The Hualapai Tribe is connected to the Grand Canyon in a way the National Park Service is not. “The People of the Tall Pines” have a spiritual bond with the land that they believe was created by an ice comet that smashed into Colorado and melted into a cavern-carving river. Geologists theorize the natural wonder was once covered by a vast sea nearly 2 billion years ago that left behind fossilized evidence hikers can stumble upon today.
Whether due to sudden cosmic cataclysm or slowly shifting subsurface plates, the Grand Canyon evolved into its current 277-mile-long, 18-mile-wide formation that modern-day explorers access from its north, south and west rims. The West Rim, the closest one to Las Vegas, is located within the 1 million acres of ancestral homeland owned by the Hualapai and is the tribal-operated Grand Canyon West.
Perhaps best known as the location of the Skywalk, the horseshoe-shaped bridge that extends 70 feet over the canyon and provides a view 4,000 feet to its bottom via glass platform, Grand Canyon West provides a variety of experiences from hiking and ziplining to helicopter tours of the Colorado River and rafting on its rapids. The Hualapai enhance the experience with a traditional village, singing and stories.
Hulalapai guides relate history and legends, while visitors hike the 12.8-mile Grand Canyon West Rim Trail or railing-free Highpoint Hike. The former is less strenuous than many of the South Rim trails, while the latter leads to Guano Point, where incomparable 360-degree vistas and the remnants of an aerial tram that once spanned 7,500 feet are sightseeing highlights.
While Major John Wesley Powell and companions rode the rapids in rowboats during their 1869 exploration of the Grand Canyon, the Hualapai River Runners offer a one-day motorized rafting adventure and a two-day paddling expedition that includes camping in Spencer Canyon and steak dinners. Both options include whitewater excitement followed by casual floats.
As indigenous guides relate, the Hualapai refer to the river as Ha’yiđađa. It’s their sacred source of origin and a living entity, one to be revered and respected. It’s something to keep in mind while exploring a realm inhabited for centuries by generations of Hualapai ancestors, some of whom sacrificed their lives for freedom. These stories are also related by the Hualapai Bird Singers, an all-ages ensemble in colorful dress who chant and dance at Grand Canyon West’s Eagle Point.
Eagle Point is also the site of the village, where traditional housing, sweat lodges and other structures can be observed before a visit to peruse souvenirs at the tribe’s flea market. Do that after the zipline, where guests can have an adrenalizing experience that could be considered an homage to the miners that once took the tramway to work and back to whatever housing was provided for them in the 1950s.
Modern-day lodging offers modern conveniences and spectacular views of sunrises and sunsets, while RVs are accommodated as well. Regardless of how visitors stay, they sleep well at night under the stewardship of the People of the Tall Pines.
5001 Diamond Bar Road, Peach Springs, Ariz. 888.868.9378 or grandcanyonwest.com
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