Note: this class is currently full. Please contact us to be added to the waiting list.

The Thunder River - Deer Creek area has attracted visitors for close to 10,000 years. From a remarkable Archaic Cultural occupation to the remnants of densly populated Ancestral Puebloan communities and more recent Pai use- Thunder River and its environs offer much to the budding archaeologist. The geology too is remarkable. Surprise Canyon Formation exposures, ancient landslides, and floods allow visitors to this remote part of the canyon, off the North Rim, to grasp how access from the rim, availability of food and water, and the existence of reliable shelter are all dictated by the geology and geography of any given locale.

During the strenuous hike to the Thunder River area, participants will learn about the canyon’s earliest inhabitants, and their relationship with- what at first glimpse- seems to be the hostile terrain of Grand Canyon.

After a brief orientation the class heads to the trailhead before descending on the historic Bill Hall Trail. We will camp in Surprise Canyon, Tapeats Creek, and Deer Creek and explore by way of fun day hikes. A plethora of topics and tales are certain to leave participants with a heightened appreciation of the people, past and present, that have called Grand Canyon home, and the geology that shaped it.