National Park Service officials have changed their minds and are now asking boaters to bypass Havasu Creek on river trips through the Grand Canyon.
Beaver Falls on the edge of the Havasupai Reservation is a frequent stop on trips down the Colorado River. Boaters tie up at the confluence with Havasu Creek and hike four miles through the side canyon to see the cascading blue green water.
When the park reopened last month, tribal leaders sent out a notice banning these visits to keep the isolated tribe safe from the pandemic.
But park officials said the land between the river and Beaver Falls belongs to the park and told boaters they could continue trekking to the falls as long as they kept a safe distance. Now the park is using its authority to request boaters voluntarily stay away.
The small tribe has had no known coronavirus cases. It also doesn’t have the resources to combat the virus.
