Deep within the heart of the Grand Canyon, Havasu Falls is a true natural wonder. With its crystal-clear blue waters, lush green surroundings, and awe-inspiring waterfalls, it’s no wonder that this oasis is a bucket-list destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Havasu Falls in early September 2023, with two friends and the experience left an imprint on my soul.
In this post, I’ll take you through our journey, sharing tips and insights for planning your own adventure to this mesmerizing paradise. While this post shares the high level picture, other posts will break down packing lists, training tips, and other important tips if you want to experience Havasu some day!
Before we delve into the canyon experience, let me set the stage of what this experience meant to me! Nearly 8 years prior to visiting Havasu, I first saw a photo of the blue green waters and sent a text to my friend group with the photo and said “some day I will see this in person”. It was then that I started the process of trying to obtain permits! On February 1 every year, permit bookings open for the entire year. You used to have to call ALL day and succumb to never ending busy signals unless you were one of the lucky few to get through.
In recent years they moved to an online booking where on February 1, at 9 AM Arizona time they opened for permits and sold out for the year within an hour. In 2020, I logged into the reservation site minutes before it opened and had to refresh my page over and over and over again for almost 40 minutes, getting denied repeatedly for permits, with diminishing hope every time I refreshed, until FINALLY, the page loaded with November permits! I quickly added three to my cart and checked out, only to realize a month later this trip wouldn’t be happening November 2020. Havasupai is on reservation land and the tribe/land was closed to visitors until 2023 which is when we finally got to enjoy this masterpiece and it was worth the wait! Since 2020, we luckily were able to move our dates via buying canceled ones and selling our originals to get September dates. Now, let’s dig into the day-to-day play-by-play!
Day 0: Checking in for the permits to hike
Myself and two girlfriends flew into Phoenix two days prior to the start of our hike . We picked up our rental car and grabbed some lingering groceries (see packing list post). The day before the hike, we traveled the 3.5 hours to Peach Springs, Arizona to pick up our permits and check into the Grand Caverns Inn for the night of Route 66. On the way, we toured a bit of Route 66, having fun in Seligman and venturing over to Kingman since we had time to kill to enjoy a final meal “up top”.
We later got our gear all organized and packed which was also when we second guessed every ounce of items for the 10 mile hike into the canyon! We ended with our bags between 31-34 pounds remembering the weight would deplete as we ate and drank. We laid down to rest around 7 pm knowing we would be waking at 3 am to continue on with the next leg of our adventure!
Day 1: Hike into Supai Village and campground
Our adventure began with the 65 mile drive to the hilltop where the trailhead was located. Our hotel was the closest to the trailhead so an early morning drive on the 65 mile stretch is inevitable. It is also an open range road making navigating the elk and cattle that much more exciting in the darkness! We finally made it to the hilltop and found a parking spot (pro tip: don’t park along rock wall, you may return to a broken windshield!). We started the 10 mile descent into the Grand Canyon at 5 am heading toward the small village of Supai, the gateway to Havasu Falls. The hike in was a challenging but rewarding journey through stunning canyons. Along the way, we encountered incredible vistas and took in the unique beauty all around us. The colors of the canyon walls were changing with every movement of the sun.
Upon reaching Supai Village (8 miles in), we stopped for one in our group to send postcards to her family that would be carried out of the canyon by mile then continued two more miles to set up camp at the Havasu Falls Campground. About a quarter mile from the campground on your hike in, there is a breathtaking overlook of Havasu Falls which sets the fire in the soul for the next few days!
The campground is a one mile stretch of first come, first serve camp sites. We found one potential spot early in and set our bags down and left them with one member in our group to claim it while the other two ventured on (without the 30 pounds on our back thankfully!) to find other potential sites. We were glad we did! We ended up finding a spot right along the water with two picnic tables and plenty of space! There were two campers in the spot but I saw they were leaving the next morning so I asked if we stayed out of their way that evening if we could share the space and they were completely fine with it!
We set up our tents and got our campsite situated with things like hanging our food in rat sacks before headed to the base of Havasu Falls the rest of the day to take photos and take in the views of that magical teal water! The temperature of all the water is about 70 year-round but it was 100 degrees the week we went so it was refreshing! Definitely cool at first but we acclimated after a few minutes. We loved sitting in the little pools that are created from the power of the waterfall at the base of Havasu. The cold water was a godsend all week, replenishing our worked muscles!
Finally around about 4 pm, we headed back to our campsite, made our Backpacker’s Pantry pad thai dehydrated meal for dinner and an amazing AlpineAire Foods chocolate mudslide dessert! Around 6 pm we used body wipes to wipe away the minerals and dirt to take a “camp shower”, changed into our pjs, and crawled into our tents for the night! The sound of the rushing water in the creek lulled us to sleep in no time!
Day 2: Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls hike
Waking up at 5 am to the sound of the Havasu Creek rushing by was an experience in itself. The day started with breakfast and coffee at the campsite then we debated if we should attempt the full hike to the Confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River which would be a 20 mile day and it had just opened the day before due to flash flooding or just going to Beaver Falls and back for about a 7-8 mile round trip trek. We all agreed to make the call during the hike depending on what time we got to the turn off point for the confluence. We started our hike to the iconic Mooney Falls, just a short distance from our campground.
The adrenaline rush of descending to the base of the 200-foot falls is unmatched, and the view from below is truly spectacular. After navigating through a few caves in the rock face created by miners in the 20th century, we scaled the cliff face of chains and makeshift ladders down the 200 foot drop all while mist from neighboring Mooney Falls was pelting us in the face! I have never experienced anything like it and it is NOT a scenario you’d find in any National Park ha! It truly was an adventure in itself! The name of the falls actually got itself from Mr. Mooney who fell to his death a long time ago prior to the chains being in place.
After briefly exploring Mooney Falls, we continued downstream to reach Beaver Falls, approximately 3-3.5 more miles. The trail takes you through mesmerizing terrain, offering glimpses of vine patches, turquoise pools, and smaller waterfalls along the way. Note of caution that there are several creek crossings, rock scrambles, and more makeshift ladders along the way! Beaver Falls, with its series of cascades and emerald-colored pools, is a serene paradise worth every step of the journey.
We swam in the pools at Beaver Falls for a few hours before eating lunch and drying off for the 4 mile trek back to our campsite. One of my friends joked she was going to stay at the bottom so she didn’t have to climb back up the 200 foot cliff face! I’m pleased to report we all did eventually make it up and back to camp! We enjoyed a dehydrated meal of fettuccine alfredo this night for dinner, cleaned up, and got ready for bed. I refused to climb into my tent before 7 pm this night so I did some yoga to stretch the legs and unwind before crawling in and succumbing to the sounds of the creek!
Day 3: 50 Foot Falls and Navajo Falls
It was another morning of waking up between 4-5 am then relaxing a bit around camp before we got moving for the day! The early nights and time change made getting up early part of our normal routine! On our third day, we ventured into the canyon to discover the hidden gems of 50 Foot Falls and Navajo Falls. These stunning cascades offer a more secluded and tranquil experience as they aren’t heavily trafficked by all visitors. The hike to these falls takes you through the lush Havasupai landscape, with opportunities to take a refreshing dip in the creek’s pools.
After enjoying the beauty of 50 Foot Falls and Navajo Falls, we spent the afternoon swimming in the pools of Havasu Falls again, and savoring the natural beauty that surrounded us. This day offered a peaceful contrast to the more adventurous experiences of the previous days.
As the sun was starting to crawl behind the canyon walls, we noticed others coming down the hill with Indian fry bread from one of the stands set up by a village native. We each got one to devour with a differing combo of toppings from sweet to savory! We considered that our appetizer before our final dinner at camp. We mostly still made dinner to use up more food so we didn’t have to carry it out in our packs the next morning ha! Every ounce counts! After (second) dinner, we walked the half mile to the top of Mooney Falls to enjoy the view one last time. We then packed up everything we were able to and tucked in for our final night in the canyon around 8 pm.
Day 4: The journey out of the canyon
On our final morning in Havasu, we packed up our campsite at 4 am and started the trek back toward Supai Village at 5 am. The stray dogs from the village led the path for us for almost 2 miles keeping our spirits high and strolling forward at a strong pace. The return hike was challenging, especially in the heat of the sun at the start of the switchbacks, but the memories and stunning views made it worthwhile. We made it out of the canyon with the 10 mile hike and 3000 foot elevation gain (2000 of it being the final 1.5 miles) in LESS time than it took us to get IN to the campsite! We made amazing time in about 4.5 hours, without ever regretting our choices of not booking a mule to carry our 30 pound packs out! We felt so accomplished carrying our packs all that way and at a fantastic pace, allowing us to get the 4 hour drive back to Phoenix started earlier than we anticipated!
Visiting Havasu Falls was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but man, there would not need to be ANY arm twisting to get me back there! If I were to redo my first time there, would I change anything I did? Nope, not a chance! If I were to go again, would I do anything different? Absolutely! There is so much more to see now that I know the lay of the land! I love the canyon so much and the teal blue waters are already making me dream of my return! The natural beauty of this place is beyond words, and the adventure of getting there adds to the overall sense of accomplishment. Having some amazing friends with me for the adventure was icing on the cake!
If you’re planning a trip to Havasu Falls, make sure to obtain permits well in advance, prepare for the hike, and immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of this unique destination. It’s an experience you’ll cherish forever, and I can’t recommend it enough with proper preparation and research. Havasu Falls is truly a hidden gem in the heart of the Grand Canyon, waiting to be explored by those who seek its beauty and wonder!
Until next time, friends. Go explore!
Miles to Go: Adventure Awaits 