Grand Canyon film permits and location scouting
Locations Southwest has over 20 years of experience scouting Grand Canyon film locations and securing Grand Canyon film permits.
Location scouting and logistical support
Not only can Locations Southwest walk you through the maze of filming locations in the Grand Canyon but we can also provide logistical support for complex film projects. Need mules? Helicopters? Trail guides? We can help. In addition, Locations Southwest has lots of experience providing logistical services for film projects along the Colorado River. We can also help you select a Colorado River outfitter that can support filming at the bottom of the Grand Canyon via motorized or oar-powered rafts.
Permit acquisition
Locations Southwest specializes in obtaining permits for filming in the Grand Canyon. Over the past 20 years, we have developed relationships with those who administer permits in the four major jurisdictions of the Grand Canyon:
- Hualapai Nation tribal lands are home to the Sky Walk and Grand Canyon West, which includes Eagle Point, Quartermaster Point, and Guano Point. The Hualapais have the only road access into the Grand Canyon — 25 unpaved miles that end at the bottom of the Grand Canyon adjacent to the Colorado River. These lands also offer some of the best whitewater locations along about 54 river miles that you can cover in 2 to 3 days.
- Havasupai Nation tribal lands, home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, lie just east of the Hualapai lands. This isolated tribal community (“People of the Blue Green Water”) lives at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and within side canyons that are accessible by foot, horse, or helicopter.
- Grand Canyon National Park Service administers and oversees the protection of the heart of the canyon, including the South and North Rims, the inner canyon, and Colorado River corridor.
- Navajo Nation tribal lands border the eastern part of the Grand Canyon and include the Little Colorado Gorge Tribal Park. These lands extend up to the City of Page and include parts of Marble Canyon and Glen Canyon National Recreational area.
Grand Canyon projects
These are just a few of the films and TV projects we have provided location and permit support for in the Grand Canyon.
- Sean Penn’s “Into The Wild.” LSW provided location scouting and consulting services for this award-winning story. We scouted film locations within Grand Canyon National Park, the Hualapai Nation, Glen Canyon, and Topock Gorge for the river sequences.
- NHK, the first TV show broadcast “live” from the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park. LSW coordinated all logistics, support, and permits, and contracted with a recognized Grand Canyon outfitter to transport equipment and crew via motorized rafts on a 10-day river trip through the Grand Canyon.
- MacGillivary Freeman’s “Grand Canyon Adventure River at Risk.” LSW provided location and production services for the Glen Canyon and Chaco Canyon segments of this exciting, beautifully shot IMAX film.
- Xarelto® national TV commercial — directed by Alam Gracia and filmed on location at Grand Canyon National Park
- Sedona Films / Turner Broadcasting — filming at Grand Canyon “Skywalk” Hualapai Nation
- Stephen Wilkes Photography — Life Magazine celebrating the 75th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park
- “American Idol” —Ryan Seacrest at Grand Canyon West, Hualapai Nation
- Kanye West — “Touch the Sky” filming at Grand Canyon West / Hualapai Nation
- Nik Wallenda’s “ Skywire” — live TV show broadcast on the Discovery Channel, filmed at the Little Colorado Gorge of the Grand Canyon, Navajo Nation Tribal Park lands
- CBS News — President Bush visit to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park
- Southwest Airlines — Grand Canyon West, Hualapai Tribal Lands
- Warner Brothers “Due Date” — Grand Canyon West Hualapai Nation
- Gramercy Pictures’ “Nurse Betty” — Grand Canyon West Hualapai Nation
- Andy Marr Images / Chick-Fil-A — Grand Canyon National Park
- Jeff Ludes Photography / Honda — Grand Canyon Navajo Nation Tribal Parks
