jrbnrnc

I have seen pictures of the Grand Canyon from Toroweep that make me want to make the 70 mile drive each way on the dirt road. We plan to be in the area in late June in a rental economy car. Are the roads to Toroweep in good enough condition for a small car to make the trip. If not, might we rent an old truck or jeep in Kanab or Freedonia for an afternoon to make the trip? rb

TheWeasel

Road conditions can and do change with rain, so it's not possible to predict what the road will be like a month from now. Your best bet is to check conditions a day or so ahead of time. You may want to check in St. George for 4WD rentals, but you almost certainly will need to rent a vehicle from a company that specializes in off-road trips. I don't think any of the conventional rental agencies allow for off-road stuff, and I'm sure the road to Toroweap would be classified as off-road as it's not paved and quite rough.

Take plenty of water and prepare as if you might be stuck out there for an overnight. I wouldn't plan on this being an afternoon trip - start in the morning to beat the heat, and take your time on the drive. Everything I've heard about the road indicates that it's slow-going, and if you attempt to push the pace too much you risk popping a tire on the rocks.

nytraveler

Most car rental agencies will NOT allow you to drive their cars on anything but paved roads. (AM not familiar with this road - but it does not sound like you should be on it with aythig but 4-wheel drive with a high clearance.)

If you do and are caught - or incur any damage - your insurance will be voided and you will have to pay all repair and non-use costs out of your own pocket.

And - this is not just the agency's insurance. Since you have abrogated the rules of the agency contract, neither your own car insurance nor that provided by any credit card will be valid either.

jrbnrnc

OK so I won't take the rental car on an unpaved road. But I might try to find someone in Kanab who will rent me their old pick up truck for an afternoon. I drove on more unpaved roads than paved roads when growing up so am not as fearful as some might be. Or, may just forget the whole idea. Thanks anyway for the advice. rb

TheWeasel

I'm not sure you understand what this entails. This isn't like some dirt road you grew up on (and by the way, I drove many unpaved roads while growing up and since then, so I'm not exactly afraid of them).

This is a minimum 5 hour roundtrip drive over a rough road with numerous sharp rocks. And you're proposing to do it on a hot summer afternoon. Take plenty of supplies and prepare to wait awhile for assistance if you need it. There are no services and the ranger station will most likely be unmanned, so count on sitting awhile in 100+ temps if your vehicle breaks down.

CowboyCraic

Instead of driving yourself, have you considered booking a tour? There are several which run out to Toroweap:

http://www.ccobtours.com/

http://www.dreamlandtours.net/Tours.html

http://www.southwesttours.com/custom.asp

I don't know that there woud be a rental place which could rent you a "beater" vehicle for the drive.

Have a most excellent adventure,

Bit Devine
Tucson, Arizona