Tuckup Canyon River Hike

Tuckup Canyon:  Highly Rewarding for the Landscape Photographer

Tuckup Canyon is a true adventure that can go on and on depending on your bravery and daring.  From the Colorado River, Tuckup Canyon goes back about a mile or less.  The canyon walls start out like thin brown shale.  Then the sandstone walls are more of a greenish block-like boulders.  These boulders litter than canyon floor and present the first obstacle to hiking.  Most hikers will find this no big deal.  Past these big boulders, a curved labyrinthine canyon runs back another half mile.  These canyon walls are knobby but smooth.  This is a most beautiful location.  My wife enjoyed sitting down here and picking up rocks from different ages all mixed in the ground cover. 

Brown shale-like sandstone at the lowest levels of Tuckup Canyon

Block-like boulders present the next early obstacle

Tuckup Canyon:  The lower knobby narrows.  Morning light makes the canyon glow.

Goblin-like faces come out of the walls in Tuckup Canyon

Fran sampling geology in Tuckup Canyon

This section of the canyon ends abruptly at a two-tiered boulder/chockstone. 
Books I'd read mentioned two very different and non-intuitive methods for continuing further.  I'll make this easier to understand.  Go straight up these two boulders.  The higher boulder is conglomerate rock and had great hand holds you will need.  It's a little scary but once you do it, you'll agree it's not such a big deal. 

Two-Boulder Obstacle:  go up the crack on the right or left to get around the first.
Go straight up the higher boulder with good hand holds. 
These will be Class 4 - 5 scrambling.

Only above these boulders, one finds clear-water pools, with a slight green tint.  The smooth walls disappear but now are thin layers of more brittle sandstone.  The color remains white and I find the white stone and green water a lovely combination.  My friend and I hiked far up this canyon and could have continued on further but only turned back because it was time to eat back at the boat.  We went as far as a spring coming out of the cliff on the high left canyon wall.

Green Serpentine Pool in Tuckup Canyon, Grand Canyon river hike

Harvey gets lots in a layered bowl in Tuckup Canyon

Harvey explores Tuckup Canyon with me.  This place is amazing and off
the beaten path.  

The spring marked out turnaround spot.  The vegetations shows
where the water comes from the high cliff.

Slit Slot Canyon with some late evening clouds and blue skies. 
Water in upper Tuckup is clear and beautiful.

Gordon's hike rating:
Hike Difficulty:                   ★★★★ Moderate
Trail Condition:                   ★★ No trail, just hike up the wash
Trail Hazards:                      ★★★★ Difficult:  boulder obstacle will turn many back
Trailhead:                             Colorado River mile 170
Time Required:                     2 hours
Distance round trip:              3 miles
Off the Beaten Path:             ★★★★★ Yes
Scenery:                                ★★★★ Fabulous, 4 Stars
Photographic Potential:        ★★★★ Excellent, 4 Stars