River Mile: 61.3 - left
Time: A one-mile hike up the Little Colorado takes 1 to 2 hours round-trip
Difficulty: Easy
Wet or Dry?: Wet. The warm azure water of the L.C.R. is what makes it special. Embrace it.
Ideal Weather: Any. Obviously, it is nicer to swim here when it is hot.
Potential: The Little Colorado River Canyon snakes along for nearly 50 miles.
The Little Colorado River drains a substantial portion of the Southwest. A drainage of this size would normally flow several thousand cubic feet per second were it in the Eastern U.S., but here in the parched desert Southwest we are left with a modest 200 c.f.s. But what a wonderful 200 c.f.s. it is. The little Colorado is rich in dissolved calcium carbonate which produces a beautiful turquoise water color more reminiscent of the Caribbean than the desert. The chemically vibrant water forms travertine ledges that the Little Colorado tumbles over in a playful dance on its way to the big river.
Hiking here is best done when the water is its usual stunning blue, not when it is a flood-induced chocolate brown.
About 0.4 miles up from the boats, a class I rapid makes an exciting swimming hole. It’s a fun game to swim in these temperate waters after dealing with the ferocious and cold water of the big river. Be careful of the sharp travertine riverbed in the Little Colorado. It is a good idea to wear a life jacket around your waist like a diaper when swimming through the rapids here .