ben

Hey Ben,

This is actually an old thread from January of last year but kinda neat to respond to my own post with suggestions. I did end up going out West for a 2 week trip in April and then 2 months during the summer so I have lots of suggestions for you if you tell me what kind of hiking you are looking to do. Multiple days backpacking, day hikes, canyon environment or mountain type hiking.

I hiked the Grand Canyon, Paria River Canyon, Bryce, Zion, and many mountains in CO, NM, TX, CA, UT, etc . . .

Give us a couple of details as to your hiking ability and what you feel like doing and there will be a lot of suggestions.

sli74

thanks for the help

Hey thanks a bunch. Yeh i noticed it was old but it had a lot of relivant info so i figured i would give it a go.

So lets see I have 7-10 days. I would like to do it more backpacking and so would take all food with me. I have done a bit of hiking in the whites (over here in our neck of the woods). I also backpacked around europe last summer. However i have not done as long as 7-10 days without hitting a drop point (most has been 5 days). I will be alone which is slightly concerning if it is gonna be harsher weather. My issues are getting from airport to hiking area cause i dont think i can rent a car (it's 25 right? and i am 22). So if there are buses/trains to a nice area that i could start that would be sweet. I loved europe in every way except tourists so i would like to stay away from a touristy area (i know i am asking for a lot; no tourists with a bus stop). I would definatly like to do a base camp and a side hike for a day or two, but the transportation again i couldnt really travel to some other location (easily anyway). Also so the permits yeh cause i have to book the tix asap i dont wanna book it and then get rejected and have a tix to somewhere i cannot camp, so would there be alternatives? Wow i hope some of this was disernable. Thanks for any help. Ben

Unfortunately, I won't be of much help in the public transportation issue as I was well over 25 when I traveled in April and rented a car, and had my own car during the 2 month trip. But will give you suggestions you can check out on the internet.

I know that there is transportation from Phoenix to Flagstaff and tourist buses from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. So that makes the Grand Canyon an option for you. And also you could probably find a way to get to the Snowbowl in Flagstaff for a hike up Humphrey's Peak. You also might be able to get a shuttle set up to the Paria River Canyon though it might be kinda expensive from Flagstaff as our shuttle was set up for Paria River starting at Lee's Ferry but for what it is worth I used Betty Price and it cost $45 from Lee's Ferry to the start of the trailhead at Whitehouse in Utah. She might be willing to pick you up from Flagstaff for a greater cost. A couple of websites I used to plan my trip are below. A search on the internet will yield MANY more results so give that a try
http://www.climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm
http://www.utahwild.com/desert_canyon/paria_canyon.shtml

Also the website for Paria River permits is below.
https://www.az.blm.gov/paria/checklist.cfm

The website for the Grand Canyon is
http://www.nps.gov/grca/backcountry/

But these permits are gonna be harder to get since the start date for reservations is 4 months prior to the trip and that date has already come and gone for your time frame making permit availability tough.

Finally for trips from Falgstaff you can spend nights in town at the Hostels that are GREAT and cheap and will help you find and set up shuttles. The websites for hostels is

http://www.hostels.com/us.az.fl.html

I stayed at Dubeau and LOVED it !!!

I can give you lots of great ideas for Zion and Bryce as well but the transportation might be a tougher thing. Let me know if you are interested in those ideas also.

The John Muir Trail in the Sierra

Humphrey's in April

Someone mentioned Humphrey's Peak. I haven't hiked it yet, but it looks amazing. You can easily see this peak from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (60 or 70 miles away). In April, the snow will still be there, but I'm not sure how much or if it affects the climb.

Click to expand...

Seema, I Hiked it in mid-April, bring the snowshoes! We made the summit but it would've been much easier with flotation and traction. Well worth a side trip, stunning area.