Nankoweap Granaries

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Features Historical Significance · Views

Many centuries ago, indigenous people lived in the bottom of the Grand Canyon and grew crops on the flood plains. At this spot you can see one element of their lives up close--stone granaries built high into a cliff above the Nankoweap Delta. This cultural site and its view over the river make one of the most-photographed locations in the canyon. If you are lucky enough to join a rafting trip from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch, this side hike is not to be missed.

The granaries are a very popular destination for river trips, and backpackers can get here too via Nankoweap Trail. Thousands of people visit every year, but this is an irreplaceable cultural site that must be treated with respect. Admire the stonework with your eyes only--do not touch or move any stones--so that we can preserve this amazing place for generations to come.

Mapped here is the hike from Nankoweap beach camp up to the granaries. This is the hike you would take if coming from a raft trip. The other way to get here is by the grueling backpacking trip down Nankoweap Trail from the North Rim. Backpackers can camp along Nankoweap Creek or on the beach near the raft trips.

From the beach, it is a steep and rocky ascent of about 700 feet up to the granaries. The start of the trail can be tricky to find because many sandy paths braid through the vegetation from the beach. Most of them converge near the same place, however. Once at the base of the scree slope you should be able to locate the beaten path up to the granaries.

It's quite a long way up, and the hike will be very hot on a sunny day. You'll enjoy expanding views over the river as you climb, and the destination is frequently within sight to keep you motivated. The final approach to the ruins requires scrambling up some rock ledges. Once on top, you'll be able to peer into the stone windows and gaze over the most amazing river view you'll ever see.

The Ancestral Puebloan people constructed these granaries roughly 1000 years ago, using them to keep corn and other foods in storage through the winter. These people lived and farmed seasonally on the delta down below, and moved crops into the granaries after harvest. At that time, the Colorado River flowed free of dams and its volume would change drastically through the year. Spring runoff brought huge flows that covered the floodplain, leaving fertile soil for inhabitants to farm throughout the summer and fall.