The Little Colorado river is one of the main tributaries to the Colorado River that provides access to the Colorado river with over a 54 mile hike ( one way) or taking one of the side canyons down into the Little Colorado river. 

Water sheds for hundred of miles into the Little Colorado river and connecting tributaries but one of the mysteries of this watershed is the beautiful milky blue water that emerges from springs.

This blue water is high in Calcium and Magnesium and reflects a beautiful light baby blue color as it passes over calcified travertine dams on its way to the Colorado river. 

We ran Big Canyon which was a beautiful spring fed canyon that included a 5 mile approach and raps to 100ft that took us to the Little Colorado river, so this blue water was a real treat when we ended the canyon.

The water was surprisingly warm!  it must have been in the high 60s and even in the shade, the water felt great to swim around in and float down the river. 

The water has been mentioned to not be drinkable and I personally don't recommend drinking it due to the high levels of minerals unless you were in dire need of water. 

I have heard of people drinking the water after filtering it and some have been fine and others threw up from the intake of the blue water so be careful if this is your only option.  There are other springs in the area that might offer filterable water sources other than this water.

There is some fantastic beaches to camp on and there is a trail that allows access to the river from the top all the way down to the Colorado river. 

From the exit into the salt canyon trail, we met a few hikers that said that it was around 9 miles ( one way) to the Colorado river so spending a few days out here is a necessity when visiting the river.

When we left the river, I felt like we needed a lot more time here to really enjoy the beauty of the Little Colorado River.