I live in Flagstaff and just 45 minutes south is the beautiful Verde Valley. When things start cooling off in the Northland, or we just need a break from winter, we often times head south where the temps can be as much as 20 degrees warmer. We have literally snow shoed one day and kayaked the next in sandals and shorts.
The Verde River is one of only two Wild and Scenic rivers in Arizona. Signed in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects more than 200 rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico. Wild and Scenic Rivers are designated into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to preserve their free-flowing condition and to protect and enhance their outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish, wildlife, historic, cultural, and other similar values.
The Verde has great day-runs, with relatively short shuttles, that can easily be done in a day. It also does not require a permit. We have kayaked this river in every month sans the dead of summer when the flow is low due to irrigation use of nearby farms and properties.
Our favorite run, for a long time, had been the ten-mile “town stretch” from White Bridge to Beasley Flats. It’s about a four-hour float which makes it an all-day venture by the time you drive down, shuttle, make the run, shuttle back for vehicles then head home.
A couple of years ago we discovered a half-day run that is packed with interesting features. It can’t be more than a few miles and it’s all right around Tuzigoot National Monument. We call it the Tuzigoot Run.
All river trips require some sort of shuttle. Why? Because the river only goes one way and you have to get back to your vehicle. This shuttle is only about three miles so it can easily be done with a bicycle! Here’s how it goes:1. Drop the boats and Ellen (my wife and adventure partner) off at the put in. 2. Drive the car and bike to the take-out. 3. Ride the bike back to the put-in and lock it to a tree. Now we’re ready to float!
The put-in is a crazy calm section of river that allows you to paddle up and down the waterway just to warm up and check out the local bird, insect and flower situation.
I keep my camera in a 50 mm ammo can between my legs in my kayak. It’s easy to access the camera and put it away quickly when things get splashy.
One must obey the traffic signs for a safe trip. Wait until you see the dam, it will make you question the safety of this section for sure.
We have to park and carry the boats overland into a large pond, then paddle across the pond and get out again to drop the boats down a boat chute. No, really, a boat slide. I’d never seen anything like it.
This is particularly true in the heat of summer I imagine. That metal could be pretty hot on your behonker.
We thought the boats would slide quickly. They don’t. It helps to have bow and stern lines to assist in their journey down the slide.
Sitting in the boats and sliding down is tempting, I’m not gonna lie, but we obeyed the rules. Safety first!
Yup, there it is. How’s THAT for a leaky dam? Apparently it’s been like this since the ’70’s. We spent the rest of the trip going though “What If” scenarios.
It’s a really calm section of the Verde and makes for a lovely afternoon of being on the water. You don’t want to paddle unless you HAVE to or the trip would be over even quicker.
There are a couple of swifter sections so one can’t fall asleep!
A few folks are lucky enough to call this area home. I always have to wonder if they play banjos…
The river is very narrow here.
The take-out is just past this bridge to the left. The car is parked here so we can de-rig, load the boats and drive back to the put-in to get the bike. A nice way to end the afternoon could be to grab a late lunch or early dinner in Cottonwood so bring clothes to change into!
The fact that we drove our Prius shows how well maintained the dirt roads are. If you plan on doing much kayaking or canoeing remember to bring an ammo can. They are easier to get into and much cheaper than a Pelican Case. Mine is lined with a foam, backpacking, sleeping pad so the cameras have some cushion.
I hope you enjoyed your trip down the Verde!
Happy shooting!!
We went on President’s Day last February and found some pretty good water. During peak run-off the water flows all the way across the canyon.
There is a trail that takes you to the bottom of the falls but beware of your camera gear. There is significant spray that comes off the falls and it is full of brown dirt. It also gets quite slippery and muddy to walk very close to the falls itself so I tend to stay downstream a bit.
This image shows a big black volcanic rock in the foreground. Also be ware of these rocks as they are quite sharp!
I, however, love photographing people, even when the scenery is amazing. If you take kids here keep a close eye on them lest they fall in and be swept away. There is plenty of mud to play in and spread around as my granddaughter is showing. 
This composition presented itself as I realized the possibility of silhouette shooting. The falls were in full sun but our side of the canyon was full shade…perfect. I had Akacia climb the rock and strike a pose. I had my other favorite model, my wife, do the same with her beautiful yoga poses. 
This is what happens when Dad is in charge. This man had about five kids with him with no mom in sight. The little girl on the left, BAREFOOT! was crying her eyes out. The little guy on the left had fallen a few times in the mud. They were working their way toward the trail to head out.
This is a clear view of the Little Colorado River Gorge heading west. This water will eventually go under ground and emerge again a teal blue color at the confluence with the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. It’s crazy to think this is the same water…
One such day found us at the South Rim heading down Bright Angel Trail toward Indian Garden, which you can see in this image as the splash of green on the right side in the smaller canyon, then out to Plateau Point. We did it with full 25# packs. It is six miles down which means six miles back up…12 total.
These images, however, were taken before I switched my setup to something lighter and easier to travel with. These images were taken with a Canon 40D and 35-70mm lens. Far heavier than I am willing to travel with these days. This is the view from Plateau Point, a 1.5 mile jaunt from Indian Gardens, to the river below. If you look closely you can see a river raft parked at the large beach on the left.
Here’s the thing about this blog: I focus on taking images when most travelers would be shooting, during the day. In a perfect world I would be here at sunrise and/or sunset, but in a traveler’s life, that is not realistic. Time is short and many things and places are crammed into a short period of time so it is my intent to show that, even though conditions are not ideal, it is still beneficial to bring your camera and snap some pictures.
Paria Canyon meets the river here and created this riffle. There were other buildings near the put-in that housed the ferry company back in the day. I did not include them here but they are fun to explore and photograph as well.
We parked the cars for the weekend and took the bikes all over. We road out to Highway 89 and down the road to this dirt road that seemed to go on forever.
That’s Navajo Bridge in the background, the only way over the canyon for hundreds of miles. We also had a great view of the river below.
We ran across this hogan, a traditional Dine’ dwelling, out on a dirt road with the beautiful Vermillion Cliffs in the background.
This is just a fun low angle shot I took while out on the bike ride. I had with me my Canon S120 point and shoot because it was easy to slip in and out of my pocket. It is also an easy camera to shoot one handed.
I like shadows.
Shooting while riding…NOT recommended.
This is the gate to the local cemetery that tells a very sad story. There are several children buried here that all seemed to pass in the span of a year. Not sure what the illness was but it ravaged this family.
We parked our bikes at the opening to the Lonely Dell Ranch like they were horses. This property had several buildings and an orchard. It was a great place to shoot.
