Five incredible blue waterfalls can be found in the Havasupai Tribe reservation, just west of Grand Canyon National Park. With a little planning, this 20 mile backpack is an incredible journey into a beautiful oasis in the desert. A group of four of us traveled to Havasu in early October to avoid crowds and the summer heat.
Trip Itinerary
Our group decided that the best time for us to hike, both schedule and weather wise, would be October 4-7. Since the Havasupai Tribe requires a minimum permit of 3 nights to visit the area, we planned to maximize it completely, and we were very glad we did. Once you make it down to the Havasu campsite, there is so much to explore! We could easily have done another night. Logistically we added a few days of buffer for arrival and organization in Las Vegas, so our trip was actually October 2-7th.
This trip is accessible for anyone with intermediate hiking/backpacking skills- the biggest advice I have for this trip is to know your gear- how it works, fits, and lasts after a long day on the trail. If you are unsure, do a test backpack trip with everything locally before you go, as we did just to make sure we were happy with our set up.
Permitting Process
The biggest challenge with getting to Havasu is getting a permit! The permits go on sale in early February, and fill up FAST- within 15 minutes for the entire year, especially if you want weekend time slots. It is worth mentioning that the permits for Havasu are expensive- $150/night/person, with a 3 night minimum, and you have to pay 100% up front. Make sure your entire group is on board with this cost financially.
From our estimation, there are approximately 200-300 permits available per month. In our group of four, three of us were ready to go the morning of February 2nd at 8am sharp to try and reserve a couple select weekends in October. One of us made it through and completed our booking, the other two were stuck on a crashed website. My best recommendation is to log into the website ahead of permits opening, register all your details, including credit card, and have a couple backup weekends in case yours is already sold out. During our trip with met several campers who scored last minute permits, so if you don't get one in the initial offering, it is possible if you keep checking back.
Destination Map
Getting to Havasu can be a bit tricky- the main trailhead, Hualapai Hilltop, is not really convenient to any particular major city or airport, and in order to start your days early, it does require some logistics. Though it is possible to fly into Phoenix or Flagstaff in Arizona, we decided to fly into Las Vegas. In our case, flights were economical from Denver, and left almost every 2 hours. We also stopped at the Hoover Dam on our way out, since it's right along the way.
We opted to stay on the reservation the day before the hike in, at the Hualapai Lodge, which is about a 1.5/2 hour drive to the trailhead. Though some visitors report you can sleep in your vehicle near the trailhead (no tenting allowed), our entire group decided we would rather get up early and sleep in a real bed than crammed together in a rental SUV. Even with driving cautiously at night, and allowing ample time for the mandatory vehicle/gear inspection, we were easily able to arrive at the trailhead with plenty of time to spare, and start hiking at first light, which at that time of year was around 7:00am.
Many hiking reports will recommend starting earlier, at 4 or 5 am, however we did not find this to be necessary for our time of year. Our primary concern was to be ahead of the pack mule train on the steep section of the trail, to avoid the dust clouds and traffic. The mules typically leave the Supai village towards Hilltop each morning around first light, so we were well out of the steep descent before encountering the mules.
The 8 mile hike into the Supai Village, and ultimately the last 2 miles into the Havasu falls campground area provides you with beautiful desert vistas, rivers and canyons, on fairly easy to traverse ground. Though the terrain is mostly crushed rock/gravel, there are some sandy sections, particularly the final two miles into the campground, that need to be accounted for in your choice of footwear. The most challenging section, both in and out, is the ascent/descent switchbacks from the Hilltop trailhead. Everything else is a steady slope- requiring you to have endurance to go the distance, while carrying your belongings on your back. Our group was surprised to see that many hikers (almost 80%) chose to hire mules to bring their items in and out of the canyon, and only hike in with day packs. We were proud to narrow our gear list as much as possible to carry only what we needed, and did not find it necessary to enlist the mules in our trip. The hike in, with many stops to admire our surroundings, a stop to obtain our permits and have a snack in Supai, and scope out the available campsites, took us about 6 hours.
Once in the designated campground area, the Havasupai tribe welcomes you to choose any spot that fits your group's fancy to set up camp, on a first come first serve basis. We were able to secure a great site up on the hill from a river crossing, with a picnic table and room for two, two person tents. A note of camper ethics here- please be sure to observe leave no trace practice in the campsites. We unfortunately witnessed several campers attempting to chop trees down and damage sites to suit their needs, which was completely unnecessary. The river valley ecosystem is incredibly unique and fragile- no adjustments are needed.
On our second day in the canyon, we chose to depart our campsite early- with the goal of visiting Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls, and ultimately the Confluence of Havasu Creek with the Colorado River. From the information we gathered online prior to the trip, we knew that this 16 mile roundtrip would take a minimum of 8 hours, and potentially require 12 river crossings. We set out with lunches, full water bladders, and a portable filtration system just in case. Because we set out so early, we were able to complete the descent of Mooney Falls without traffic or having to wait in precarious positions, which are many on this descent. I recommend a set of gloves to give you extra purchase on the slippery rocks.
Once down from Mooney, we completed 4 stream crossings, and several scrambles to reach Beaver Falls. Due to the early departure, we had this entire spot to ourselves, and made coffee and had breakfast. Beaver Falls is an incredibly spectacular spot, and we loved swimming in the tiered pools and basking in the sunshine. Because the canyon is so narrow, the sun will be on Beaver Falls in the morning, so take advantage!
After enjoying our fill at Beaver Falls, we quickly realized that we were only 4 miles into our total of 8 to get to the Colorado River confluence. Judging how long it took us to complete the first 4 miles, remaining daylight, and the likely traffic jam at Mooney falls on the way back- we opted to skip the confluence. Our group all agreed that climbing back up Mooney falls in the dark would not enhance our 'vacation vibes'.
On our third day, we enjoyed a leisurely start and a 'beach day' at Havasu falls. The namesake falls have tiered waterfalls, small beach area, and benches perfect for relaxing in the water. With a cold coke and frybread from the shack up the hill, it is pure perfection.
Our fourth day was a long one- so we started with a 4:00 am wakeup, with a 4:30am departure from the campsite. Not only did we want to hike in the cooler temperatures, but we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to get back to Vegas and fly out. We estimated that it would take us about 5 hours to hike out- but it was really just under 4. With lighter packs, and familiarity with the route, we moved much faster going out.
No backpacking trip would be complete without a return to civilization meal- so we had to stop at In-and-Out Burger in Kingman, Arizona. None of us had eaten there before, but after our early start and hike, it was just what we needed. We also had a chance to pop into Lovelady Brewing for a celebratory pint before heading to the airport and flying out. What a trip!
Packing List
Since this was a multi-day backpacking trip where packing light was paramount, here is a gear list of what was in each of our packs. You can find our full packing list here.
Things that were essential: Rat sack (the rodents and crows were vicious in their attempts to eat our food), moisturizer (the minerals in the water dry you out), good shoes and socks (the varied terrain will definitely push your feet if you are not ready), Chaco sandals (great for in and out of the water), Nuun tablets (made water taste good while replenishing electrolytes), Carabiners and rope (to hang food, packs and dry wet clothes off the ground), Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, even in October it was hot!).
Things that were extra: Blister/moleskin remedies (but you never can be too prepared in this department), Snacks (mostly because we went daily to the frybread shop), Water filter (the spring provides good quality water, and we did not go all the way to the confluence so did not need to filter away from it).
Helpful Links
Official Havasupai Tribe Website: for information directly from the tribe.
Havasupai Reservations: Where you will log in early February to score your permit. Remember that the portal opens at 8:00am Arizona time. My recommendation is to register all your details before permits go live, and be prepared with multiple dates.
Hualapai Lodge on Route 66: Where we stayed prior to the hike into the Havasu Falls campground
Barefoot Theory Post of Havasu Falls: The team at BFT always posts amazing hike/trip reports and Havasu is no exception. They update each year for accuracy, and provided the main source of trip planning details for me.
Havasupai Facebook Groups: The Havasupai tribe posts regular updates on Facebook, and also manages month to month groups, so you can find who will be traveling the same time as you. This group can be a double edged sword, because everyone will travel a bit differently, but worth connecting to see what information is out there.
REI Henderson: Where we stopped for fuel since you cannot fly with compressed gas on the airplane.
Lovelady Brewing: for a perfect pint once you get out of the falls.
Happy Adventures,
Stephanie