Clear Creek Trail

Trail summary
Location:

North Rim Trails

Elevations:

2,640 feet (805 m): Clear Creek trailhead
4,160 feet (1268 m): Tonto Platform
3,440 feet (1,049 m): Clear Creek

Length:

8.7 miles (14 km): Clear Creek trailhead to Clear Creek

Details

Wilderness Trail

The Civilian Conservation Corps built the trail to Clear Creek in 1933. The northeast arm of Clear Creek Canyon, north of Honan Point, contains the highest waterfall in Grand Canyon. Most times of the year, Cheyava Falls is a mere trickle, but after a wet winter it gushes from the cliff face in a series of cascades. The Kolb brothers, early canyon photographers, first explored Cheyava Falls in 1903 after a prospector spotted what he thought was a cliff coated with a sheet of ice.


Variations:
To River: A day hike down Clear Creek to the river involves frequent stream crossings. A climb is required to bypass a 15-foot (4.6 m) pouroff, 0.25 mile (0.40 km) from the river.
Cheyava Falls: To reach seasonal (snowmelt-fed) Cheyava Falls, follow Clear Creek north from Clear Creek Campground for 5 miles. Several stream crossings are required; there is no established trail.