Hiking and camping is free but you do have to stop by a ranger station and fill out a permit so that they know who is in the backcountry. I have scanned some of my better photos and hope you will enjoy them. More text will be added about the trip later. It was very dry this time of year and most of the waterfalls had little water going over them as you can see from the pictures. A visit to the waterfalls in the spring would be worthwhile.
Most scenic views are from the rim trails.
Hiking within the gulf is very rugged, the trails are not smooth, and there are few sources of water so plan ahead. The Savage Ranger Station is on the eastern edge of the Natural Area and this is where we began our trip by hiking into the Savage Falls Campground a mile and a half from the Ranger Station. If you arrive late in the day then there is a campground at the Ranger Station too as hiking after dark is not permitted. We were able to get water from the creek above Savage Falls. We used the north rim trail to get to Hobbs Cabin.