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Mules In Grand Canyon National Park: Should They Stay?

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Grand Canyon National Park officials are asking for public input on the continued use of mules in the park. NPS photo.

Mules in Grand Canyon National Park. They can be a bane, and they can be a beast of burden that makes your trek down into the chasm somewhat easier. Now park officials want to know if mules should continue to be utilized in the Grand Canyon.

Folks who have more than a few hikes down into the canyon can speak harshly of mules, largely for the mess they make with their urine on the trails but also for the spacing of steps in the trails to accommodate the beasts. But mules no doubt have made the canyon accessible for folks who otherwise wouldn't have ventured down the trail.

So what do you think? Grand Canyon officials are now accepting comments on mule operations and stock use in the park as they begin to develop an environmental assessment. The presence and use of mules in and around the canyon is a long-standing tradition and one that the park would like to continue.

But park officials also are interested in continuing to provide opportunities for stock use in a manner that is sustainable. This planning effort will address the following management objective identified in the park’s 1995 General Management Plan: “Where livestock and visitors share the same trails and areas, minimize conflicts and resource impacts, and enhance safety.”

The planning process will consider the following:

* Commercial and private stock use (including horses, mules, and burros) throughout the park.

* Appropriate levels of stock use on park trails.

* Appropriate locations for stock use in the park, which may include: keeping commercial stock use on the North Kaibab Trail down to Supai Tunnel; moving stock use to one of the South Rim corridor trails (Bright Angel or South Kaibab); keeping stock use on the Uncle Jim Trail, Whitmore Trail, and select corridor trails; initiation of a concession-operated day ride on the South Rim; the need for new stock facilities or modification to existing facilities on the North and South Rim, including compliance with laws and regulations for mule health and safety.

The Park Service encourages public participation through the National Environmental Policy Act (commonly known as NEPA) process during which the public has two opportunities to formally comment on the project – once during initial project scoping and again following release of the EA which is expected this fall. The NPS is currently in the scoping phase of this project and invites the public to submit their comments in a variety of ways during the next 30 days.

Three open house meetings are scheduled in June where Grand Canyon National Park staff will be available to answer questions and take comments on stock use in the park. Meeting dates and locations are as follows:

June 2, 4-7 PM (Arizona Time) – Flagstaff Public Library, 300 W Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff, Arizona

June 3, 4-6 PM (Arizona Time) – Community Building, Room B, South Rim Village, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

June 4, 4-7 PM (Utah Time) – Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Kanab Visitor’s Center, 745 East Highway 89, Kanab, Utah

You may also submit written comments on this web site or by mailing them to: Steve Martin, Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, Attn: Mule Operations and Stock Use EA, P.O. Box 129 (1 Village Loop for express, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 by June 22, 2009.

The park expects to prepare an EA this summer, with a decision document for this project anticipated in December, 2009. Additional information about this project can be found at this web site or by contacting Rachel Stanton, Project Planning Lead, at (928) 774-9612.

Comments

What's going on here? You feel like you have the RIGHT to ride on an animal's back to see the floor of a canyon? do you feel good about making a poor animal carry you for 6 hours? if you are too lazy, then guess what, take photos from the rim. If you are handicapped, etc., then there are plenty of other ways to enjoy this and all other national parks. Walking to the floor of the Grand Canyon is a privilege, and certainly not a right. i cannot believe what i have been reading. i know there are several other reasons to stop using mules on the trails, but there is certainly an issue of animal cruelty.


If you walk, it's free. If you want to ride a mule, it costs money. The "special interest" argument is specious because it's the more exclusive rich folks that offer it.
The mules destroy the trail. The park is spending big bucks on a multi-year program to try to repair them. The mule use destroyed the resource and added costs, yet as a hiker I paid the same entry fee as the mule rider. In effect, I'm paying more so that the mules can ruin my experience. The only way the mules should remain is if mule riders pay an extra fee so the park can repair the damage that the mule-riding "special interest" incurs.
It's true that not everyone can walk to the bottom of the canyon. But at 55, I had no problem. If you are not up for it, be satisfied with walking a nice trail for a shorter visit. Or maybe we should make a 4-lane freeway down so that everyone could go see the 'pristine' canyon. And just think- the whole visit would take just minutes!
And last- on my hike in the canyon last weekend, my shirt turned green from mule droppings kicked up in the pulverized mule dust. I wonder what color my lungs are now?


Actually, not all of the above is correct. The majority of trails in the Grand Canyon have their origins as game trails and Native American prehistoric and historic routes into the Canyon. Only a realatively small number of the total number of trails in the canyon were improved by prospectors and miners in the late 1800's, early 1900's (like Hance, Bass...) or during the early 1900's for tourist (Hermit, South Kaibab) for access by stock.

When the NPS trail crew is on a river trip they are working on trails along that corridor that lead to attraction sites, such as the Nankoweap granaries.

The NPS routinely works on the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and North Kaibab trails, in some cases, assisted in their work by a trail crew employed by the South Rim concession company. The funds the NPS receives from the mule concession pays for work on inner canyon trails.

The money used to fund the rim trails, such as the greenway trails mentioned above, come from other funding sources. And while those trails seem to go nowhere, there is a phased plan to connect such trails from one attraction site, say Hermit's Rest, to another, such as the Yavapai Observation Center, or Yaki Point. These trails provide access to the rim for hikers, bicyclists, and persons with disabilities. These greenways encourage and enable employees to safely walk or bike to work, reducing vehicle use and allow people, who might not be able to do so otherwise, see the rim and travel along it for significant distances, safely.


The dried mule droppings do not bother me, but the puddles of mule urine do emit disconcerting odors (and I do not hike the canyon in waterproof/urine-proof boots). Nevertheless, I will find it upsetting if the the authorities decide that the mules must wear diapers. A mule driver at Phantom Ranch told me that the "powers that be" are talking about requiring diapers on mules.


There are usually 12 mules a day delivering supplies for, mainly, hikers such as yourself John and Phantom Ranch which has 13 full time employees which also cater to mostly hikers. Add on NPS mules that also haul supplies for the Ranger Station both there and to Cottonwood. Add on NPS mules and concession mules that do trail work of some kind everyday. As far as paying their way, the surcharge that could be put on every hiker that goes into the Canyon to cover search, rescue and in some cases, retrieval of room temperature hikers would COMPLETELY eliminate hikers altogether from the Canyon it would be so exorbitant. 250 rescues a year exclusively by helicopter at $3000 per hour. Some searches go on for weeks. Occasionally there is a rider that needs to be evacuated. I had one such situation in three years of guiding. I also do a lot of hiking. Some others in my family ride and some are extremely accomplished hikers and outdoorsmen. Knowing both worlds well, in my opinion, I enjoy the Canyon more on a mule. For me there isn't the need to prove to myself that I can do it. I can and have many times. Just by putting your confidence in something other than your own two feet is transformational for most. Some would be afraid to do that. The Canyon is about (what I've seen) breakthroughs and like someone else has said, we ALL have something to learn here.


Just remove hikers from the Canyon would also solve the problem since the great majority of mule support and helicopter rescues are for hiker benefit. Ex Superintendent Steve Martin would like your argument better. He may even like my argument as long as he has his raft trips and personal mule rides with Ted Turner:):). Could be a ring of truth to this, LOL!



I've hiked down and I've ridden down. The ride is breathtaking because you can enjoy the scenery and take photos without having to mind your step. You are also able to enjoy the view from a higher vantage point. The hike is grand as long as you can afford to take the time to view/record the sights without endangering yourself or losing your footing. That having been said, there are other trails that a hiker can take that aren't used by the mules.


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