What) The View from Toroweap Overlook, 3000 vertical feet above the Colorado River, is breathtaking; the sheer drop, dramatic! Equally impressive are the volcanic features, cinder cones and lava flows, which make this viewpoint unique in Grand Canyon National Park. Renowned Lava Falls Rapid is just downriver and can easily be seen and heard from the overlook.

    A visit to this area can be challenging, but rewarding. Since the National Park Service manages the area for its primitive values, improvements and services are minimal. All routes are secondary county roads, graded occasionally and generally in good condition. The last three miles across the slickrock are the roughest. Allow 2-3 hours travel time from the highway to the overlook. RVs, trailers, or low-clearance vehicles are not recommended. All routes may be impassable after heavy rains and are subject to flash flooding. Tire damage from sharp rocks is common. Dangerous curves are often unmarked, and posted mileages may be inaccurate. Since there are few, if any, year-round residents, assistance is not guaranteed on any route. Cell phone service is unreliable.  For these reasons, no one should attempt the trip without ample preparation and knowledge of the hazards associated with remote desert travel. Travelers should carry extra WATER, FOOD, and GASOLINE; GOOD TIRES including at least one USABLE SPARE; and PARTS and TOOLS to handle vehicle and tire repairs. (1)

    Why) Pam and I split the approximately 6 hours we spent driving in and out of the area on the aptly described gravel roads.  Do you think it is a coincidence that we got our only flat tire when Pam was speeding down the road trying to minimize the roughness?

    What) The National Park Service manages this area for its primitive values. Improvements and services are minimal.  No gas, food, water, lodging, garbage collection or other services are provided. A National Park Service ranger is stationed here year-round, but may not always be available.  An emergency phone is located at the Tuweep Ranger Station. (2)

    Why) Over the past 12 years my sister has lived in such exotic locations as Edmonton, Montreal, Kelowna, New York and Seoul.  I had not visited her in any of those spots for a variety of reasons.  When I heard that she was living in such a strange place as the Tuweep Ranger Station at a time when I would be driving to Las Vegas, well, I made sure to go for a visit.