Be a good river citizen on your Grand Canyon river trip!

Sometimes Hatch takes such good care of you, it’s easy to forget that the Grand Canyon is a remote backcountry area. This remoteness is part of what makes this kind of trip so great, but it does have its drawbacks. That’s why it’s so important for all of us to practice good “river citizenship” when embarking on a Grand Canyon river trip.

On most vacations, if you forget to grab a bottle of sunscreen on your way to the beach or if you find once you’ve arrived that you need an extra bag of ice, there is usually a gas station not far away. If you happen to have the misfortune to get in a car accident on the way to that gas station, emergency responders are sure to get to you quickly.

In the middle of the Grand Canyon, though, amenities are not so readily available. Likewise, it is harder for emergency responders to reach you in the event of an emergency. Fortunately, there is a community of people boating on the Colorado River who have your back!

Hatch is one of 16 commercial whitewater rafting outfitters operating in Grand Canyon National Park. Additionally, the National Park Service grants permits to private boaters who run their own trips down the river. This means that throughout your trip, you’ll be passing other boaters out to enjoy the same beauty, serenity, and adventure that you are.

Hatch (like most outfitters and private boaters) works hard to ensure we are good citizens of the river. That means being good stewards of the Canyon, looking out for the people around us, sharing resources when we have them to spare, and helping when a situation turns potentially dangerous. We know others in the Canyon would do the same for us if the opportunity arose.

Once in a while, the people we’ve encountered on other trips get in touch to tell us about how grateful they were for our help. The issue might be small, like running out of something you needed as this private boater did:

“This was a rowing trip and all went well. Except toward the end of the trip our ice reserves were running low. We were very surprised and pleased when one of your boats just showed up and gave us a bunch of ice. 10 blocks. Wow! Those men of yours could not have been more friendly and neighborly! Kudos to you and your fine staff.”

Other times, it can be more dramatic like helping with response to an on-river incident or helping to salvage equipment that had to be left behind.

For us, these situations are not about heroics or going above and beyond—they are what all good citizens of the river should do. We all look out for each other on the river, because it’s the right thing to do.

As a Hatch guest, there’s a lot you can do to practice good river citizenship. Here are three easy suggestions:

• Follow Leave No Trace Principles—Take only pictures; leave only footprints (and if you happen to spy a piece of food or trash someone missed, take that with you, too).
• Be Kind—This applies to people on your trip and to others you encounter. Help everyone enjoy the wilderness area you’ve all come to visit.
• Live A Little—Bring you adventure attitude, embrace the dirt, and be open to new experiences; it will make your experience and the experience of folks around you that much better!

If you’re ready to book and join our little river community, check out our trips!