Diamond Creek Beach

Peach Springs, Arizona · on Diamond Creek

Verified · 3 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: river
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $16 per person
SEASON: Varies by conditions

About Diamond Creek Beach

Diamond Creek Beach is a sand-and-gravel bar swimming hole on the Colorado River at the mouth of Diamond Creek, deep in the Grand Canyon's Lower Granite Gorge on Hualapai Tribal land near Peach Springs, Arizona. It is reached via the unpaved, tribally managed Diamond Creek Road, the only route in the entire Grand Canyon corridor (between Lees Ferry and Pearce Ferry) where a vehicle can drive down to the Colorado River, making the beach a well-known commercial and noncommercial river takeout and put-in point.

The beach sits at the bottom of the Lower Granite Gorge where Diamond Creek, an intermittent Hualapai-reservation stream, meets the Colorado River roughly 3,400-3,500 feet below Peach Springs. It is remote desert canyon terrain with steep graded dirt road access, extreme summer heat, and no cell service.

Swimming at Diamond Creek Beach

Visitors can get in the Colorado River off the beach, but the current runs close to shore and is considered dangerous, especially for children; the water is cold (reported around 50F) with a silty bottom, so water shoes and a PFD are recommended. Some quieter pockets away from the main current are described as suitable for wading or soaking rather than swimming laps.

How to get to this swimming hole

From Historic Route 66 in Peach Springs, Arizona, turn south onto Diamond Creek Road (Hualapai Route 6/Indian Route 6) and follow the graded dirt road roughly 18-21 miles down through the canyon to the Colorado River; drive time is about 45-60 minutes at a posted 10 mph limit, and permits must be purchased in advance at the Hualapai Fish & Game office in Peach Springs.

Parking: Informal on-site parking on the sand/gravel bar at road's end; no formal lot.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up spot: Diamond Creek Road (graded dirt, ~18-21 miles, ~45-60 min at a 10 mph limit) ends directly at the beach/river's edge, so visitors walk only a couple of minutes from their parked vehicle across the sand/gravel bar to the water. No formal trail or trailhead is involved.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Aggregator sites describe it as fine for kids overall but warn the Colorado River current runs very close to the beach and is 'potentially dangerous, especially for the little ones'; water is cold (~50F) with a silty, uneven bottom. Calmer 'still water' pockets away from the main current are reported as suitable for soaking/wading with children under supervision.

Parking

Paid

No designated lot; vehicles park in informal pullouts along the riverbank/sand-gravel bar at the end of Diamond Creek Road. Parking itself has no separate fee but is only accessible after purchasing the required Hualapai day-use/road permit (aggregator source cites ~$16/person; official current rate not directly confirmed).

Restrooms

Yes

Vault toilets on-site at the beach (no showers, no potable water); however one visitor review on mycampingspot.com said they 'didn't notice any restrooms,' and another mentioned a portable toilet, so signage/visibility may be inconsistent.

Water clarity

Often murky

No source described the Colorado River here as clear; visitor accounts independently describe a 'silty' river bottom and recommend water shoes, consistent with typical Colorado River sediment in this reach. No direct murky, green, or clear color description was found, and no visitor commentary on clarity could be located.

Hours

The beach/road access itself is described by one aggregator as open 24/7 (no gate hours found), but permits must be purchased at the Hualapai Fish & Game office in Peach Springs, which is open daily 7am-5pm.

Swim smart

Strong Colorado River current close to the beach, cold water, silty/uneven river bottom, flash flooding of Diamond Creek and the access road during the July-September monsoon, extreme heat exceeding 110F in summer, biting gnats, and a very remote location with no cell service or nearby roadside assistance.

Rules: All road users and river-trip parties must obtain Hualapai tribal permits in advance (separate from any NPS noncommercial river permit); camping on the south/river-left bank above the historic high-water mark requires an advance Hualapai permit since that land is tribal, while the north/river-right bank is NPS land.

This is an informational listing, not an invitation. Conditions and access change; verify locally before you go. Visiting any swimming hole is at your own risk. See our Terms of Use.

On the water

RaftsMotorboats

Restrictions: Diamond Creek Beach functions primarily as an NPS-designated noncommercial river-trip launch/takeout (river mile 225) and as a commercial motorized-raft takeout/put-in, with an unimproved boat ramp. Sources describe rafting (private permitted trips and commercial motorized tours) but do not mention casual kayak/canoe/paddleboard use, and the strong current directly off the beach is called dangerous. Any private river-trip launch requires an NPS noncommercial permit plus Hualapai tribal permits; there is no evidence of casual paddlesport rental/launch use here.

No source confirmed kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards are used or permitted here outside of full river-trip rafting logistics; treat non-raft watercraft use as unconfirmed rather than assumed allowed.

Rentals nearby

Hualapai River Runners

The only Native-owned and operated rafting company on the Colorado River; one-day guided motorized whitewater rafting trips (the 'Grand Escape' package) that include a hike to Travertine Falls, a riverside lunch, and a helicopter ride out of the canyon, with Diamond Creek serving as the river takeout/launch point in the Lower Granite Gorge.

Prices: $589 per person (Grand Escape package)

Departs from Peach Springs, AZ (900 E. Hwy 66); trip travels the Colorado River through the Lower Granite Gorge to/from the Diamond Creek area, about a 2-hour drive from Grand Canyon West · Runs Mon-Thurs, April-September (rafting season April-October); check-in at 900 E. Hwy 66, Peach Springs, AZ

What regulars say

Visitor reports describe 'still' calmer water areas suitable for soaking away from the main current, note the site is 'good for kids' with that caveat, and flag inconsistent restroom visibility (one visitor saw no restroom, another only a portable toilet) despite official facility lists citing vault toilets.

Backstory

Diamond Creek Road has long served as a Hualapai Tribe-managed corridor and is historically significant as the only vehicle route to the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon between Lees Ferry (225 mi upriver) and Pearce Ferry (52 mi downriver); the National Park Service also designates Diamond Creek as an official noncommercial river-trip launch/takeout point at river mile 225.

Diamond Creek Beach: FAQ

Does Diamond Creek Beach charge a fee?

Hualapai Tribe daily permit required for road use, day use, and camping, purchased at the Hualapai Fish & Game office (863 AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ; (928) 769-2227, open daily 7am-5pm); one aggregator source cites a rate of about $16 per person, though the official fee schedule was not directly located.

Is Diamond Creek Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Diamond Creek Beach?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Diamond Creek Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Diamond Creek Beach?

No source confirmed kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards are used or permitted here outside of full river-trip rafting logistics; treat non-raft watercraft use as unconfirmed rather than assumed allowed.

What are the rules at Diamond Creek Beach?

All road users and river-trip parties must obtain Hualapai tribal permits in advance (separate from any NPS noncommercial river permit); camping on the south/river-left bank above the historic high-water mark requires an advance Hualapai permit since that land is tribal, while the north/river-right bank is NPS land.

What water body is Diamond Creek Beach on?

Diamond Creek Beach is on Diamond Creek, a natural river verified in USGS hydrography data.