Havasu falls hike
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Are you planning a trip to Havasupai Falls, the bright blue waterfall in the Grand Canyon? You may have seen this hidden paradise that has gone viral on social media. The Havasu Falls hike is one of the most beautiful hikes in America. But, how do you get there? When is the best time to go? What do I pack? After doing a lot of research, I realized that this hike to Havasu Falls was going to be quite the adventure! Maybe more than I bargained for. 🙂
Did you know that tickets for this beautiful area, only accessible via a 10 mile hike or a helicopter ride in, are snatched up within hours of release? Sometimes even minutes for the most desired dates!
After hiking to Havasu Falls, I gathered the best information that I think makes this the best way to hike to Havasu Falls.
Update: The tour with BG Wild is not available for 2020.
A permit is required for all hikes to Havasu Falls from March 1, 2020 onward. Havasu Falls permits will be available online only at havasupaireservations.com beginning at 8 AM MST on February 1st. I suggest creating an account before then because reservations are expected to sell out within minutes.
The best time to visit Havasu Falls is in the spring or fall because its the perfect weather.
Arizona’s monsoon season is from mid June until the end of September so you want to avoid that time of year because of their associated risks. In fact, around 200 hikers had to be evacuated in July 2018 via helicopter after a flash flood hit the Supai village. The Havasupai Campground had to close for just over 7 weeks to allow for emergency repairs to the trails, campground and village.
The temperatures in the spring and fall are not as hot as the summer months, allowing you to really enjoy the hiking experience. If you do plan to hike during the summer months, plan on 110+ temperatures even in shady areas.
I visited the first weekend of October and there was a lot of rain in the forecast. In fact, there was speculation that the trail may close due to flooding. (Make sure to continue reading and watch my video to see what happens during a flash flood!) The campground can close at any time.
We had 2 days of absolutely perfect weather during the day. During the day we wore shorts and bathings suits as we enjoyed the waterfalls. At night, the temperatures dropped down to the 30s so we wore warmer clothes and bundled up in our sleeping bags.
There are 2 major airports you can fly into to get to Hualapai Hilltop where the trailhead to Havasu Falls starts; Las Vegas and Phoenix airports. Las Vegas is closer than Phoenix (by about 45 minutes). There are also some flights to and from Flagstaff.
We chose to fly from Las Vegas so we could combine it with a girls Vegas trip and do some hiking in that area as well. This itinerary also crosses paths with the Hoover Dam.
There are 5 big waterfalls that you must see when visiting the area; Fifty Foot Falls, Lower Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls. There are many other little water falls between these, some even hidden within the caves. (Watch my video to see Hidden Falls.)
-Hualapai Hilltop to Tourism office- About 8 miles
-Town of Supai to Havasu Falls campground- About 2 miles (you will pass Havasu Falls on the way)
*It took us about 6 hours to get to the campground & that’s including our stop at Havasu Falls.
-Havasu Falls campground to Mooney Falls- About 0.5 mile
-Mooney Falls to Beaver Falls- 2 miles
-Mooney Falls to Colorado River- 8 miles
We chose to stay at Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs, Arizona. It is about an hour away from the trailhead. The hotel was nice and served a delicious breakfast including an optional upgrade for an omelette that I indulged in before my hike. (They also had some delicious looking desserts, too! Huge chunks of chocolate cake and cinnamon rolls!).
My only caution for staying in the Peach Springs area is the occasional train that may pass by during the night. We were given ear plugs to wear when we checked in to help with this.
Click here to check prices at Hualapai Lodge.
Want to watch a Havasu Falls video of my hike to the Havasupai Falls area? You can watch a detailed version of each day of my guided tour with BG Wild on my youtube channel here. Below, you will find a summary video of the Havasu Falls hike.
If you are looking for the most convenient and hassle free way to get to Havasu Falls then book a tour with BG Wild. I could go on and on why I love this tour company but here are some of my top reasons why BG Wild is the best tour company to guide you to Havasu Falls.
Let me take a moment and mention something about my tour guides, Josh and Kayla. They were fun and made me feel like family right away. But, what really got me was their deep desire to share the landscape and keep it just the way they found it.
Kayla told me that one day she saw a girl hiking the 10 mile trail back to the hilltop with a trash bag. She thought to herself she could never do that. But you know what? She did just that! She loves the area so much that she wants others to be able to see it the way she sees it. So, when she can, she takes a bag and picks up trash along the trail.
I love how Josh and Kayla respect the people of the Supai community. Because of this, some of them stopped at the campsite and talked to us. I met some of the coolest rangers and learned so much about what it’s like to live there. I noticed when we had leftover shrimp, steak, and other food, they gave it to the rangers instead of wasting it.
Without a doubt, a tour with BG Wild is the best way to experience the Havasu Falls area.
I chose the Havasupai Comfort Tour with BG Wild that consists of a weekend; 3 days and 2 nights. I don’t advise spending only one night as you will be too rushed to explore the area adequately (that comes from someone who travels fast!).
I have hiked many strenuous trails and I would not say this is a strenuous trail. However, this was my first time backpacking and carrying more than 12 pounds. By the time I had everything in my pack, including water & snacks for the hike down, my backpack weighed 25 pounds. Take this into consideration if this is your first time hiking with a backpack as it will make your hiking experience go from moderate to strenuous. I honestly never had a sore muscle the entire trip, but I did lose 2 toenails and had too many blisters too count.
We woke up at 6 AM for an early morning start to the day after a 3 hour drive from Las Vegas. After a few last minute additions to our backpacks (No, Nicole, you can’t bring your hair straightener! 🙂 ) and some omelettes for breakfast, we headed across the street to grab something to pack for our lunch.
Walapai Market is a great place to stop in Peach Springs for last minute snacks to add to your bag for the hike down or to leave in your car for when you return. We opted for turkey sandwiches and hit the road towards Hualapai Hilltop.
After leaving the Peach Springs area, we turned off Route 66 onto Indian Road 18. The road to Hualapai Hilltop seemed liked it went on for miles. My friend Nicole kept singing the Eagles line “on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair…” We were both so excited to get our hike to Havasu Falls started.
Take caution when the desire to drive fast comes over you because there are cows wandering all over the roadway. We had to stop and get a close up of a few as we drove past.
The excitement REALLY fueled when we got our first look of the Grand Canyon from our front seats. Soon, we would be climbing down into its canyons.
When we arrived at the trailhead after about an hour and a half, we circled the parking lot until we found a parking spot. Then, we made our way to the bathrooms. They were locked due to being full and there were some portable potties but, the stench was so unbearable we decided quickly against it. While about to take a photo of the start of the trail, we noticed Josh, one of our tour guides. We introduced ourselves and he took our first photo of our hike as we headed into the canyon.
Josh told us we would be fine hiking without him if we wanted to go ahead since he was still waiting for others to arrive. So, we decided to go ahead with the crowd that was descending into the zigzagging canyon.
The descent was the steepest part of the entire hike but we were distracted by the panoramic views.
Once we got to the bottom of the zigzags, the trails seemed to even out and the crowd of people went scarce. My friend and I ended up walking the rest of the trail by ourselves. We stopped for lunch and zillions of photos (more can be seen here of our trip) and a few times wondered if we were on the right trail. We were always reassured we were heading the right direction by footprints in the dirt, a helicopter flying over, or a pack of mules coming down the trail.
One of my fondest memories of the trip down was this tree with bright green leaves on it that contrasted the yellowish orange of the canyon walls. Everything in the canyon seemed so dessert like, yet this tree was like my own little version of the tree of life in the Grand Canyon. I’m sure I annoyed my friend as I snapped taking photos of this simple spectacle, but to me, was simply astonishing.
After walking miles through rugged terrain, we finally see a sign in the distance. As we grew closer, we could see the word “Supai” with an arrow pointing to the campgrounds. I was thinking to myself we are here! Finally! Except, we just kept walking. There were no signs of any buildings. Everything looked the same as the previous trail we had been walking through. We walked and walked until finally a creek appeared in the dessert, rocky terrain. It was our first indication of why the Havasupai tribe are nicknamed “People of the blue green water.”
As we followed the creek, we crossed over bridges and made our way down dirt roads until we made it to the iconic blue and white houses that I had seen photos of with the balancing rocks in the distance. (I later heard one of my new ranger friends refer to them as the “king and queen.”) It was as if the soft cool breeze welcomed my friend and I into the town, as another burst of joy and excitement burst through my blood.
We weren’t really sure where the tourism office was as this was our first hike to Havasu Falls. I have to admit that at this point I was getting exhausted and wanted to sit and drink some water. I had finished my 2nd bottle of water just after reaching the Supai sign and was ready for some more.
There was a store greeting us to our left so we stopped there for a drink as a very brief rain shower went over. It was our first encounter with the Havasupai people who were very kind. We spoke with a little girl who showed us her tricks on a swing and just chatted away with us.
We continued on to the right just hoping we were going the right direction. In all honesty, it is hard to get lost here because there are no other roads. I’m just used to a lot of signs pointing me in the direction for reassurance. We found the tourism office which is where check in and the spring is to fill up water bottles. After hiking 8 miles, you will want to do that!
We met Kayla at the restaurant just past the tourism office grabbing some lunch. She was smiling ear to ear as she informed us that we were the last of the group she had to wait for as the others would be coming down with Josh.
*Remember to bring your photo ID with you and confirmation of the hike permit. We were given wrist bands by our BG Wild tour guide as soon as we arrived.
We made our way through the town and residential area. There were not a lot of signs pointing us in the direction to the campground but the locals were nice enough to point us in the right direction. As soon as we left the restaurant, we were unsure of the correct direction but the locals were nice enough to point us in the right direction.
*Photography is not allowed in the residential areas to respect the privacy of the people who live there.
Take a left after the restaurant and walk until you see the church.
The lodge will be on your right.
If you don’t know about it already, you may miss this waterfall called Fifty Foot Falls, as we did. We stopped at Little Navajo Falls for a few pictures and then decided our feet were sore so we were going to keep on the main trail. At that time Kayla met up with us and started talking with us.
I think Kayla could tell I was getting exhausted. She was much more quick on her feet than I was as I could already feel blisters developing on my feet.
It’s difficult to believe that just around this corner is one of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls that only few have the privilege of ever seeing in their lifetime.
When we made it around the corner we could hear the loud rolling water over the 98 feet cliff that makes up Havasu Falls. I made it just a few feet after viewing it before I threw my backpack off my shoulders and was taking photos. This is what I came for. This is what I had hiked 10 miles for! Havasu Falls!
Every few feet that I stepped the views just kept getting better. Kayla offered to take our bags (YES, BOTH OF THEM!) back to the campground so that we could enjoy the waterfall without having to worry about them. I felt bad for saying yes, but it felt SO good to be able to walk freely and enjoy the waterfall. Nicole and I watched in awe as Kayla practically ran down the trail with two 2 heavy backpacks on each arm like it was nothing.
Nicole and I explored the Havasu Falls area taking photos from different angles and learning how the water got it’s blue green color (due to the high calcium carbonate content).
We made it through the open tunnel like paths to the bottom of the falls where we explored caves and waterfalls inside them.
The sun started to go down behind the rock walls so we headed towards the campground. We stopped at the compost toilet which were adequately stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
When we reached the campsite, our tent was already set up and our sleeping bag with inflatable pad was inside waiting for us to relax. We settled our belongings inside the tent while it was daylight while our “fun guides” set up for supper.
Then, we laid in the hammocks to relax while others started lingering into the campsite. It was so great meeting other hikers from other areas, and even two other hikers from a town just down the road from us.
The campsite had everything we needed without having to haul it down ourselves. It was a little luxury right there in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
While chatting with our new friends for the weekend, we snacked on the best guacamole, salsa, and chips I have ever tasted in my life. Did I mention that the food from BG Wild is organic? Well, it’s also delicious! MMMM! Usually, guacamole in a container isn’t that good, but this was some GOOD guacamole! It went with our Mexican food theme for the night.
We ate steak and chicken fajitas with all the fixings and enchiladas for supper. An absolutely perfect meal after hiking all day.
After our meal was finished. Josh told us our plans for the next day and we all went to our tents. I think it’s safe to say that everyone was exhausted! I had plans to take photos of the milky way but I took one look at the beautiful stars and was in bed by what I think was 7.
I slept a few hours due to being completely exhausted. However, I am not a camping kind of gal and despite sleeping on an inflatable pad, I could not get comfortable. I kept thinking of the story “The Princess and the Pea” and thinking I was such a diva. Starting about 4 in the morning, people starting waking me up with their lights as they made their way to the bathrooms.
By 6 AM we were dressed and ready for breakfast. BG Wild’s Kayla and Josh, as well as a few other helpers in the camp, out did themselves again with a breakfast that consisted of sausage, bacon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, fruit, and all that goes along with that.
Josh had us fueled up and hiking when others were just starting to get up for the day. As we made our way towards the Mooney Falls, he showed us the old mining caves in the side of the cliff walls. I’m not sure I would have noticed them if it wasn’t for him pointing them out.
As we walked closer, we were told there had been an incident at the falls and it was closed until further notice. Since Josh knew the area well, he had a plan B! We headed towards Fifty Foot Falls and Little Navajo Falls. We stopped for a quick photo op of Nicole and I with our fun tour guides, Kayla and Josh in front of Havasu Falls. I noticed the water looked a different hue from the night before due to the sun hitting it differently.
The beauty along the trail is simply breathtaking!
Fifty Foot Falls is the first waterfall you come to when you are hiking on the Havasu Falls trail from the Supai village and can easily be missed. If I had not been on this tour with BG Wild, I never would have hiked to it or have known all about it’s cool features. It actually is a new waterfall that formed during the flooding in 2008 that bypassed the original Navajo Falls. There was a mudslide that rerouted Havasu creek and now we have 2 new waterfalls to enjoy Fifty Foot Falls (also known as Upper Navajo Falls) and Lower Navajo Falls.
So many of the plants around Fifty Foot Falls are a bright green that it makes it look unreal. Despite it being cool, I played in the waterfall and took some photos to remember my time in this tropical paradise.
There’s a small entrance to a cave here that you can crawl into and explore the inside. It was worth it to see inside of the cave that used to require a treacherous swim under the waterfall to get to.
We continued our hike to Lower Navajo Falls (also known to some as Rock Falls) that used to be a lot deeper but has also changed due to flooding. We were the only people at these falls. It was absolutely breathtaking.
My feet were still sore from the day before. Every step I took I could feel my blisters, however, I felt a different type of pain to the end of my second toes that I had never felt before that felt like they could be broken. As we were walking down a steep hill, my most painful blister finally ruptured on it’s own and I was free to walk without as much pain.
The below picture is the area where the old Havasu campground used to be. Due to mudslides caused by flooding, the campground had to be moved.
We were told that the top of Mooney Falls would be open but the trail to the bottom would be closed until the chain ladder was repaired (possibly the following day). Since there was rain forecasted, I made my way towards the Mooney Falls and was not disappointed by it’s beauty.
It started to sprinkle and we headed back to camp since the temperature was dropping. When we arrived, Josh was heading back to Mooney Falls! He said we were going with someone who was heading there to fix the ladder but we would not be able to go past the tunnel. It would give us a good view of Mooney Falls.
So, we turned around and went back to Mooney Falls, luckily the rain held off. The trail to Mooney Falls is MUCH steeper and more difficult than any of the other falls in the area. Luckily, we just followed after Josh who knew where to put his feet safely so we could get to the view point of Mooney Falls. It was my favorite of all the falls we saw that day.
Yea, you read that right! When we got back from Mooney Falls, we had all kinds of pizza and snacks to tide us over until supper time. We played cards and some people took a nap as the rain started to fall and the temperature dropped.
While talking with some of the others, some of the rangers came up to speak with Kayla and Josh. I overhead them talking about one of their dogs that was washed over Mooney Falls during one of the rain storms earlier in the day. I was surprised to find out that the dog LIVED!!! You read that right! He survived the almost 200 foot drop off into a swimming hole. So, the story goes that another hiker notified the rangers that one of their dogs was washed over the falls. When they went to recover the dog, they found him walking at the bottom of the falls. There was no way for him to get down there, or get back up, so they had to carry him back up. The picture proof can be found on one of the ranger’s instagram accounts here:
Unfortunately, the rain came down in BUCKETS turning the beautiful blue green water into a chocolate milk color. All around us appeared brown waterfalls that did not exist earlier in the day. We rushed to see what Havasu Falls looked like due to the flash flood and it did not disappoint either. It was as if the whole canyon was transforming in front of us and lightning was flashing around us. Due to lightning, people were not able to hike out of the canyon.
The rangers were warning campers downstream to move their camp up away from the river and by nightfall there were tents all around the top bathroom site and people were actually sleeping under the bathroom steps cuddled side by side in the cold.
Despite the pouring rain, Kayla and Josh prepared the best meal yet; a surf and turf theme. I have to admit that I was so exhausted by this point that the thought of food and chewing literally made me nauseous. I can’t explain the feeling but I am glad it subsided because that meal was delicious! We had steak, salmon, shrimp, salad, potatoes, all kinds of grilled vegetables, and rolls. Right there at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. No protein bars. No warmed up soup. No noodles. No PB&J sandwiches. It doesn’t get any better than this folks!
After dinner, we all said our sweet goodbyes and went to bed for the night. It was another rough night for me. This one was rougher than the last as it was colder and I wanted to make sure we woke up in time for the helicopter ride out because here was NO way I was hiking 10 miles out with my feet hurting as bad as they were.
We woke up just after 4 in the morning to begin our hike to the town of Supai to wait for the helicopter ride to the top of the trailhead. Since we rented our tent with BG Wild, we did not have to take down our tent (thank God!). It was pouring rain as we made our last stop at the compost bathrooms.
Making our way up the trail in the dark was difficult at times and we simply followed the mule footprints as best we could. There were times when we were sliding in the mud and I was worried that Nicole would slide off the cliff in front of me. It was a long, up hill climb to the town and I was so happy to make it to the helicopter landing.
We were one of the first few people there that morning and we met a woman named Meera who was smart enough to start a list on an old piece of paper that someone had. We were unsure if it would be honored but everyone who showed up said they would honor the list (and they DID honor it!).
When the restaurant opened up, we went over to warm up and see what was available to eat. Nicole bought some coffee and I ordered their popular fry bread. Even though it was early in the morning, I couldn’t leave town without trying this popular dessert, and I’m sure glad I did! It tasted like a funnel cake that I loaded down with powdered sugar. There were other options such as strawberry syrup or Nutella.
Due to some circumstances that were out of our control, the helicopter company began their services at 9 that morning so a family could leave out. We were 5 or so rides after that and were back to our vehicles by 11 in the morning.
I’m asked why I chose to ride the helicopter out of Havasu Falls area instead of hiking out. Personally, my feet were so blistered, there was no way I wanted to hike out with the 25 pound backpack on my back up the canyon. The 2 mile up hill hike to the town and 23 total miles we had hiked that weekend was enough for me. It felt like a reward to me as I looked out the window at what we had just spent the weekend in.
Also, there is no helicopter tour of Havasu Falls. This is the closest option you can get. Granted, the helicopter doesn’t fly over the falls, but it does fly over the town of Supai and the Grand Canyon. I recommend it at least one way!
As we reached the top, we could see others making their trek down the zigzag.
We also noticed a car that had went over the cliff that we never would have noticed if we had not taken the helicopter ride back to the Hualapai Hilltop.
*Don’t forget to leave some snacks (that don’t spoil/melt) and water in your vehicle for when you return.
Headlamp- This is a MUST!!! Injury or death can occur without one of these. Oh, and don’t forget scorpions! Get one with a red light. I suggest the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp. I had a lot of compliments on how bright it was and it did everything I needed it to. I was impressed by it. It’s not the cheapest option but not the most expensive either. Good brand. Great quality!
Collapsible water bag– Helpful if you do not want to fill up at the spring frequently.)
Water filter- It is suggested to filter your water. After a LOT of research, I found the Grayl water purifier/filter bottle to be the BEST option. It not only filters the water for bacteria AND viruses (most competitors do not remove viruses), but makes the water taste better. It was so simple to use. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Luci Light- This came in very handy after dark as we were able to see inside of our tent. It is solar powered so no need to haul down batteries.
Sleeping bag/insert/padding (unless you rent from BG Wild!)
Blanket (in the cooler months)
Ratsack or Bungee cord to keep animals out of food
Travel pillow
Sunglasses
Hat
Flashlight
Battery chargers- to charge your phone or camera gear. Solar chargers are a fabulous option.
Towel- I suggest a lightweight, fast drying microfiber towel. I chose one from Amazon that I love and have brought with me to use as a blanket at sporting events as well because it is extra large! Click here to check it out.
Aleve/Anti-inflammatory medication
Ziplock bags- Just a couple- handy to keep your cell phone dry or other uses.
Camera gear/GoPro
*Don’t forget your license & some cash.
Water shoes- Preferably some fast drying water shoes. You may want to size up just a hair as you feet may swell some from the hike. Aleader water shoes have a great grip on the bottom and I never felt unstable walking in the wet areas.
Breathable underwear- Click hear to shop on Amazon. Best for hiking!
Socks, bra, shirt, shorts/pants- bring bare minimum
Rain jacket/outfit if rain is in the forecast.
Don’t forget a bathing suit!
Black trash bag with your name labeled in case you send your bag up via mule or want to pick up trash on your way back.
Travel size deodorant
Travel size brush
Biogradeable body wash/shampoo- I found a great smelling tea tree/mint wash/shampoo here on Amazon that I just put in a smaller container for the hike.
Disposable toothbrush- I used the Colgate Wisp toothbrushes because they were lightweight and I had limited water supply. You can find other similar disposable toothbrushes on Amazon here.
Wet wipes- You will LOVE these outdoor, lightweight biodegradable wipes from Combat Wipes that are good for multiple uses such as washing your face, hands, and other areas, if ya know what I mean. 😉
Blister cushions & KT tape- Click on each to go to the Amazon page for my recommendations. I hike frequently but for some reason (maybe the water?) this hike had my feet all blistered up. It’s better to have this than hike 10-20 miles without it! Believe me!
Food- There is food available in the cafe and stands above Havasu Falls if you don’t want to carry a lot of food or drinks. I would not depend on this. I would bring protein bars and other camping style foods to keep full for 3 days.
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