Grand Canyon: Monument Creek Campground
“Monument Creek is my favorite destination below the South Rim,” a long-time well-known Grand Canyon native geologist said as we hiked South Kaibab. This was certainly enough to pique my interest. After recently moving to the South Rim, we were eager for the weather to cool down so we could continue our exploration of the Inner Canyon in much more detail. My wife Wendy and I have been hiking the Grand Canyon for almost 25 years with literally hundreds of descents from the Rims. Now that we live a few minutes’ walk from the South Rim, we decided that one or two backpack trips a month was completely reasonable. Our first destination was Monument Creek Campground in Monument Creek on the recommendation of our friend.
If you’ve ever hiked the Grand Canyon “Corridor Trails” (Bright Angel, South/North Kaibab), the hike up Monument Creek is definitely a big step forward. The corridor trails are well maintained, compared to the Hermit trail they are pretty much groomed. First, for any overnight camping trips below the Rims, you must obtain a backcountry permit by calling the GCNP Backcountry Office at 928-638-7875. There are nominal fees associated with the permit. Then organize your gear and put a new memory card in your camera for a fantastically immersive immersion in a more remote section of the Grand Canyon.
The journey to Monument Creek begins on the Hermit Trail with a rapid 1,000′ descent into Waldron Canyon. From Waldron Canyon, the trail heads north, past Dripping Springs Trail, to a neat little rock. The trail up to this point is well maintained and gets quite a few day hikers on their way to Santa Maria Springs, less than a third of a mile away. I mention the for off because the road from here on out gets considerably more difficult. There are numerous rock slides that litter the trail with several areas of vertical exposure. All of this is completely doable with a backpack, you’re just not going to have a good time.
Santa Maria Springs is an oasis adjacent to the Redwall Formation approximately 2.2 miles from the trailhead. This makes this area a favorite destination for day trippers. There is a wonderful little spring that leads to a watering hole where you can fill your water bottles. (Always remember to filter your water anywhere in the Grand Canyon.) Next to the spring is a super cool rock hut with a bench and a super cool double rocking chair with the words “Rest Bit” engraved on the back. The view to the west from inside the rock hut is covered in hanging vines; Trust me, Martha Stewart couldn’t have designed a more comfortable rest home.
Traveling the trail that hugs the Redwall formation with numerous rockfalls over the next hour will bring you to Lookout Point, a great place to take a break and enjoy the view. Directly west of Lookout Point through Hermit Creek Canyon is the Boucher Trail. It is very difficult to see and is very resistant. This trail is named after the original hermit Louis D. Boucher. Another hour or so still hugging the Redwall formation with numerous rock slides and vertical exposure will bring you to Breezy Point. Breezy Point is 5.5 miles from the trailhead and is a great spot for lunch. Stunning views to the north provide a preview below of the Tonto Trail stretching southwest to Hermit’s Camp and northeast to a small saddle that leads to its destination on Monument Creek.
Winding past Breezy Point and still hugging the Redwall with numerous rock slides and more vertical exposure will get you to the Cathedral Stairs in about half an hour. The cathedral stairs are the crux, or the hardest part of the hike. Trail builders have literally carved a narrow trail out of this formation. It’s steep and rocky, but short, less than 1/4 mile. Once at the bottom of the Cathedral Stairs, one feels somewhat liberated from the canyon walls. There is a long traverse adjacent to Cope Butte and after numerous switchbacks it will join the Tonto Trail about 7 miles from the original trailhead. One can’t help but look south to Breezy Point and the Cathedral Stairs and marvel at the ingenuity of the trail builders.
The Tonto Trail to the east offers a welcome respite from rockfalls and vertical exposure after several miles of hard hiking along the Redwall. In fact, one can walk this part of the trail and allow their muscles to relax. There are glimpses of the Colorado River below, as the Tower of Set dominates the northern horizon. In about an hour, you’ll find yourself approaching the Monument Creek drainage. The descent to the drainage is bumpy and finding the trail can be tricky. There were hikers in front of us who went straight down into the creek, only to climb back up. The trail actually hugs the rim and goes down a bit, look for rock cairns.
The Monument Creek Campground area is an oasis. You have now traveled about 9.5 miles to a well protected drainage with lots of mesquite trees for shade with easy access to flowing water over multiples to put out. There are maybe a dozen different campgrounds, although night use permits currently only allow 4 campgrounds. So it’s easy to find a “private” campsite to your liking. We chose a well-shaded campsite among the mesquite trees to lay out a rope to hang our backpacks, camping gear, and most importantly, the “rat sack.” A rat bag is a must for Grand Canyon backpackers, it’s a wire mesh bag with a velcro closure that will keep critters, especially ringtails, away from your food. However, hanging it is usually not enough during the day, the crows will simply land on the sack and peck at their food. So it is better to cover the rat sack with another bag. Your backpack will work, but the crows are also incredibly dexterous with their beaks and will soon have all the zippers open as they rummage through the contents. I’ve heard stories of crows flying away from backpacks with money in their beaks! On this trip we ran into a couple of friends of ours, quite by chance, and they lost the cover of a library book to a particularly well-read crow; no, it was not written by Edgar Allen Poe.
Once settled into Monument Creek Campground, you’ll likely want to explore the Monument itself. This pinnacle rises more than 200 feet above the camp, standing like a sentinel guardian on Monument Creek. I have read reports that he raised 4 lengths with a rating of 5.10A, well above my pay level.
The Monument itself blends in with the surrounding rock, but can be seen from Monument Creek Vista on Hermit Road about 3500′ higher. By far the best day hike from Monument CG is the 1.6-mile trip up Monument Creek to Granite Rapids. The incomplete trail that descends to Monument Creek begins on the western side of the Monument. There are several steep switchbacks with loose rocks, but within a few minutes you find yourself standing in the sand/rock drainage of the creek itself. There are easy cairns to follow for the first two hundred meters and then follow the natural drainage. It is unbelievably beautiful. Monument Creek flows mostly underground, but closer to the Colorado River it is above ground and can be jumped in when it hasn’t been raining. Be aware of the weather before descending into Monument Creek, it will flood suddenly.
From Monument CG, one can hike Tonto Trail back west and spend time at Hermit’s CG and hike up Hermit Trail or head east to Salt Creek CG, Horn Creek CG, Indian Gardens CG, and up to Bright Angel Trail. We considered Monument to be a destination in itself and loved exploring the entire area and then climbing back up the Hermit Trail. A few hours later we’re sitting at the “Rest Bit” in Santa Maria Springs and already planning our next Grand Canyon adventure.
Eric is a real estate broker in Tucson AZ and manages properties in southern AZ.
Visit my website: http://www.TheTucsonHomeHunters.com