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| Carbon-Lava Loop leads through some beautiful terrain in the Grand Canyon |
Carbon Canyon leads up to an elevated valley which then connects nicely with Lava Canyon and then returns to the Colorado River. This loop hike lets you see 2 canyons for the price of one. Carbon Canyon is muav sandstone and boulders. The connecting valley reminded me of Death Valley and its' "painted hills." Then Lava Canyon consists of a beautiful clear stream flowing down red, sharp lava rocks.
This loop is sometimes called the Carbon Chuar Loop.
This a pretty easy hike with only 2 boulder-rock pile ascents total. The rest is pretty easy with near-level walking through either dry or wet washes. The narrow section of upper Carbon Canyon is shown above is is lovely. My personal favorite section is hiking down the cool clear waters of Lava Canyon stream. This area is absolutely beautiful but difficult to photograph. It's one of those places that is amazing yet not photogenic.
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| Wash connecting Carbon and Lava Canyons |
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| The climb out of Chuar and into Lava Canyon. Notice the colorful badlands in the distance. |
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| Lava Creek: clear and cool. This is a perfectly delightful hike. |
Gordon's hike rating:
Hike Difficulty: ★★★ Moderate: long ascent and no shade
Trail Condition: ★★★ Good, mostly easy to follow
Trail Hazards: ★★★ Moderate: scree, sharp rocks, long dropoffs
Trailhead: Colorado River mile 65
Time Required: 3 hours
Distance round trip: 3-4 miles
Off the Beaten Path: ★★★★ Yes
Scenery: ★★★ Good, 3 Stars
Photographic Potential: ★ Poor, 1 Stars: beautiful scenery but hard to photograph