Lava Falls Rapid (9), at river mile 179.7, is formed by tons of rocky debris washed into the river from Prospect Canyon. The large Prospect Canyon drainage is susceptible to flash flooding like any other side canyon, but it drops 1,500 feet in a little over a mile, eroding out the gravels and volcanic debris that have filled the once-deep Prospect Canyon. The 200-foot high bluffs on river left that make up the Prospect Canyon debris fan are the remains of a long ago flood that brought massive amounts of gravel and boulders to the river. This rapid, like all rapids in Grand Canyon, gets sharper with in-washing of side canyon materials, and gets less turbulent as the Colorado River washes the side canyon debris on down river. You can scout this rapid on either the right or left. Both sides of the rapid offer passage, but the center of the rapid at the top has a wide, sharp drop called the Ledge Hole. Small watercraft can easily flip in the Ledge Hole. Have fun and remember a good run at Lava is less than 20 seconds long. Don’t sweat the little things!

Lava Falls Rapid