The Hualapai tribe has temporarily postponed upriver rafting trips in the Grand Canyon. As Arizona Public Radio’s Parker Olson reports, the suspension comes after the National Park Service voiced concerns about upriver travel.
The tours were scheduled to begin March 15, however, the Park Service was not aware of the plan until a recent news release was issued by the tribe. The Park Service regulates the waterway and does not allow upriver travel in that part of Grand Canyon. The Hualapai reservation spans 100 miles along the Colorado River. They were planning to take passengers three miles upstream from Diamond Creek. The tribe wanted the excursion to be a cultural experience for visitors, but says it respects the Park Service's regulations. For many years the tribe has conducted down-river trips. Those remain unaffected by the Park Service’s decision.
