Grand Falls is a 185-foot tiered waterfall on the Little Colorado River in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation about 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff. Known as Chocolate Falls for its muddy brown water, it has been closed to visitors by the local Leupp Chapter community since March 2023.
The falls
The Little Colorado drops in two main steps, the tallest 110 feet, across a rim about 580 feet wide. The falls exist because of a lava flow: basalt from Merriam Crater, which the Arizona Geological Survey dates to about 20,000 years ago, ran into the river canyon and dammed it. The river swung around the lava and now pours back over the edge into its old course, carrying so much silt that the water runs the color of chocolate.
Getting there
Grand Falls is not open to the public. Residents of the Leupp Chapter closed the site to non-residents in March 2023, with the backing of Navajo Nation Parks, and the Navajo Nation Tourism Department lists it as closed until further notice. Local residents have barricaded the dirt access road with rocks, boards and a cable, and the chapter's own site still reads "Grand Falls is closed." No permit or fee currently allows a visit; the only exception reported is for members of state and federally recognized tribes coming for cultural preservation. Questions go to the Leupp Chapter office at (928) 686-3227.
When to go
Flow depends on snowmelt and rain. About 350 to 400 cubic feet per second runs through March and April, falling to 8 to 10 in June, and for months of the year the falls shrink to a drip.
On site
Residents closed the falls over trash, alcohol containers, off-road vehicles on residential and unmarked roads, damaged roads and dogs chasing livestock. The Navajo Nation Heritage and Historical Preservation Department has registered Grand Falls as a traditional cultural property; residents describe ceremonies and offerings at the falls and burial sites across from them.
History and name
The falls' Navajo name is Adah'iilíní. The English nickname Chocolate Falls comes from the color of the silt-laden water.
Nearby
Black Falls is about 10.2 miles away, Keyhole Falls about 38.6 miles and Cookstove Draw Falls about 41.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.