Grand Falls
GRAND FALLS
Painted Desert, AZ
Image by Davesh Shingari @www.500px.com/shingaridavesh
IMPORTANT NOTICE
As of March 1, 2023, the Leupp Chapter House has announced
The Grand Falls is CLOSED until further notice.
Grand Falls, also known as Chocolate Falls (because of its chocolate color) is a seasonal waterfall with sufficient flows during spring (most commonly in March and early April), because of the snowmelt in the White mountains or following monsoon season (usually July through September). During the off-peak season, it can be completely dry and unappealing.
Recently, it has become famous among the locals and photographers. Since it is accessible by driving on a dirt road for half hour, it is still not as crowded as some other locations in the area. It is a great place to spend some great quality time with family and friends of all fitness levels since no hiking is involved. For adventurous people, hiking to the base of the fall is also an option. There is no official trail to hike to the base of the waterfall, however, there is a faint path that leads there. During spring months, flow can be pretty strong, making the trail wet, muddy and slippery.
Photos and location summary by Davesh Shingari.
Trail Difficulty - MODERATE
I would rate the difficulty of the trail to this specific location as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike from the parking lot is a moderate 150yd walk (which rates as a 1) to get to various vantage points. However, there is a steep drop from the edge, and it could get wet from the water splash (during high flow season). Be wary of your footing in the area, especially near the falls, as the ground might look stable, but could give way. Be very cautious and don’t step too close to the edge.
The road leading to the Grand Falls is not paved and can become muddy after rainfall. Use caution if driving in a passenger car - as services are limited in this area. For road conditions leading to the Grand Falls, call the Leupp Chapter House at (928) 686-3227.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
4,495 Ft. Elevation
Google Earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to Grand Falls parking area,
The nearest city to Grand Falls is Flagstaff (about 1 hour / 40 miles). From Flagstaff, travel northeast on I-40 (US180) for approximately 12 miles until you come to exit 211 toward Winona. Take Townsend Winona Rd for 2 miles and turn right (northeast) on Leupp Rd. Stay on Leupp Rd for 14.8 miles until you reach Indian Rte 70 - where you will take a left. Continue on Rte 70 for 9 miles until you reach the parking area for Grand Falls.
From the parking area, it is an easy 150 yd walk to the location of the north-facing (sunset) shot. The sunrise shot is west about 200 yds.
Please respect local residences, their land, and livestock.
Photography Tips
The shot is pretty straightforward. Because of the nature of the composition, you will most likely need to blend your image, HDR or use a graduated filter.
As mentioned, the dirt road to the Grand Falls can be really muddy and potentially impassable after heavy rainfall. You should use caution if driving in a passenger car - as services are limited in this area.
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 18 mm
Exposure – 60th sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 100
Date – Feb 8th
Time – 5:15 pm
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Most photographers view Grand Falls as a sunset location. However, you can also capture a nice image at sunrise if there is good cloud coverage. You can camp near Grand Falls and capture both sunrise and sunset.
The images below show both sunset and sunrise views.
Best Time of Year
Good water flow at the falls is everything!
The best time to shoot the Grand Falls is when water flow is strong, which is generally in the spring (March - April) because of snowmelt and during monsoon season (July - September). However, the monsoon season is highly weather dependent. The higher the water flow, the better for photographing the falls.
Check the water flow before you go.
This trigger would alert you that the Grand Falls would be good to photograph on Jan 24th
I would strongly advise checking the water flow before traveling to Grand Falls. For best results the following flow rates are needed.
This trigger would alert you that the Grand Falls would be good to photograph on Jan 24th
300 ft3/s - sufficient
600 ft3/s - better
1000 ft3/s - outstanding
Click Here for a link to USGS National Water Information System water data for the Little Colorado River near Winslow, AZ. The Winslow water gaging station is about 1 to 2 days flow to the Grand Falls. Meaning when you get high water flow at the Winslow gaging station, the Grand Falls would be nice to photograph 1 to 2 days later.
Water flow rates of 1,000 ft3/s only seem to occur during big monsoons. If planning a trip far in advance, the most consistent times have been the last week of July - the first week of August (info from the chart, averaging last 18 years).
Know before go!
You can subscribe to text or email alerts for the water levels. Click here to subscribe to the USGS National Water Information System water data for the Little Colorado River near Winslow, AZ. Once you get an alert of high water, the Grand Falls should be good to photograph 1 - 2 days later.
If going during the spring melt, I would set my alert for about 300 ft3/s. If looking to go in the monsoon season set your alert for 600-1000 ft3/s. Also, I would suggest watching weather reports for monsoon storms. Good days to shoot are typically one to two days after the reading at the gaging station.
The sunrise shot at the top of the page was taken on February 8th.
Lens(es) Needed
Most photographers will use a wide-angle (16-35mm) lens when shooting Grands Falls. However, you can also use a mid-range lens (24-70) for a tighter shot or telephoto lens to get individual smaller falls.
Here are two optional images with a telephoto lens. The above sunrise shot was taken at a focal length of 18mm.
Birds-Eye View From Google Earth Pro
Permits
At the writing of this location summary (January 2020) there were no permits required. However, I would suggest you check the Leupp Nation Website to confirm this before going.
Direction of the Shot
The sunset shot is north around @ 0° and the sunrise shot is northeast around 50°.
Equipment Needed
From a photography standpoint, you will need a tripod and an ND filter to slow your shutter speed down to at least 1 second (to create smooth silky water flow). You may also consider a polarizer filter to reduce glare on the water and protection against water spray if going to the bottom of the falls.
From a personal safety standpoint, bring plenty of extra water if going during the summer, in case of a car breakdown.
The parking area includes tables/benches with gazebos that provide shade and there is a waterless restroom facility, so you may want to take a supply of toilet paper, hand sanitizer or extra water and soap to wash your hands. Take plenty of water for hydration and "pack in and pack out" to leave no trash. Be wary of your footing in the area, especially near the falls, the ground might look stable but could give way. Please keep an eye on young children and pets.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
The Grand Falls is a nice location to capture a wonderful image (at the right time of year), but for the most part, it is still a hidden treasure. At sunset, expect just a few other photographers. At sunrise, you will most likely have the place to yourself.
Weather
The area around the Grand Falls is high desert climate at about 4,500 ft. elevation. The temperatures can vary up to 30° a day. Spring and fall are nice, but summer can get into the high 90s.
Cell Service
Cell service is sketchy at the Grand Falls. I would recommend downloading a map of the area and marking directions before leaving the I-40 area.
Overnight Camping Options
The Grand Falls is in a remote area in central Arizona on Navajo land. The closest town is Flagstaff, AZ, which is 40 miles / 1 hour) away. Services around the Grand Falls area are very limited, but there is a small campground at the Grand Falls.
There are many hotels in Flagstaff, but none anywhere near the Grand Falls.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Flagstaff KOA (45 min away in Flagstaff) -Reserve: 800-562-3524
Lodging - click on the lodging below for a TripAdvisor review
Best Western Pony Soldier Inn & Suites
(928) 526-2388
3030 E Route 66, Flagstaff
928-526-0818
3725 Kaspar Dr, Flagstaff
Nearby Restaurants
As mentioned, there are limited services near the Grand Falls (Leupp). Flagstaff (1 hour away) has lots of great restaurants with different cuisines. I would recommend the following:
Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review
Lumberyard Tap Room & Grill
(928) 233-9844
5 S San Francisco St, Flagstaff
Delhi Palace (Indian)
(928) 556-0019
2500 S Woodlands Village Blvd, Ste 8, Flagstaff
Nimarcos Pizza
(928) 779-0024
1800 S Milton Rd, Flagstaff
Area Guides and Workshops
None