Havasu Falls has been gaining quite a bit of attention on social media lately! It is arguably the most beautiful waterfall in the United States. Havasu Falls, along with Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls are all located within Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation just outside of Grand Canyon National Park. Getting to these falls is not easy but is definitely worth it. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing how I finally checked Havasupai off my bucket list! I’ll also include tons of information and tips to help you in planning a trip to Havasu Falls including how to get permits, a sample itinerary, and much more!

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Checking Havasupai Off the Bucket List

Ever since my first visit to the Grand Canyon, I dreamed of visiting Havasupai Indian Reservation. When researching what to do and see around the Grand Canyon, those turquoise waters had me mesmerized. I wanted to get there. I needed to get there. But upon further research, I learned that you needed a permit and it was a 10 mile strenuous hike one way, with an elevation change of approximately 2,500 ft. At the time, this was disappointing news as it seemed like I would never be able to do that and would never get to see this beautiful place. Fast forward a few years and my heart is set on making this happen. I knew Chris and I would be wanting to start a family soon and a backpacking trip like this would not be as accessible for us. I had it in my head that this trip needed to happen and it needed to happen now.

Making it happen!

On Feb. 1, 2018, as I was planning my travels for the year, I researched how to obtain permits for Havasupai. It turns out that Havasupai now has an online reservation system, making it easier to obtain tickets. However, I thought there was something wrong with the site because almost no dates were showing up for the entire year. I joined the facebook group Havasupai and Havasu falls and quickly learned that Feb 1 just happened to be the day that camping reservations for the year went on sale. And that they pretty much sold out in minutes.

I wasn’t ready to give up. I continued to research and follow discussions on the facebook group for 2 months. Guided tours were an option, but a very expensive one. The cost for a guided tour was on average $1,500 per person to BACKPACK and camp for a few nights, and I just couldn’t justify that price. But as I followed the discussions on the facebook group, I was seeing that people were still getting permits by calling the office. However, it wasn’t uncommon for people to try calling for days, even months without getting through or getting through and being denied permits. But I figured this was my only shot.

I called the office, not expecting in a million years to get through on my first try. The man that answered said that they are technically sold out but he could try to get me some permits. I didn’t prepare for this. I didn’t know how many permits I needed, how many nights I was looking for, or when I wanted to go. I certainly didn’t expect to have options! After all is said and I done, I ended up getting 4 days/3 nights for 4 people in early October. Then, I had to figure out how to tell my husband that I just put $1,000 on our credit card for a backpacking trip that he did not agree to.

As the trip approaches…

I had dreamed of visiting this place for years and it was finally happening. It took awhile for this to sink in. Then, after all this, as the trip approached and I had not trained one bit, I started having anxiety to the point where I didn’t even want to go. What was I thinking? Why did I think I could do this? I have only ever gone backpacking once. I didn’t even train. I should’ve gotten my pack fitted. What if there’s a flash flood? What if one of us gets injured?

Have you ever hyped something up in your head so much that the experience can’t possibly live up to your unrealistic expectations? I thought for sure that was what I had done here. But this trip surpassed all of my expectations. Every once in awhile, I had to remind myself that this was real. This was happening. I was here and it was everything I dreamed it would be.

If I can do it, so can you!

Now, although my friends and family think that I’m some professional backpacker and mountaineer, I’m not even close. This was brand new territory for me. But I had done a TON of research which definitely helped in preparing for this trip. So, I’m writing this post for a few reasons. First, as usual, I want to encourage you to go for it. Whatever it is that you’ve always dreamed of doing or trying but had a million reasons why you couldn’t/shouldn’t, or it was never the right time – just do it. Push yourself. You’ll surprise yourself at what you are capable of doing if you just step outside your comfort zone a little bit. And my second reason for writing this post is, of course, to give some tips and advice if you’re planning this trip or a similar type of trip. And beyond that, I want to put out there that I am not a pro. I did a lot of things wrong on this trip. I did not train. I didn’t drink enough water. But I did it. And if I can do it, so can you.

So, here it is. If you, like many, are trying to plan a trip to Havasupai (and maybe feel like it’s a little bit over your head), here is everything you need to know.

Planning a Trip to Havasu Falls

Getting a Permit

As mentioned, you need a permit to visit the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Day hiking is not permitted. To get a permit, go to http://theofficialhavasupaitribe.com/. In order to make a reservation, you’ll need to set up an account at https://www.HavasupaiReservations.com. For the last few years, reservations for the entire year went on sale on February 1 at 8:00 AM Arizona time, though you may want to check the website for updates just to be sure. Set your alarm because last year the tickets sold out for the whole year in just minutes! Check the facebook group for updates and announcements.

If you miss the date or end up not getting permits, don’t give up! As I mentioned earlier, I ended up getting my tickets by calling the office. The general consensus is that it requires patience to get through and be successful in obtaining the permits this way, but it is definitely possible! The website also now has an Official Transfer System where people can post their reservations to be cancelled or transferred, so you can keep an eye on this as well.

Lodging

There are two options for lodging – a lodge in the village and the campground. The lodge in the village is approximately 2 (steep) miles from the waterfalls that you’ll want to see and play around in, which means you’ll have to hike an additional 4 steep miles every day. The campground lies between Havasu Falls and Mooney falls and is 1 mile long.

When to Go

July to September is monsoon season with the highest risk of flash floods. It’s also the hottest time of year with temperatures in the canyon reaching up to 120 degrees. Spring and fall are definitely the best times to visit. Early October was great. Temperatures got warm enough to be able to swim, but hiking in the sun was never a concern. From what I hear, April-June is similar. The waterfalls are closed from December to February.

Gathering Your Gear

So you’ve got your permits, now what?! If you’re brand new to backpacking and have no gear at all, you’ll need to decide whether you are going to rent gear or buy it. If this is more of a once in a lifetime thing for you, rent your gear. The gear is super expensive to buy and not worth it if you aren’t going to use it again. Two people in our group rented most of their gear. It might also be worth it to rent some of the gear if you have a long flight and don’t want to pack all your gear on a flight. Chris and I had to check two very large bags along with having two carry ons and personal items for this trip. If you are flying into Vegas, you can rent your gear at Basecamp Outdoor Gear. If you are flying into Phoenix, you can try Arizona Hiking Shack or there is an REI. For more information on what gear you need for camping at Havasupai, check out my post on packing for Havasupai.

Gathering our gear the night before the hike

Training

If planning on hiking in and out, training is never a bad idea. It is the best way to ensure that you will be comfortable and avoid injuries. The best way to train is to hike with a pack on, gradually increasing distance, elevation, and weight. If you live in an area where this isn’t really a possibility, you can use a treadmill or stair-master or something similar.

We told ourselves we would train but we never did, and we were okay. We are relatively fit – Chris and I rock climb 4-5 times a week, Chris also lifts weights and I do yoga a few times a week. But, none of this really translates to hiking with a heavy pack. Yes, we were sore for the few days we were down there, but nothing that Advil couldn’t fix. We also used a pack mule for the hike out, which obviously helped a lot as the hike out is the hardest part. If we had hiked our stuff out, we probably would’ve also been sore for a few days after the hike as well.

Planning Your Itinerary

Half of our party just came for Havasupai, flying out the night we hiked out. But Chris and I added a few days to explore other areas in the region. Below, I outline our itinerary for the entire trip, including how we spent our 4 days down in Havauspai.

Day 1: Fly into Las Vegas, NV (you can also fly into Phoenix).

Gather any last minute needed items, pick up rental gear, propane, etc. Drive to Grand Canyon Caverns Inn on route 66. This is where we stayed the night before starting the hike. It’s one of the few closest hotels to the trailhead (Hualapai Lodge is another option). Note that many others decide to camp out at the trailhead. We opted for a good night sleep before heading out. Also keep in mind the time of year you go might have a huge impact on how you spent the night before. If going in the heat of the summer, you will want to start your hike extremely early, like 4:30 am, to avoid hiking in the desert sun. The trailhead is still 1 hour from the closest hotels, so if you’re going in summer and getting an early start, camping out at the trailhead might make more sense. Since we went in October, we weren’t really worried about the heat and the sun. We didn’t start our hike until around 9 am.

Day 2 (Day 1 in Havasupai): Hike in.

The trailhead is at the Hualapai Hilltop, at the end of Indian Road 18. It’s about a 1 hour drive from the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn or Hualapai Lodge. We planned nothing else for this day. We took our sweet time getting down to the campground, stopping at the village for lunch on the way. By the time we got there and set up it was pretty late, so we just ate dinner and passed out. We slept for 12 hours that night!

Day 3 (Day 2 in Havauspai): Play around at Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls.

For the 2 full days in Havauspai, our only plan was to hike to Beaver Falls one of the days. We were not going to go to the Confluence, which is where Havasu Creek meets the Colorado River, as it’s a very long hike (16 miles RT from the campground). Our second day down there was still a little cloudy and the water not as blue (it had rained the first day), so we decided to take it somewhat easy on this day and save Beaver Falls for the next day, which was supposed to be much nicer. We hiked down to Mooney Falls, and then stopped by Havasu Falls and hiked back up to the village for some food and fry bread. The hike to Mooney Falls is sketchy. It’s wet and slippery and pretty terrifying as you use chains and ladders to lower yourself down a vertical cliff. We also had to wait in a pretty long line on the first day to get down there and apparently people were waiting over an hour to get back up. Luckily, leaving a little earlier the next day seemed to help.

Day 4 (Day 3 in Havasupai): Hike to Beaver Falls.

This can be a good solid full day. The hike is about 7-8 miles RT from the campground. It feels pretty long but it’s a fun hike. There are some ladders and climbing involved, 3 water crossings and a few good swimming spots. Bring lunch, take your time and enjoy! The weather was finally nice on this day and the water blue again, which made it all the more enjoyable!

Day 5 (Day 4 in Havasupai): Hike out.

Since 2 of us had to catch a redeye flight this night, we decided to reserve the pack mule for the hike out and started hiking by 6 am. I know there are many controversies around this topic, which I won’t get into here. The hike out was pretty hard even with no bag. It took us 4.5 hours (it felt like we were going pretty fast) and we waited 1 hour for the mules with our packs. We then drove back to the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, where you can use the showers for $5.00. We unpacked and repacked all of our luggage before our friends headed back to Las Vegas to return their rental gear and catch their flight. Chris and I drove to our next hotel, Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel, to continue our trip. The rest of our trip was very similar to my 7 day road trip through Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion, just a shortened version of it!

Day 6: Grand Canyon National Park.

Chris and I spent the day at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We left our car at the Yavapai Point and Geology Museum and took the orange shuttle east to Yaki Point and South Kaibab trailhead. We hiked to Ooh Aah Point on the South Kaibab Trail and then worked our way west to a few other overlooks. It started to rain, so we headed back to our hotel early, enjoyed the hot tubs and dinner.

Day 7: Page, AZ.

We started this day with sunrise at the Grand Canyon at Hopi Point. Then, we headed straight to Page, AZ for our tour of Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. For more information, check out my post on how to visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

Day 8: Drive back to Las Vegas, stopping at Zion National Park.

We drove back to Vegas stopping at a 1.5 mile easy hike to the Toadstool Hoodoos, right off of road 89. It was worth the stop, a good way to stretch the legs and break up a long drive. Next, we headed to Zion National Park, where Chris had his heart set on hiking Angel’s Landing. Finally, we made it back to Vegas where we stayed the night before flying out the next day.

Additional Things to Know About Visiting Havasupai:

Getting in/out of Havasupai

- You can take a helicopter in/out, however the service is very limited so you shouldn’t rely on it. You can find more information on the facebook group or the Havasupai website about using the helicopters.

- Pack mules are available to carry your gear. This is a controversial topic, which I won’t get into as I certainly do not have all the facts, but it is an available service and we did use them for the hike out. You can use them for one or both ways. If using them to get your gear in, you need to call the office up to a week ahead of time to reserve them. For hiking out, you can reserve them when you check in at the office. You will just drop your bag offs at the pick up location by a certain time. For hiking out, this was at the beginning of the campground by 7 a.m. The mules made it to the top with our packs by 11:30. The facebook group and website will have the most up to date information on prices, etc.

- The hike to the campground is ~10 miles downhill with an elevation loss of ~2,500 feet. Most of this elevation loss occurs in the first 1.5 miles and the last 2 miles between the village and the campground. The rest of the hike is relatively flat. Hiking out will feel much more difficult. The entire hike is beautiful and scenic. If hiking in, bring your printed reservation and have it in easy reach. Rangers do check reservations for people hiking in.

- You need to give the tourism office your license plate number when you check in, or at least color, make, and model of your car. So if you’re renting a vehicle, make sure you have this information.

Have snacks and drinks in a cooler in your car for when you return. It will be a long time before you can get a good meal. We picked up a styrofoam cooler and didn’t even have ice in it, but everything stayed fine and cool in the trunk. (This was October though…and not the heat of the summer).

The Campground

The campground is 1 mile long. They are not really designated spots. You can choose any available location within the campground.

The water spicket is towards the beginning of the campground and there are toilets throughout. They were pretty clean and had toilet paper MOST of the time.

Keep in mind, you may or may not get a picnic table. We didn’t have one for the first two days we were there and it kind of sucked. We had to eat all our meals and spend all our down time in our tent. If you have the room, portable chairs would be a great thing to bring.

Squirrels WILL steal your food. We put our food in odor proof bags, in the bag that our sleeping bag came in and tied it to a tree with paracord. We also left all our bags right outside of our tent, but under the rain cover. Fortunately, we left all the zippers open. We accidentally left cliff bars in one of the bags and the squirrels got them, but since the bag was unzipped they didn’t check through our pack. You can also get a rat sack, but our free system seemed to work pretty well.

A squirrel stealing someone's food near Mooney Falls — A squirrel stealing someone’s food near Mooney Falls

- There’s cell signal at the village and even on the hike between the top of Fifty Foot/Navajo Falls and the village.

Frybread! Frybread is basically a fried dough, but you can get it with all sorts of toppings. It’s delicious! The first area that’s part of the village that you’ll come to when you hike down has a little convenience store with snacks and a fry bread hut. The wait was over an hour so we decided to skip it and just get to the campground. But after you pass the tourism office to check in, you will reach the market and the cafe. The cafe also had frybread and there was even a frybread stand outside the cafe. This is where we stopped for lunch. Unfortunately, we ate the frybread too quickly to get a pic. There are also a few frybread huts on the way down to campground. Don’t rely on these huts, as they aren’t always open. They were only open one of the times we passed them. Additionally, remember that the village is 2 miles from the campground and it’s steep. We went back to the village once while camping but it was a long, steep trek and I certainly didn’t want to do it any more than that with all the other hiking we were doing!