Panchos Kitchen - Grand Canyon - Colorado River
Back Mile 137
At mile marker 137.6, you’ll find Pancho’s Kitchen. It is a great camp! Our group gave it 5 Stars (we would poop there again). There are a few things to know about Pancho’s Kitchen Camp.
- At flows above 10,000CFS, the hike up to the flat area becomes short, and you lose access to one of the best groover locations on the river. As you will see in the older photos below, the camp during high water has a much smaller beach area.
- Below flows of 10,000cfs, you begin to gain access to the beach just upriver. This beach provides the perfect groover location but I don’t think you can access it during average flows - not without using a paddleboard or boat to ferry you to and from.
- This camp is LOUD. The echoes coming off the wall are intense, and you hear both camps - Pancho’s Kitchen and Football Field just downstream. If you are a light sleeper, be prepared to stay up for as long as your group and/or the other group does.
No matter what water levels you experience, this is an all-around great camp. For tent spots, you'll want to hike to the right of the ledge area. As of Fall 2023, there was a large, flat bed of sand that could easily hold 6 tents, maybe 8. It's worth noting that the flat area is about the midpoint between Pancho’s kitchen and Football Field camps so you might bump into another group. However, the trail to it makes it part of Pancho’s Kitchen - not the other way around.
