Travel the Trails

Trip 5: US-89A North: Bitter Springs to Jacob Lake

56 miles (90 km) from Bitter Springs to Jacob Lake

Disclaimer: NANACT trip guides are based on information from Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo & Hopi Nations, 2nd Edition by Fran Kosik (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2005). Some information may have changed since the publication of the book. While NANACT will attempt to maintain current information, consider verifying the current operation/existence of businesses, accommodations, dining and similar interests before planning your trip.

Scenic & Historic:

MM 539 Navajo Bridge and the Colorado River

The older of these two bridges was the first bridge to span the Colorado River. It was constructed in 1929 by the Kansas City Structural Steel Corp., financed by a cooperative effort between Arizona and Utah. All of the steel was made in Kansas City and shipped to Flagstaff by rail, then carried by truck over 145 miles of primitive roads to the bridge site. Steel was driven down Lees Dugway and carried across the Colorado River on the ferry to build the western side of the bridge. Once completed, it was the highest bridge of its type in the world, standing 467 feet (142 m) above the Colorado River with a span of 834 feet (254 m). The historic bridge is now a pedestrian walkway with a view of the imposing canyon and river below.

Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center: On the west side of the new bridge is a native stone visitors center that provides information about the area. The gift shop sells books and maps specific to the area. The building is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (MDT) from mid-May to mid-October. The restrooms are open year-round. On the east side of the bridge are Navajo arts and craft vendors.

NOTE: As you leave the Navajo Nation, change to mountain standard time if traveling between the first week in April and the last week in October.

Lees Ferry Turn north past the bridge, just before Marble Canyon Lodge. Along the five-mile (8 km) winding road to the Colorado River are interpretive sites where you can read about the area’s geology. Among the interesting features are “balancing rocks”—examples of the forces of erosion wearing away the soft underlying sandstone faster than the harder rock on top.

At the bottom of the hill, just before you cross the Paria River, turn west onto a dirt road to the Lonely Dell Ranch Historic District. You can purchase a walking tour guide at the ranch. To the east is a river drive, or you can continue straight down the entrance road to the launch ramp, or “Mile Zero” of the Colorado, where commercial river-rafting trips begin. Just past the launch ramp is the Lees Ferry Historic District, where a primitive Mormon fort still stands.

Lees Ferry Campground: A U.S. Fee Area operated on a first-come, first-served basis. Campsites have shade provided by metal awnings. No trees. Community bathrooms, running water. Public showers and laundry are located at Marble Canyon Lodge on U.S. 89A by the post office. Telephone, RV dump site. Information: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Lees Ferry Ranger Station, (928) 355-2234.

Fishing at Lees Ferry: Lees Ferry is well known for excellent fishing for rainbow trout year-round, with artificial bait and fly only with barbless hooks. No trout between sixteen and twenty-two inches (40–56 cm) may be kept. The limit is two fish in your possession. No live fish may be kept. You may take a boat sixteen feet (5 m) or larger with at least a 25-horsepower engine on the river upstream 14.5 miles (23 km) to the Glen Canyon Dam. No boating is allowed downriver from Lees Ferry without a permit.

River Trips on the Colorado River Please contact each company for complete details on the type of trip offered. Some companies offer motorized or oar-powered trips. Others offer dory or paddle trips. Each company offers its own schedules and prices.

Arizona Raft Adventures, Inc. (800) 786-7238

Canyon Explorations, Inc. (800) 654-0723

Canyoneers, Inc. (800) 525-0924 outside Arizona, (520) 526-0924 in Arizona

Colorado River & Trail Expeditions, Inc. (800) 253-7328

Diamond River Adventures, Inc. (800) 343-3121

Grand Canyon Expeditions Company (800) 544-2691

Hatch River Expeditions, Inc. (800) 342-8243

Hualapai River Runners (928) 769-2419

Moki Mac Expeditions, Inc. (800) 284-7280

O.A.R.S., Inc. (209) 736-4677

Outdoors Unlimited (800) 637-7238

Tour West, Inc. (800) 453-9107, (801) 225-0755

Western River Expeditions, Inc. (800) 453-7450

Wilderness River Adventures (800) 992-8022

MARBLE CANYON LODGE AND TRADING COMPANY Just past Navajo Bridge after the turnoff to Lees Ferry. Built in 1926 by “Buck” Lowry in anticipation of the completion of Navajo Bridge, this lodge offers a restaurant open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (MST). For room reservations, call (928) 355-2225.

MM 542 Lees Ferry Lodge at Vermilion Cliffs (North)

Constructed in 1929 of native stone, Lees Ferry Lodge served the needs of uranium miners working in the area. Each room opens onto a garden patio.

The Vermilion Cliffs Bar and Grill offers 150 different kinds of cold bottled beer. Even though the food is good in the summer, in the winter it gets even better to satisfy the gourmet demands of the world-class fishermen visiting Lees Ferry. Open 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m. (MST) every day. No TV or telephone in rooms. Reservations: (928) 355-2231.

MM 547 Cliff Dwellers Lodge

The lodge was built in 1949 by Glen Canyon guide and entrepreneur Art Greene. It is now owned by the Lees Ferry Anglers Guides and Fly Shop, which was formerly located next to Vermilion Cliffs Lodge. The owners bought this resort to “be able to handle guide services, fishing, and lodging accommodations with one phone call.” In addition to the twenty-one motel rooms, there is an 1,800-square-foot fishing lodge that anglers can rent for group retreats. There is also a restaurant-bar, store, and gas station. Reservations: (800) 962-9755.

Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Highway/National Monument Watch for California condors as you drive along this scenic road. In 1996 ten condors weighing about twenty-five pounds with wingspans of 9.8 ft.(3 m) were released into Vermilion Cliffs National Monument from the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Los Angeles Zoo.

Vermilion Cliffs was designated as a national monument in 2000 by President Clinton. The monument covers 294,000 acres of some of the most remote and unspoiled landscape in the country. It includes the Paria Plateau, Paria Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs, and Coyote Buttes.

What is the Arizona Strip? It is the most remote and isolated area of Arizona, separated from the rest of the state by the 279-mile-long (449 km) Grand Canyon.

MM 548–MM 566 House Rock Valley

Running from Cliff Dwellers to House Rock Junction, where Highway 89A starts to climb up the Kaibab Plateau, this valley was named by Mormon settlers after they found shelter under two large boulders that had fallen together.

MM 566 Snow Chain-up Area

Here is a subtle reminder that the Kaibab Plateau is more than 9,000 feet (2,745 m) in elevation and receives an average of twelve feet (3.6 m) of snow each year. A record twenty-five feet (7.7 m) of snow covered the plateau in 1985. In this high country the snow can start as early as September. The National Park Service closes the North Rim on October 21, but the park remains open for day use until December 1. There is no lodging, food, or gasoline in the national park from October 21 until its final closing on December 1. The park may close earlier depending on the weather.

Kaibab Plateau Kaibab means “mountain lying down” in the Paiute language. It is a good name for this extensive plateau that rises to an elevation of 9,100 feet (2,775 m). Mormons called it Buckskin Mountain because it has the largest population of mule deer in the world. The plateau also contains the country’s largest virgin forest, and it is the only place on earth you will find the Kaibab squirrel.

JACOB LAKE Junction of U.S. 89A and Arizona Highway 67

Jacob Lake Inn: This and the Kaibab Lodge (25 miles) are the only motels in the North Kaibab National Forest, so be sure to make your reservations well in advance because they fill up quickly. Jacob Lake Inn is open yearround. Reservations: (928) 643-7232; www.jacoblake.com.

Jacob Lake Campground (National Forest Service): Open May 15 to November 1 (depending on snowfall), the campground has fifty-three campsites with picnic tables and fire grills, paved roads, running water  toilets, wheelchair access. Tents, trailers, and motor homes less than twenty-six feet (8 m) are welcome. No hookups. Reservations are handled by the National Recreation Reservation Service, a one-stop reservation service for the Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation outdoor recreation facilities and activities. (877) 444-6777; www.reserveusa.com

Kaibab National Forest Visitors Center: South of Jacob Lake Inn; open 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily; closed in winter. The center offers information and interpretive displays about the Kaibab Plateau and the North Rim. (928) 643-7298; www.fs.fed.us

Allen’s Trail Rides, also south of the inn, offers a chance to enjoy the Kaibab National Forest on horseback. You can go for a couple of hours or spend two to five days on horseback. For reservations, call (435) 644-8150.

Accommodations (Hotels/Camping/RV Parks):

Lees Ferry / Marble Canyon – Lodging

Marble Canyon Lodge and Trading Company

Just past Navajo Bridge after the turnoff to Lees Ferry. Offers a motel, restaurant, trading post/gift shop, laundry mat, post office, gas/convenient store and a landing strip (for planes). For room reservations, call (928) 355-2225 or 800-726-1789.

MM 542 Lees Ferry Lodge at Vermilion Cliffs (North)

Each room opens onto a garden patio. The Vermilion Cliffs Bar and Grill offers 150 different kinds of cold bottled beer. Open 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m. (MST) every day. No TV or telephone in rooms. Reservations: (928) 355-2231 or 800-451-2231.

MM 547 Cliff Dwellers Lodge

In addition to the twenty-one motel rooms, there is an 1,800-square-foot fishing lodge that anglers can rent for group retreats. There is also a restaurant-bar, store, fly shop, guide services, and gas station. Reservations: (800) 962-9755, 928-355-2228, or 800-433-2543.

Jacob Lake (Junction of U.S. 89A and Arizona Highway 67) - Lodging

Jacob Lake Inn

This and the Kaibab Lodge are the only motels in the North Kaibab National Forest. Make reservations well in advance. Open year round. Reservations: (928) 643-7232; www.jacoblake.com

Lees Ferry / Marble Canyon - Camping

Lees Ferry Campground

A U.S. Fee Area operated on a first-come, first-served basis. Campsites have shade provided by metal awnings. No trees. Community bathrooms, running water. Public showers and laundry are located at Marble Canyon Lodge on U.S. 89A by the post office. Telephone, RV dump site. Information: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Lees Ferry Ranger Station, (928) 355-2234.

Jacob Lake - Camping

Jacob Lake Campground (National Forest Service)

Open May 15 to November 1 (depending on snowfall), the campground has fifty-three campsites with picnic tables and fire grills, paved roads, running water toilets, wheelchair access. Tents, trailers, and motor homes less than twenty-six feet (8 m) are welcome. No hookups. Reservations are handled by the National Recreation Reservation Service, (877) 444-6777; www.reserveusa.com

Tours:

River Trips on the Colorado River

See Grand Canyon River Outsiders Association www.gcroa.org for information on river trips, or contact each company for complete details on the type of trip offered. Some companies offer motorized or oar-powered trips. Others offer dory or paddle trips. Each company offers its own schedules and prices.

Arizona Raft Adventures, Inc. (800) 786-7238

Canyon Explorations, Inc. (800) 654-0723

Canyoneers, Inc. (800) 525-0924 outside Arizona, (520) 526-0924 in Arizona

Colorado River & Trail Expeditions, Inc. (800) 253-7328

Diamond River Adventures, Inc. (800) 343-3121

Grand Canyon Expeditions Company (800) 544-2691

Hatch River Expeditions, Inc. (800) 342-8243

Hualapai River Runners

Moki Mac Expeditions, Inc. (800) 284-7280

O.A.R.S., Inc. (209) 736-4677

Outdoors Unlimited (800) 637-7238

Tour West, Inc. (800) 453-9107, (801) 225-0755

Western River Expeditions, Inc. (800) 453-7450

Wilderness River Adventures (800) 992-8022

Fishing Guides

Ambassador Guide Service, William McBurney 800-256-7596

Arizona Reel Time, Fredrick Smith 928-355-2222

Bubba’s Guide Service, Jim Cliburn, 928-645-3506

Cannon Guides and Supplies, Ron Cannon, 928-608-0273

Lee’s Ferry Anglers, Terry Gunn, 928-355-2261

Marble Canyon Outfitters, Dave Foster, 800-533-7339

Trail Rides

Allen’s Trail Rides

Also south of the inn, offers a chance to enjoy the Kaibab National Forest on horseback. You can go for a couple of hours or spend two to five days on horseback. For reservations, call (435) 644-8150 or 435-689-1660.

Food & Dining:

Lee’s Ferry / Marble Canyon

MARBLE CANYON LODGE AND TRADING COMPANY Restaurant

Just past Navajo Bridge after the turnoff to Lees Ferry. Call (928) 355-2225 or 800-726-1789.

The Vermilion Cliffs Bar and Grill

Offers 150 different kinds of cold bottled beer. Open 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m. (MST) every day. No TV or telephone in rooms. Reservations: (928) 355-2231 o 800-451-2231.

MM 547 CLIFF DWELLERS LODGE RESTAURANT

Hours vary seasonal, the Restaurant is 6am-9pm and Gas station is 6am-10pm. Reservations: (800) 962-9755, 928-355-2228, or 800-433-2543.

Services (Auto/Gas/Repair/Emergency):

Art & Culture (Galleries/Trading Posts/Museums):

Kaibab National Forest Visitors Center

South of Jacob Lake Inn; open 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily; closed in winter. The center offers information and interpretive displays about the Kaibab Plateau and the North Rim. (928) 643-7298; www.fs.fed.us

Permissions

• Trip information is condensed with permission from Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations, by Fran Kosik, Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, Arizona, 2005. Trip numbers generally coincide with chapter number in the book. Fran's full book contains much more wonderful information on traveling our Native roads. For more detailed information, the book can be purchased from:

  Museum of Northern Arizona bookstore, 3101 N. Ft. Valley Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001; phone #: 928-774-5213 or direct 928-774-5211 + Ext 261. Or, contact the publisher, Rio Nuevo Publishers, PO Box 5250, Tucson, Arizona 85703; phone #: 520-623-9558 or 800-969-9558. Trip numbers generally correspond to chapter numbers.