Arizona man convicted of illegal backcountry guide operations at Grand Canyon National Park

PHOENIX — An Arizona man pleaded guilty to conducting backcountry guide operations without permits at Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service said Tuesday.

William Woods of Flagstaff faces two years of supervised probation and is banned from Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for the next two years, according to an NPS press release.

An investigation found that Woods organized a commercial guided backpacking trip on the Colorado Plateau without a permit in November 2020, the release said.

A further look into Woods revealed that he illegally advertised guided trips under the company names Blue Marble Guides, Canyons and Chefs, Blue Marble Adventure Geotourism, LLC and Red Rock Culinary.

Woods had previously been warned by park staff to stop the operations but continued them, according to the release.

Commercial use authorization permits are required for all commercial guided activities that result in compensation within Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

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