Marble Canyon — Travelrags

OutsideJul 14, 2026

I Retraced the Footsteps of Georgie White, the First Woman to Guide the Grand Canyon

In an excerpt from the new book 'Fierce Country,' writer Heather Hansman follows the footsteps of Georgie White, a pioneering river runner who survived extreme conditions and near-fatal boat flips to change the canyon forever.

8 things in this story

Navajo BridgeSightNinth-highest span in the country.
Elsewhere
Lake MeadSightLas Vegas, United StatesIt is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, 24 mi (39 km) east of Las Vegas.
Badger CreekSightGrand Canyon National Park, United StatesFirst significant rapid, rated a 5 on the Grand Canyon scale.
Georgie RapidSightGrand Canyon National Park, United StatesMile 24 rapid named for Georgie White after she passed away.
Phantom RanchHotelGrand Canyon National Park, United StatesLodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, 88 miles down.
Lava FallsSightGrand Canyon National Park, United StatesThe biggest rapid on the river.
Glen Canyon DamSightPage, United StatesThe 710-foot-high (220 m) dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from 1956 to 1966 and forms Lake Powell,…
Hance RapidSightGrand Canyon National Park, United StatesMile 77 rapid, rated an 8 or 9 on the Grand Canyon scale.

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