National Park Service urges visitors to bypass Havasu Canyon
Jul 2, 2020, 4:00 PM | Updated: 8:02 pm
(National Park Service/Erin Whittaker)
(National Park Service/Erin Whittaker)
PHOENIX – National Park Service officials are urging people to bypass Havasu Canyon on the Colorado River to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
River guides and boaters, both private and commercial, are expected to honor the request to help protect the Havasupai people, according to a press release Thursday.
The Havasupai reservation has been under an emergency closure due to the coronavirus since March 16.
As a result, there is no entry allowed onto the reservation and it has suspended all tourism until further notice.
There’s also no camping allowed where the Havasu Creek and Colorado River meet.
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Last week, Havasupai officials warned river rafters would be detained if they stepped foot on land the tribe traditionally uses but isn’t part of its formal reservation.
The Havasupai Tribe has positioned law enforcement at the boundary between the reservation and the park and plans to enforce any attempts to violate the closure.
According to the release, the tribe will report any violators to the NPS.
The Havasupai reservation has no known coronavirus cases.
