Cape Solitude
Grand Canyon rangers would agree one of the most commonly asked questions is “What’s the best Canyon viewpoint?” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many points along the rim might qualify for that honor, but any Grand Canyon aficionado will tell you the view from Cape Solitude is one of the very finest. Remote, accessible not only by foot, Cape Solitude overlooks the confluence of the main stem Colorado River with a noted tributary, the Little Colorado River. This joining of the water at river mile 61.5 marks the formal inception of the Grand Canyon, one of those pivotal locations that define this special place. The Little Colorado drains the majority of northeastern Arizona and has the potential to produce sediment laden floods of magnificent proportions. When unstained by floods the water in the lower Little Colorado River, is the color of the sky, supernaturally blue. The scale of the Little Colorado River Gorge rivals the Grand at the confluence, two grand canyons consolidating into one, out in the middle of nowhere. It’s a hard, dry walk to get there and back but the late afternoon view at Cape Solitude will, perhaps, provide an answer to that most common of questions.
Vital Statistics
Mileage
Desert View to Cape Solitude: 15.2 miles (24.3 km)
Maps
Cape Solitude 7.5’ USGS Quad
Elevation
Desert View: 7438’ (2268 m)
Brahma-Deva Saddle: 6641’ (2250 m)
Cape Solitude: 6146’ (1874 m)
Trailhead Access
Start at the Desert View Ranger Station and follow the dirt road (E14) east. Walk or drive down the slope heading north and east toward Cedar Mountain. Driving requires a high clearance, low rand equipped, 4 wheel drive vehicle. The rough going makes it almost as fast to walk as drive. About 3 miles brings one to Cape Solitude Trailhead west of Cedar Mountain
Trail Description
Many years ago Cape Solitude could be accessed by a 4 wheel drive vehicle, but in the early 1990s the area came under Wilderness Management, the Jeep road became a hiking trail, and Cape Solitude reverted to the realm of Canyon walkers. Since the trail was at one time a road, it was accurately plotted and is exactly as shown on current top maps.
It is 2.8 miles from Desert View Ranger Station to the trailhead where the path to Cape Solitude forks north off the Cedar Mountain road. Given a competent backcountry vehicle one could drive to the trail, but the marvelously eroded condition of the switchbacks is enough to encourage most hikers to spare their machines and walk. The trail drops into Straight Canyon, crosses to the north side and wanders generally north across the expansive slope falling east from Palisades of the Desert. About 5.7 miles north of the trailhead the route hits the park boundary fence, passes through a gate and comes to a fork in the old road. The right hand option continues east on Navajo nation land. For Cape Solitude, go left, follow the old jeep road uphill to a second gate in the boundary fence and re-enter the park. Walk the former jeep track 6.7 miles across an immense expanses of open country cut by shallow drainages to the point at Cape Solitude. The view is startlingly steep. The rim seems to almost overhang the confluence of the rivers leaving nothing but 4000’ of clear Canyon air between you and the wonder of the inner canyon.
Water Sources: No water is available anywhere along this route. Water sufficient for two or three days and 30 miles of rough desert hiking must be carried from Desert View. It should be obvious that this hike is to avoided during hot weather.
Campsites: Camping is “at large.”
Notes With the construction of Glen Canyon Dam the Little Colorado River has become the primary source of sediments for the main stem of the Colorado below the dam. These sands and silts are critical to the natural maintenance of beaches, sand bars and backwater lagoons and the wildlife habitats revolving around these riverside features. In the same vein, the comparatively warm water of the Little Colorado River today provide refuge for native species of fish unable to prosper in the cold, post-dam Colorado.
Comanche Point, perched at the apex of the Palisades of the Desert, is another of those “very best” Canyon viewpoints. It is possible to climb Comanche Point staring from the Cape Solitude route but there’s no trail of any sort, so well developed route finding skills are essential.
The ruins of old Navajo hogans can be seen along the way. Please leave these archeological sites as you find them.
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