An accurate list of rapids in the
Grand Canyon is hard to find. The leading guidebooks, Bellknap and
Stevens, only identify the major rapids and none of the riffles, although
they do show topographic information that indicates the locations of
riffles. In 1999 I annotated my copy of Stevens with actual river
data as I went down the river during the segment from Lee's Ferry to
Phanton Ranch. In 2004 I annotated by copy of Bellknap and kept a
detailed trip journal. After the trip was over and while mostly
sleeping at my parent's home in Phoenix, I wrote a long letter - 16 pages
- to my daughter. She was 13 at the time and attending a four week
overnight camp. I hadn't seen her for a month, so I sent the letter
in sections. That letter distilled the essence of the trip and
included drawings of the most difficult rapids and problems we
encountered.
I built the list below using that
information. In the coming months I will add my diagrams to this
section.
Number |
Name |
Mileage |
Rating |
Drop |
|
Paria Riffle |
1.0 |
|
2 |
Three Mile Wash Riffle |
2.7 |
|
3 |
Six Mile Wash Riffle |
6.0 |
|
4 |
Badger Creek Rapid |
7.8 |
6 |
15 |
5 |
Soap Creek Rapid |
11.2 |
6 |
16 |
6 |
Browns Riffle |
12.0 |
|
7 |
13 Mile Rapid |
13.0 |
1 |
|
8 |
Sheer Wall Rapid |
14.5 |
3 |
9 |
9 |
Hot Na Na Wash Riffle |
16.5 |
|
10 |
House Rock Rapid |
17.0 |
7 |
9 |
11 |
Red Neck Rapid |
17.5 |
3 |
|
12 |
18 Mile Wash Rapid |
18.0 |
|
13 |
North Canyon Rapid |
21.5 |
5 |
12 |
14 |
21 Mile Rapid |
21.0 |
5 |
12 |
15 |
22 Mile Wash Riffle |
21.5 |
|
16 |
23 Mile Rapid |
23.0 |
4 |
5 |
17 |
23 1/2 Mile Rapid |
23.5 |
3 |
4 |
18 |
24 Mile Rapid |
24.0 |
7 |
4 |
19 |
24 1/2 Mile Rapid |
24.5 |
5 |
|
20 |
25 Mile Rapid |
25.0 |
5 |
7 |
21 |
25 1/4 Mile Riffle |
25.3 |
|
22 |
Cave Springs Rapid |
25.5 |
5 |
5 |
23 |
Cave Springs Riffle |
25.8 |
|
24 |
Tiger Wash (27 Mile) Rapid |
27.0 |
5 |
7 |
25 |
MNA Rapid |
27.3 |
3 |
|
26 |
29 Mile Rapid |
29.0 |
3 |
7 |
27 |
30 Mile Riffle |
30.0 |
|
28 |
South Canyon Riffle |
31.5 |
|
29 |
Vassey's Paradise Riffle |
32.0 |
|
30 |
32 Mile Riffle |
32.0 |
|
31 |
Nautaloid Canyon Riffle |
35.0 |
|
32 |
36 Mile Rapid |
36.0 |
4 |
4 |
33 |
Buck Farm Canyon Riffle |
41.3 |
|
34 |
President Harding Rapid |
44.0 |
4 |
4 |
35 |
45 Mile Riffle |
45.0 |
|
36 |
46 Mile Riffle |
46.0 |
|
37 |
Saddle Canyon Riffle |
47.0 |
|
38 |
Eminence Break Fault Riffle |
49.5 |
|
39 |
Nankoweap Rapid |
52.0 |
4 |
25 |
40 |
53 Mile Riffle |
53.5 |
|
41 |
Kwagunt Rapid |
56.0 |
6 |
7 |
42 |
Malgosa Canyon Riffle |
57.5 |
|
43 |
60 Mile Rapid |
60.0 |
4 |
3 |
<
TR style="HEIGHT: 13.2pt" height=18>
44 |
Little Colorado Riffle |
61.5 |
|
45 |
63 Mile Riffle |
63.0 |
|
46 |
Temple Butte Riffle |
63.7 |
|
47 |
Lava Canyon (Chuar) Rapid |
65.5 |
4 |
4 |
48 |
Tanner Rapid |
68.8 |
4 |
20 |
49 |
Basalt Canyon Rapid * |
69.5 |
4 |
5 |
50 |
70 Mile Riffle |
70.0 |
|
51 |
Unkar Rapid |
71.5 |
7 |
25 |
52 |
73 Mile Riffle |
73.0 |
|
53 |
75 Mile Riffle |
75.0 |
|
54 |
Nevills Rapid |
75.5 |
7 |
16 |
55 |
Hance Rapid |
76.8 |
8 |
30 |
56 |
77 Mile Riffle |
77.0 |
|
57 |
Mineral Canyon Riffle |
78.0 |
|
58 |
Sockdolager Rapid |
78.5 |
7 |
19 |
59 |
79 Mile Riffle |
79.0 |
|
60 |
Grapevine Rapid |
82.0 |
7 |
17 |
61 |
83 Mile Rapid |
83.0 |
6 |
7 |
62 |
Clear Creek Riffle |
84.0 |
|
63 |
Zoroaster Rapid |
84.5 |
4 |
5 |
64 |
85 Mile Rapid |
85.0 |
2 |
|
65 |
Bright Angel Rapid |
88.0 |
4 |
|
66 |
Pipe Springs Rapid |
89.0 |
3 |
7 |
67 |
Horn Creek Rapid |
90.0 |
9 |
9 |
68 |
Salt Creek Rapid |
92.0 |
2 |
5 |
69 |
Granite Falls Rapid |
93.5 |
8 |
18 |
70 |
94 Mile Riffle |
94.0 |
|
71 |
Hermit Rapid |
95.0 |
8 |
15 |
72 |
Boucher Rapid |
96.5 |
5 |
13 |
73 |
Crystal Rapid |
98.5 |
10 |
17 |
74 |
Tuna Creek Rapid |
99.0 |
7 |
10 |
75 |
Lower Tuna Creek Rapid |
99.7 |
4 |
|
76 |
Nixon Rock |
100.0 |
5 |
|
77 |
Agate Rapid |
100.5 |
4 |
|
78 |
Sapphire Rapid |
101.0 |
6 |
8 |
79 |
Turquoise Rapid |
102.0 |
4 |
4 |
80 |
103 Mile Riffle |
103.0 |
|
81 |
104 Mile Rapid |
104.0 |
5 |
4 |
82 |
Ruby Rapid |
104.5 |
5 |
11 |
83 |
105 Mile Riffle |
105.0 |
|
84 |
Serpentine Rapid |
106.0 |
7 |
12 |
85 |
Bass Rapid |
108.0 |
5 |
5 |
86 |
Shinumo Rapid |
109.0 |
5 |
8 |
87 |
109 Mile Riffle |
109.0 |
|
88 |
110 Mile Rapid |
110.0 |
3 |
17 |
89 |
Copper Canyon Riffle |
110.5 |
|
90 |
Hakatai Rapid |
111.0 |
5 |
8 |
91 |
Waltenberg Rapid |
112.0 |
7 |
14 |
92 |
112 1/2 Mile Rapid |
112.5 |
6 |
|
93 |
Rancid Tuna Rapid |
113.0 |
6 |
|
94 |
Elves Chasm Riffle |
116.5 |
|
95 |
119 Mile Rapid |
119.0 |
4 |
|
96 |
Blacktail Rapid |
120.0 |
3 |
|
97 |
122 Mile Rapid |
122.0 |
6 |
|
98 |
Forster Rapid |
122.5 |
6 |
7 |
99 |
123 Mile Riffle |
123.5 |
|
100 |
Fossil Rapid |
125.0 |
6 |
15 |
101 |
Randy's Rock Rapid |
126.0 |
2 |
|
102 |
127 Mile Rapid |
127.0 |
4 |
|
103 |
128 Mile Rapid |
128.5 |
3 |
8 |
104 |
Specter Rapid |
129.0 |
6 |
6 |
105 |
Bedrock Rapid |
130.5 |
|
106 |
Dubendorff Rapid |
131.5 |
8 |
15 |
107 |
133 Mile Riffle |
133.0 |
|
108 |
Tapeats Rapid |
134.0 |
5 |
15 |
109 |
134 Mile Rapid |
134.5 |
|
110 |
135 Mile Rapid (Helicopter Eddy) |
135.0 |
3 |
10 |
111 |
Deer Creek Falls Riffle |
136.0 |
|
112 |
Doris Rapid |
138.0 |
4 |
5 |
113 |
138 1/2 Mile Rapid |
138.5 |
4 |
|
114 |
Fishtail Rapid |
139.0 |
4 |
10 |
115 |
140 Mile Riffle |
140.0 |
|
116 |
141 Mile Rapid |
141.0 |
2 |
|
117 |
Kanab Rapid |
144.0 |
5 |
12 |
118 |
144 1/2 Mile Rapid |
144.5 |
3 |
|
119 |
Olo Canyon Riffle |
145.5 |
|
120 |
Matkatamiba Rapid |
148.0 |
1 |
3 |
121 |
Upset Rapid |
150.0 |
8 |
15 |
122 |
152 Mile Riffle |
152.5 |
|
123 |
153 Mile Riffle |
153.0 |
|
124 |
Sinyala Rapid |
153.5 |
2 |
2 |
125 |
155 Mile Rifle |
155.0 |
|
126 |
156 Mile Rifle |
156.0 |
|
127 |
Havasue Rapid |
157.0 |
4 |
3 |
128 |
158 Mile Riffle |
158.0 |
|
129 |
158 1/4 Mile Riffle |
158.3 |
|
130 |
Cleft Riffle |
158.5 |
|
131 |
159 Mile Riffle |
159.0 |
|
132 |
161 Mile Riffle |
161.0 |
|
133 |
162 Mile Riffle |
162.0 |
|
134 |
163 Mile Riffle |
163.0 |
|
135 |
164 Mile Rapid |
164.0 |
2 |
4 |
136 |
National Rapid |
166.0 |
2 |
|
137 |
Fern Glen Rapid |
168.0 |
2 |
3 |
138 |
170 Mile Riffle |
170.0 |
|
139 |
Gateway Rapid |
171.0 |
3 |
10 |
140 |
173 Mile Riffle |
173.0 |
|
141 |
Cove Canyon Riffle |
174.5 |
|
142 |
176 Mile Riffle |
176.0 |
|
143 |
Toroweap Riffle |
177.0 |
|
144 |
Vulcan's Anvil |
178.0 |
|
145 |
Lava Falls (Vulcan) Rapid |
179.0 |
10 |
13 |
146 |
Lower Lava Falls (Vulcan) Rapid |
179.5 |
5 |
|
147 |
181 Mile Riffle |
181.0 |
|
148 |
182 Mile Riffle |
182.0 |
|
149 |
Helipad Riffle |
183.0 |
|
150 |
185 Mile Rapid |
185.0 |
2 |
2 |
151 |
186 Mile Riffle |
186.0 |
|
152 |
187 Mile Rapid |
187.0 |
4 |
|
153 |
Whitmore Rapid |
188.0 |
3 |
3 |
154 |
190 Mile Riffle |
190.0 |
|
155 |
191 Mile Riffle |
191.0 |
|
156 |
192 Mile Riffle |
192.0 |
|
157 |
Boulder Wash Riffle |
193.0 |
|
158 |
194 Mile Riffle |
194.5 |
|
159 |
195 Mile Riffle |
195.0 |
|
160 |
196 Mile Riffle |
196.0 |
|
161 |
Parashant Riffle |
198.5 |
|
162 |
200 Mile Riffle |
200.0 |
|
163 |
201 Mile Riffle |
201.0 |
|
164 |
202 Mile Riffle |
202.0 |
|
165 |
Spring Canyon Riffle |
203.0 |
|
166 |
Kolbe Rapid |
205.0 |
6 |
13 |
167 |
206 Mile Riffle |
206.0 |
|
168 |
207 Mile Riffle |
207.0 |
|
169 |
Granite Park Rapid (209 Mile) |
209.0 |
5 |
8 |
170 |
Fall Canyon Riffle |
213.8 |
|
171 |
Little Bastard Rapid |
212.0 |
5 |
|
172 |
214 Mile Riffle |
214.0 |
|
173 |
Three Springs Rapid |
215.5 |
2 |
|
174 |
217 Mile Rapid |
217.0 |
5 |
16 |
175 |
Trail Canyon Rapid |
219.0 |
3 |
|
176 |
220 Mile Riffle |
220.0 |
|
177 |
Granite Spring Rapid |
220.5 |
2 |
10 |
178 |
221 Mile Riffle |
221.0 |
|
179 |
222 Mile Riffle |
222.0 |
|
180 |
222 1/2 Mile Riffle |
222.5 |
|
181 |
223 Mile Riffle |
223.0 |
|
182 |
224 Mile Rapid |
224.0 |
3 |
6 |
183 |
Diamond Creek Rapid |
226.0 |
4 |
25 |
© 2004 M.
Schiller |
|