Today, the Hualapai American Indian Reservation, a Sovereign Indian Nation, created in 1883, is nearly 1,000,000 acres that includes 108 miles of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. There are approximately 2,100 enrolled members of the Hualapai Tribe and nearly half live in Peach Springs, the capital of the Hualapai Nation, on Historic Route 66.

Years of social and economic hardship led Hualapai Leaders to take measures that would lead to an independent future for the generations to come. As a result, the Hualapai decided to open their land to visitors in 1988, creating Grand Canyon West as a tourism destination.

The reservation’s topography varies from rolling grassland, to thick forests, to rugged canyons. Elevations range from 1,500 feet at the Colorado River, to over 7,300 feet at the highest point of the Aubrey Cliffs.

The total population of the Hualapai Reservation is about 1,621 of whom 1,353 are tribal members (2000 U.S. Census). Total tribal membership, including members not residing on the reservation, is approximately 2,300.

Most people who reside on the reservation live in the capitol town of Peach Springs, which owns its name to the peach trees that historically grew at nearby springs.

The principal economic activities are tourism, cattle ranching, and arts and crafts. An outdoorsman’s paradise, the reservation is rich in hunting, fishing, and river rafting opportunities. The tribe sells guided big-game hunting permits for desert bighorn sheep, trophy elk, antelope, and mountain lion. The Hualapai River Runners, the only Indian-owned and operated river rafting company on the Colorado River, offers one and two-day trips.

Another tribal enterprise is Grand Canyon West on the Hualapai reservation at the west rim of the Grand Canyon. Offering an alternative to the Grand Canyon National Park, the enterprise offers tour packages that can include spectacular views from the “Skywalk” (a glass bridge that enables visitors to walk beyond the rim of the Grand Canyon at 4,000 feet above the Colorado River), helicopter and boat tours, and other excursions on the reservation.

Many have heard of the water falls including Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls. The Supai Indian Village, also known as Supai, has been home to the Havasupai Indians for many centuries.