4 Types of People You’ll Meet on a Hatch River Trip Like any travel destination, the Grand Canyon has numerous appeals...
4 Types of People You’ll Meet on a Hatch River Trip
read more
Pre-Trip Education
Learn about what makes Grand Canyon so amazing
Prepare for Adventure
Embark on your Hatch whitewater rafting trip with confidence and excitement, armed with all the knowledge you need. We’ve put together the following list of resources about this important and unique place. Whether you’re interested in Grand Canyon’s geology, biology, history of indigenous peoples and explorers, or stories from past adventures and current river guides, we’re sure you’ll find something to learn!
Books and Resources
You’ve booked your trip, you’ve bought your gear, you’ve planned your transportation. Now what? Why not learn more about the place that’s about to become your whole world? We’ve compiled this list of Grand Canyon books and other resources to help you dig deeper into the subjects that interest you most.
- The Colorado River in Grand Canyon – River Map and Guide by Larry Stevens
- The Grand Canyon Reader edited by Lance Newman
- Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide by James Kaiser
- The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
- There’s This River: Grand Canyon Boatman Stories edited by Christa Sadler
- Sunk Without a Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde by Brad Dimock
- Breaking into the Current: Boatwomen of the Grand Canyon by Louise Teal
- Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M Myers
- River Runners of the Grand Canyon by Don Briggs [VIDEO]
- Riverman: The Story of Bus Hatch by Roy Webb
- A Story that Stands Like a Dam: Glen Canyon and the Struggle for the Soul of the West by Russell Martin
- The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict by Jonathan Waterman
- Grand Canyon Women: Lives Shaped by Landscape by Betty Leavengood
- An Introduction to Grand Canyon Prehistory by Christopher Coder
- The Archaeoogy of Grand Canyon: Ancient Peoples, Ancient Places edited by Francis E. Smiley, Christian E. Downum, and Susan G. Smiley
- I Am the Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People by Stephen Hirst
- Diné: A History of the Navajos by Peter Iverson
- Diné Identity in a 21st Century World by Lloyd L. Lee
- Footprints of Hopi History: Hopihiniwtiput Kukveni’at edited by Leigh J. Kuwanwisiwma, T.J. Ferguson, and Chip Colwell
- Book of the Hopi by Frank Waters
- About the Hualapai Nation by the Hualapai Department of Cultural Resources
- The Paiute by Frank W. Porter
- Native Voices on the Colorado River partnership website
- Grand Canyon National Park’s Associated Tribes website
Note: The best information on Native American History and Perspectives comes directly from tribes and tribal members. The following are some resources for learning about tribes affiliated with the Grand Canyon:
- “The Voices of Grand Canyon” by The Grand Canyon Trust
- Inter Tribal Council of Arizona website
- The Havasupai Tribe website
- The Hualapai Tribe website
- The Hopi Tribe website
- Hopi Cultural Center website
- Pueblo of Zuni website
- The Navajo Nation Government website
- Navajo Tourism Department website
- San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe website
- Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah website
- Moapa Band of Paiutes website
- Las Vegas Paiute Tribe website
- Yavapai-Apache Nation website
- Grand Canyon Geology edited by Stanley S. Beus and Michael Morales
- Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery by Wayne Ranney
- An Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology by Greer L. Price
- Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau by Ron Blakey and Wayne Ranney
- An Introduction to Grand Canyon Ecology by Rose Houk
- A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon by Stephen R. Whitney
- River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon by Kristin Huisinga, Lori Makarick, and Kate Watters
- Grand Canyon National Park: A Natural History Guide by Jeremy Schmidt
- Grand Canyon Conservancy: Grand Canyon books for kids!
- Stuff You Should Know: especially the episode Mystery of the Grand Canyon Newlyweds (alternative links: YouTube, Spotify, iHeart)
- The River Radius: especially the episode History of the Groover (alt links: Spotify, iHeart, Audible)
- Big Adventures with Brian Dierker: All the episodes are great, but make sure to listen to the one with Steve Hatch (alt links: Spotify)
- PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast- The Grand Canyon National Park
- Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim History: Part 1 and Part 2
- National Park After Dark: Swimming the Colorado River
- Grand Canyon TV: the whole podcast covers all things Grand Canyon!
Look for more books and information from these sources:
Goodreads – Grand Canyon
This popular website allows guests to rate and post reviews of books from all genres. A search of Grand Canyon related books will provide you with some of the most popular Grand Canyon-related literature and what actual readers thought of each title.
Grand Canyon Conservancy
Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official non-profit partner of Grand Canyon National Park. Their mission is to “Inspire people to protect and enhance Grand Canyon National Park for present and future generations.” This website itself is full of compelling information on Grand Canyon, and they have an online shop where you can find many more books on topics pertinent to Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.
Grand Canyon River Guides – Library and Links
Grand Canyon River Guides (GCRG) is a non-profit organization and a community of river guides and other travelers who care deeply about the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. GCRG organizes an annual Guide Training Seminar (GTS) to educate new and experienced guides on the most up-to-date Grand Canyon info. Their website includes a library of links and other resources that are available to the public.
More from Hatch River Expeditions
Learn cool facts about Grand Canyon, tips for river trips, and what's happening at Hatch.
Need a souvenir or gift for a loved one? Get Hatch shirts, hats, stickers, and more.