The Thunder River and Tapeats Creek trails lead to one of the Grand Canyon's most improbable wonders: Thunder River, often called one of the shortest rivers in the world, which bursts full-grown straight out of a cave in the Redwall limestone cliff and crashes down a steep, spring-fed cascade to join Tapeats Creek. In the parched heart of the canyon, this sudden explosion of cold, clear water and greenery is unforgettable.

These are remote, strenuous, non-corridor routes on the canyon's North Rim side, usually reached by the Bill Hall Trail from Monument Point in the Kaibab National Forest or the longer Thunder River Trail from Indian Hollow. After a steep, waterless descent across the exposed Esplanade, the trail drops through the Redwall to the roar of Thunder River, then follows Tapeats Creek, a genuine trout stream, down toward the Colorado. Many backpackers link it into the classic Thunder River-Deer Creek loop, adding the oasis of Deer Creek with its narrows and the 100-foot Deer Creek Falls plunging to the river.

This is a trip for experienced, fit, self-reliant hikers over several days. The upper trail is long, hot and completely waterless until Thunder River or Tapeats Creek, summer temperatures are dangerous, route-finding and creek crossings demand care, and an overnight backcountry permit is required. But for those willing to work for it, the sight and sound of a river pouring from a cliff, and the lush creekside camps below, make this one of the most rewarding backpacks in the entire canyon.