Our group of hikers, friends from Flagstaff who I had joined at the last minute, dropped into a legendary stretch of the Grand Canyon. The Thunder River to Deer Creek Loop is one of the most beautiful but rugged and difficult stretches of trail in the Grand Canyon. I had been wanting to hike here for years. When a last minute permit went up for grabs, I quickly made sure I was a part of the party.

Jewels of the Grand Canyon

We dropped into the canyon, navigating the snowy trail that skirts along the North Rim, picking its way down the first major shelf, a massive limestone headwall. The trail immediately indicates to hikers that this is going to be one hell of a day. Individual steps are often knee high. So dropping down with fully loaded packs is tough work, and trekking poles are a must.

The route down the Grand Canyon

After dropping 1600 feet, the trail temporarily mellows out on a beautiful shelf known as the Esplanade, a red sandstone plate that is beautiful and inviting. We planned on spending our last night camped on the Esplanade, so we hauled extra water from the rim that we would stash because there is no reliable water on the Esplanade. We were all thankful to unload four liters, eight pounds of water each, hoping it would be there in three day’s time. The pleasant walking atop the Esplanade is short-lived.

Thunder River section of the Grand Canyon

And soon we were pounding our knees and quads and dropping another fifteen hundred feet. The trail navigates down the red cliff shelf, choosing a route that sometimes makes you laugh at its apparent impossibility. You’re gonna wanna hike this as early as possible on the way out, I think to myself. The cliff is south facing and catches sun nearly the whole day. On the next shelf, the trail splits. We hike to the east towards Thunder River.

After two miles of undulating desert terrain, the trail once again turns vertical as it drops into the chasm of Tepeat’s Creek. It’s here that you get your first glimpse of the thundering Thunder River, who’s birth seems almost impossible as it issues straight out of a two-thousand foot rock wall.

Basking in the glory of Thunder River and its cascades is truly glorious, especially after sweating and swearing your way down 3500 feet of brutal terrain. But we couldn’t linger too long, as we still had more trail and more elevation to drop before we could rest for the night.

The trail soon joins with Tepeat’s Creek and the two rivers join forces. Once at the bottom of Tepeat’s Creek drainage, we finally found our camp. The spots here are extremely limited. Permits only allow for a few campers each night.

Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

Barely recovered from the day before, we hit the trail and continued down the canyon, soon to merge with the Colorado River. But we quickly made a tactical error. We elected to not cross Tepeat’s Creek, which would have required getting our feet wet and fording. Instead we chose two miles of up and down route-finding along exposed cliffs. We didn’t know how much effort this would add, but it turned out to be significant. I kept looking across the canyon at the pleasant, shaded trail that stayed near the creek, cursing myself as I sweat in the sunshine.

By the time we joined with the Colorado River, we had already hiked a couple thousand needless vertical feet because we had avoided the creek crossing. Woops. Our party had envisioned this as the “easy” day, as theoretically we would be starting and ending our day at the same elevation. However, it was by far the most difficult day. We spent the whole day hiking down one cliff shelf, only to regain it a mile later, all while fully exposed in the sun, over and over again.

The trail also requires a certain amount of bravery, or at least numbness to hiking along cliff edges. At one point, the trail is no wider than your shoulders, with a cliff face on one side and a cliff edge on the other. This is not a good place for a misstep.

Deer Creek section in the Grand Canyon

At last we hiked up from the Colorado River and over the ridge that would bring us into Deer Creek. Deer Creek is special. Crystal clear water in the desert is always magical. But Deer Creek slices through the sandstone and shale, forming a spectacular narrows known as the “Patio.” The Patio is the most rewarding place to lounge and cool off after the rigors of hiking the canyon.

But the creek doesn’t stay hidden for too long, as it pours out of a crack in a pure vertical line down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Our party spent the night above the patio in the designated campground, which provides enough space for about a dozen people in total. But we were the only ones there to enjoy it.

In the morning, we packed up and began our ascent onto the Esplanade, where we spent our final night. Each campsite had its own allure. But honestly the desert simplicity of the Esplanade was better than I expected. I loved being able to sleep on the slick rock and watch the stars overhead, drinking in the wonderful experience.

Grand Canyon Hiking and Backpacking Notes

• This backpacking trip proved to be one of the most difficult ones I have gone on in a long time. The steepness of the terrain and the exposure to the sun made it quite exhausting.
• I am accustomed to carrying a heavy backpack, but in hindsight I would have been much more ruthless in carrying a light pack.
• Trekking poles are a must.
• Water is only available on the Esplanade after precipitation and should not be counted upon. Stashing water for the exit is a great idea.
• This trip could be completed in two nights, but three was perfect to be able to rest and enjoy.

Time of year to Hike the Grand Canyon

We completed this hike in October right after a snowstorm and it was basically perfect timing. Any earlier in the season and this trail would be unbearably hot. Later in the year, access to the trailhead will become quite difficult due to snowy conditions.

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