Lees Ferry: Gateway to Grand Canyon rafting and the Colorado River
Scott Craven
LEES FERRY — When 69-year-old Donna Templin left Tampa for a months-long journey across America with her brother, she never planned to be here, where steep canyon walls briefly recede to allow mere mortals access to the Colorado River.
For much of the waterway's 700-mile journey through the canyonlands of the Southwest, it's jealously guarded by a rugged landscape.
Lees Ferry is an exception.
Templin had never heard of the crossing as she stood atop the South Rim of Grand Canyon a few days earlier, craning her neck for a glimpse of the elusive Colorado, a dark thread weaving far below.
Finally, from the edge of Yavapai Point, Templin got a peek of the river. It was just a sliver, barely worth mentioning. But it was enough to fuel a single urge.
“I had to stick my toe in it,” Templin said.
'Worth the trip'
That's when she and her 65-year-old brother Steven Hanley learned of Lees Ferry. The historic area with its recreation access and boat ramp was less than three hours away, the blink of an eye in the midst of a months-long road trip.
Two days later they arrived, in separate vans and accompanied by separate dogs. Templin could hardly believe a river so far away now lapped at a convenient shore.
"Definitely worth the trip," she said.
How Lees Ferry came to be
Lees Ferry is a geological gift of wide, flat, accessible land on both sides of the Colorado River. Mormon pioneers found it the only relatively safe place to cross for hundreds of miles, and in the 1870s it became the preferred path to the Arizona Territory.
When it came to establishing a ferry, Mormon leaders looked to one of their most infamous members. The remote posting served to isolate John D. Lee, who bore the brunt of the blame for the Mountain Meadow Massacre in which 120 emigrants on their way to California were killed.
In the early 1870s Lee, a polygamist, built homes for the two families who would live there with him. He also built the Lonely Dell Ranch, its name inspired by its location.
The ferry launched in 1873, and was frequently overseen by Lee's wife Emma when her husband was visiting other wives.
Emma took full control of the ferry and ranch operations in 1877 when Lee was executed for his role in the massacre. He was the only person to suffer such dire consequences for an event that cast a dark shadow across Mormon history.
The ferry shuttled pioneers and later miners and tourists across the river until 1928, when a bridge was completed a short distance downstream.
Where river rafters put in
Today's visitors often arrive with rafts and kayaks packed Tetris-like with enough supplies to last them up to three weeks in the Grand Canyon.
On a warm weekday morning that was rushing toward an unseasonably hot afternoon, Russ Peterson grabbed a handful of rubberized fabric and helped seven people he barely knew wrestle an empty raft into the Colorado River.
He was the official hero of the group — aka the guy who won a permit to raft through the Grand Canyon.
In March 2017 the Bend, Oregon, resident entered the annual lottery for private-trip permits for the 15th consecutive year, riding a 14-year losing streak. He was as surprised as he was pleased to receive an email saying he'd been awarded a permit for an April 2018 launch for a group of up to 16 people.
Being 15 people short, Peterson visited websites that match interested riders to permit-holders. Within a few months he'd assembled a 14-person, nine-raft convoy.
Gathered at Lees Ferry, members of the group introduced themselves and shook hands as they put their rafts in the water. They would camp nearby for an early departure the next morning.
“It's been so long since I got that email that my initial excitement is long gone," Peterson said, under the only shade structure at Lees Ferry. “But now it's back. Can't believe it's finally time to head out."
Commercial raft trips also start at Lees Ferry, journeys that allow those with little outdoors experience to experience a river that would otherwise be out of reach. It all starts at an unassuming beach where there is no hint of the river’s fury.
But not everyone comes for the journey of a lifetime.
Fishing, kayaking, hiking
Lees Ferry offers access to a 14-mile stretch of calm water before the river descends through its famous rapids. It attracts anglers and kayakers who point their watercraft upstream to a part of the Colorado free of two things: rushing water and permit requirements.
Recreational boaters can follow the river eastward to Glen Canyon Dam, a scenic stretch that includes Horseshoe Bend and the water's graceful arc around a narrow but lofty peninsula of stone.
The Colorado may lure the vast majority of visitors to Lees Ferry, but others come to hike, explore history or put their toes in the chilly water.
A trail heading east from the boat launch leads to a handful of long abandoned buildings, including Lees Ferry Fort built in 1874 at the orders of Mormon Church President Brigham Young, who had what turned out to be an unfounded fear of an attack.
The trail passes other remnants of the area’s rich past, from boilers used during a failed gold-mining operation to the bottom deck of a sunken paddlewheeler meant to transport coal but no match for the current.
While walking the River Trail, you'll notice a series of switchbacks carved into the hill. Welcome to the Spencer Trail, a 2.2-mile trail (one way) that climbs 1,700 feet. Amazing views await those able to tackle the difficult trail.
Lonely Dell Ranch and the Paria River
Less than a mile away sits the largely intact Lonely Dell Ranch, which for decades housed those working at Lees Ferry. The main house made of stone, as well as log cabins, still stand while the orchard provides a lush patch of greenery that seems out of place in the dusty terrain.
Continue past Lonely Dell to hike along the Paria (rhymes with Maria) River. The canyon is 45 miles long, so turn back when you feel it's right. Stay on the trail unless you're accustomed to walking in river beds. There may be quicksand.
Lees Ferry also is popular with anglers who come for the rainbow and brown trout. Small fishing boats often prowl the placid water leading upriver to the dam, and fly-fisherman can be seen trying their luck along the river's edge at the walk-in fishing area below the ferry.
A scenic splendor
But the real star is the scenery. The canyon walls rising on either side pale in comparison to the network of towers and buttes that reveal themselves downriver, where the river cuts further into the landscape.
The trade-off is dipping your toe into the Colorado without breaking a sweat, which is precisely what Donna Templin did after she and her brother took a short hike along the river's edge.
Before the sun set, Templin hauled out a bright yellow kayak from the back of her van and set it in the water. Placing her small dog Honolulu at the bow, she steadily paddled upstream for a journey of a lifetime.
Visiting Lees Ferry
What: Campground, boat launch and day-use area in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Where: From Phoenix, take Interstate 17 north to Flagstaff, I-40 east past the city and U.S. 89 north to Bitter Springs. There, turn left and continue north on U.S. 89A to Navajo Bridge. Immediately past the bridge, turn right and continue 6 miles to Lees Ferry.
Admission: $30 for a seven-day pass to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Pay at the kiosk on Lees Ferry Road. Credit and debit cards only.
Campground: There are 54 sites with no hookups. There is a bathroom, RV dump station, grills (no campfires allowed) and potable water. Launch ramp within 2 miles. $20 per night.
Services near Lees Ferry: Gas and general store 2 miles away in Marble Canyon. Lodging is available at Marble Canyon Lodge (4 miles from Lees Ferry), Lees Ferry Lodge (6 miles) and Cliff Dwellers Lodge (12 miles). Each has a restaurant.
Rafting: People with 12- to 25-day non-commercial rafting permits launch at Lees Ferry. Permits are distributed by weighted lottery conducted by the National Park Service. The 2018 lottery is closed, but you may visit grcariverpermits.nps.gov to create a profile and sign up for email alerts. For details on the permit lottery, go to www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery.htm.
Details: 928-608-6200, www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/lees-ferry.htm.
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