Visiting Havasupai Falls has always been at the top of my bucket list, and thankfully this year, I was lucky enough to finally be given the opportunity to visit this magnificent place! When it comes to the Wonders of the World, Havasupai Falls definitely deserves to be one of these wonders. Located in the state of Arizona, The Havasupai Tribe Reservation spans across more than 188,000 acres of canyons and broken plateaus on the western edge of the Grand Canyon’s south rim. The village of Supai lies 3,000 feet deep at the bottom of Havasu Canyon, a remote paradise that can only be reached by hiking, horses, or helicopter. Every picture and video online shows astonishing blue-green waterfalls with swimming areas, sometimes too perfect to believe. I’d had my heart set on visiting Havasupai some day to see if someplace this beautiful could actually exist, but my dream was shattered when I came to the realization that the phone number to call for reservations was always always always busy! HOW TO GET A RESERVATION IN SUPAI It was no walk in the park, that's for sure. I spent every spare moment I had calling all three numbers provided on the website for reservations, never having any success. There was even a point I considered driving out to Supai hoping to secure a spot in person, but thankfully I didn't follow through with that absurd plan. After two years of failed phone attempts, I started to lose all hope and realize that unfortunately visiting Havasupai Falls was going to remain just a dream. I didn't give up though, instead I started researching other ways that could be more attainable for getting a spot in Supai. I came across a bunch of different meetup group sites that not only planned and coordinated the reservations for you, but also gave the flexibility and freedom to make your own itinerary once at the campground. If my dream of visiting this place was ever going to be made a reality, then I knew this was my only ticket into the falls! I e-mailed the groups organizer and within hours he responded back to me. After a few corresponding messages back and forth, and a small deposit fee of $50.00 made payable through Paypal, I was secured a spot along with two of my friends for Memorial Day Weekend! Joining a meetup group was the best decision I ever could've made. It allowed me the opportunity to visit a place I had only dreamed about going to, and it also allowed the chance to meet new people. Below I will provide some recommendations on 1) What to Pack, 2) What to Expect During Your Trip - Travel Times, Costs, & Tips for Success and 3) Top Places to Visit in Supai WHAT TO PACK (Suggested) |
ESSENTIALS: -Tent (2-4 people) -Lightweight sleeping bag -Sleeping pad (either blow up raft or yoga mat) -Pillow (blow up or travel size) -Backpack (50-60 liter) -Day pack -Hydration Pack (plan for about 3 QTS) -Headlamp -Dry Towel -Sunglasses -Insect Repellant -Waterproof camera -Water Shoes (or old sneakers) -Hiking Boots -Insulated Water Bottle (1-2 liters) -Rope (used for hanging bags of food) -First aid kit -Wash cloth -Wet Wipes (or toilet paper) -Sunscreen / Aloe vera -Mole skin (for blisters) COOKING: -Zip-lock bags -Bowl / plate -Matches / lighter -Utensils -Cup -Backpacking stove (pocket rocket( -Sponge -Biodegradable soap -Trash bags | CLOTHING: -Bathing Suits (at least two) -Lightweight t-shirts -Hiking shorts / pants -Underwear -Thermals (can get very cold at night) -Sweatshirt -Socks for hiking (very important) -Windbreaker / Poncho / Lightweight Jacket -Hat (preferably full coverage) FOOD: -Cereal (oatmel) -Dry soup -Packaged meal (freeze-dried) -Snacks (nuts, fruit, trail mix, protein bars, etc) -Bread -PB&J -Milk (non-refrigerated) OPTIONAL: -Hammock -Blow up raft or floatie -Lightweight foldable camping chair -Bluetooth speakers -Go pro -Solar Powered Light (for hanging out at night or in tent) -Playing Cards -Book or tablet (with pre-downloaded movies) |
What TO EXPECT DURING YOUR TRIP:
Driving to Hualapai Hilltop:
Depending on where your starting point is, make sure that you allow enough time so that you can plan to arrive in Supai around 2:00 a.m. The drive itself is very long and there aren't many signs our lights to help guide the way. Also, it's a good idea to fill up your gas tank after exiting the freeway because there is absolutely nowhere to stop from the time you exit the I-40 until you arrive at the Hualapai Hilltop parking area, which is approximately 68 miles.
With that being said, we departed Phoenix around 9:15 p.m. and only stopped one time for gas along Route 66. Like I mentioned before, this is the only gas station in town after exiting the I-40. The drive from Seligman to the trailhead is super long - approximately 2-2.5 hours, so bringing extra snacks for the trip is probably a good idea. The roads are extremely narrow with very little light to guide the way. Not to mention there was a lot of wildlife roaming around during that time of the night which forced us to drive even slower than the posted speed limit.
We arrived to the hilltop around 2:15 a.m. and found a parking spot fairly close to the entrance. Once parked, we thought it would be best to take a short nap and then set out before sunrise on the long 10 mile journey.
Side note: If you decide to sleep in your car I would highly recommend wearing warm clothes. The temperatures drop drastically during the night and the winds are blowing at about 40 mph. We had to keep turning on the car and letting the heater run for 15 minute intervals just to stay warm. It wasn't very conducive for sleeping.
To carry your backpack or to not:
It wasn't long after we arrived that we saw the sun start to peak out over the horizon. We were unsure as to when we were 'allowed' to start hiking, so we waited awhile to see what the other hikers were doing. Once we saw a fair amount of people start to head towards the trail entrance, we gathered our belongings and did the same. However, because everything was unfamiliar and I didn't really know what to expect during the hike, we decided it would be best to stop by the Ranger's station for more information.
Basically we were told that the hike itself was fairly intense and a small part of me started to doubt as to whether or not I would be able to carry my 40 lb backpack the entire 10 mile hike. As much as I wanted to challenge myself both physically and mentally, I decided it would be best to have a mule carry down my backpack. The cost was only $20 so it seemed like a pretty good last minute deal. We also were able to attach the tent and a few other items to the backpack, which made the hike down a lot easier, not only for me but for my friends as well.
The Hike into Supai Village:
We set out on our hike around 6:00 a.m. The sun was still hidden and the weather was a bit chilly. The first initial mile of the hike was all downhill, and it was steep. I was positive I had made a wise decision by not carrying my own backpack. At the start of the hike, all of our energy was still in full force and the first 3 miles felt like a breeze. The trail eventually evened out as we continued walking in between the vast mountain ranges, encountering other hikers every now and then. The first 8 miles of the hike took us about 3.5 hours. It was 85% shady the majority of the way until we reached the entrance of the village. And when I say 'entrance' I mean another 20 minute walk to the actual registration office. You eventually get to a point where you see a sign that says "Supai -> You're Almost There!" The sign generates some hope after a long, and I mean LONG 8 miles of nothingness. However, even after you reach this point, there is still another 40 minutes or so of hiking until you ACTUALLY reach the registration office. It's definitely a little misleading, although there is a trail of water that you can walk along and even use to cool yourself off before reaching the town of Supai.
Entering the village of Supai:
The feeling you get as you approach the village is indescribable. You feel a sense of nostalgia as you step foot into the registration office. Like as if you can't believe what you just endured. Pride and accomplishment circulate throughout your body, and you can finally exhale because... YOU MADE IT!!! (well, sort of anyways) As you might have noticed, this was only the 8 mile portion of the hike, which means, there are still another 2 miles left until reaching the actual campground.
The village isn't what I was expecting at all. To be honest, I couldn't really be sure what to expect. All the pictures I had googled on the internet and blogs I had seen, didn't really compare to what I actually encountered. Not only were there an abundance of backpackers spread throughout the village, but there were also TONS of locals everywhere. Like, this was actually a town that people worked, went to school, and built a life in. It was much different than what I was expecting. Not to mention the animals - it was as if animal control had placed all of the rescued animals into one place - that place being Supai. There were horses, cats, and mannnnnyyy dogs running around all over the place. Most of them looked malnourished, unsanitary, undomesticated, and worst of all - homeless. If you happen to have a soft spot for animals, then this will absolutely be unpleasant to witness.
Once you wrap your head around all of the animal mishaps, you will then start to see more of the town. The town consists of a post office, a school, a restaurant, a market, a church, a playground, a hospital, and a few houses. It is very small, yet surprisingly populated with not only tourists, but locals. We weren't able to check in right away because we needed to wait for the group director to arrive, so we stopped and had lunch at a restaurant called 'The Havasupai Tribal Cafe.' Although it was a bit overpriced, the food was delicious and satisfying. Lunch cost me about $10.00 for two eggs, pancakes, and coffee. After a much needed meal and rest, we headed back to the registration office.
Registration Office:
The reservation office is located near the center of the Supai village directly on the trail. I have to admit, the people working in the registration office were not very friendly, and seemed to be more annoyed when assisting with larger groups. Once you've paid your fees, the office will provide each person with a wristband, along with tags for each tent, that you MUST have visible throughout the duration of your stay in Supai. I personally didn't experience this, however, there are rangers that patrol the campground during random times of the day.
Prices for Camping in Supai:
Final descend into the campground:
It was about 12:30 p.m. and the sun was in full force. I would be lying if I said the last 2 miles was easy. It was actually the hardest and hottest part of the entire hike. I would say that about 90% of the hike was directly in the sun and the dirt was more like soft beach sand which made it close to impossible to walk. Not to mention the majority of the 2 miles were mostly downhill with a few steep inclines every now and then. Not very conducive for beginner hikers.
After what felt like foreverrrrrr, we finally turned a corner and BAM!!!!! There stood, the most beautiful sight I have ever seen - Havasu Falls! Trust me when I say - it absolutely made all the hiking worth it! All that was left was to do was to choose a camping spot, set up for the night, and enjoy this magnificent gem of a place.
Depending on where your starting point is, make sure that you allow enough time so that you can plan to arrive in Supai around 2:00 a.m. The drive itself is very long and there aren't many signs our lights to help guide the way. Also, it's a good idea to fill up your gas tank after exiting the freeway because there is absolutely nowhere to stop from the time you exit the I-40 until you arrive at the Hualapai Hilltop parking area, which is approximately 68 miles.
With that being said, we departed Phoenix around 9:15 p.m. and only stopped one time for gas along Route 66. Like I mentioned before, this is the only gas station in town after exiting the I-40. The drive from Seligman to the trailhead is super long - approximately 2-2.5 hours, so bringing extra snacks for the trip is probably a good idea. The roads are extremely narrow with very little light to guide the way. Not to mention there was a lot of wildlife roaming around during that time of the night which forced us to drive even slower than the posted speed limit.
We arrived to the hilltop around 2:15 a.m. and found a parking spot fairly close to the entrance. Once parked, we thought it would be best to take a short nap and then set out before sunrise on the long 10 mile journey.
Side note: If you decide to sleep in your car I would highly recommend wearing warm clothes. The temperatures drop drastically during the night and the winds are blowing at about 40 mph. We had to keep turning on the car and letting the heater run for 15 minute intervals just to stay warm. It wasn't very conducive for sleeping.
To carry your backpack or to not:
It wasn't long after we arrived that we saw the sun start to peak out over the horizon. We were unsure as to when we were 'allowed' to start hiking, so we waited awhile to see what the other hikers were doing. Once we saw a fair amount of people start to head towards the trail entrance, we gathered our belongings and did the same. However, because everything was unfamiliar and I didn't really know what to expect during the hike, we decided it would be best to stop by the Ranger's station for more information.
Basically we were told that the hike itself was fairly intense and a small part of me started to doubt as to whether or not I would be able to carry my 40 lb backpack the entire 10 mile hike. As much as I wanted to challenge myself both physically and mentally, I decided it would be best to have a mule carry down my backpack. The cost was only $20 so it seemed like a pretty good last minute deal. We also were able to attach the tent and a few other items to the backpack, which made the hike down a lot easier, not only for me but for my friends as well.
The Hike into Supai Village:
We set out on our hike around 6:00 a.m. The sun was still hidden and the weather was a bit chilly. The first initial mile of the hike was all downhill, and it was steep. I was positive I had made a wise decision by not carrying my own backpack. At the start of the hike, all of our energy was still in full force and the first 3 miles felt like a breeze. The trail eventually evened out as we continued walking in between the vast mountain ranges, encountering other hikers every now and then. The first 8 miles of the hike took us about 3.5 hours. It was 85% shady the majority of the way until we reached the entrance of the village. And when I say 'entrance' I mean another 20 minute walk to the actual registration office. You eventually get to a point where you see a sign that says "Supai -> You're Almost There!" The sign generates some hope after a long, and I mean LONG 8 miles of nothingness. However, even after you reach this point, there is still another 40 minutes or so of hiking until you ACTUALLY reach the registration office. It's definitely a little misleading, although there is a trail of water that you can walk along and even use to cool yourself off before reaching the town of Supai.
Entering the village of Supai:
The feeling you get as you approach the village is indescribable. You feel a sense of nostalgia as you step foot into the registration office. Like as if you can't believe what you just endured. Pride and accomplishment circulate throughout your body, and you can finally exhale because... YOU MADE IT!!! (well, sort of anyways) As you might have noticed, this was only the 8 mile portion of the hike, which means, there are still another 2 miles left until reaching the actual campground.
The village isn't what I was expecting at all. To be honest, I couldn't really be sure what to expect. All the pictures I had googled on the internet and blogs I had seen, didn't really compare to what I actually encountered. Not only were there an abundance of backpackers spread throughout the village, but there were also TONS of locals everywhere. Like, this was actually a town that people worked, went to school, and built a life in. It was much different than what I was expecting. Not to mention the animals - it was as if animal control had placed all of the rescued animals into one place - that place being Supai. There were horses, cats, and mannnnnyyy dogs running around all over the place. Most of them looked malnourished, unsanitary, undomesticated, and worst of all - homeless. If you happen to have a soft spot for animals, then this will absolutely be unpleasant to witness.
Once you wrap your head around all of the animal mishaps, you will then start to see more of the town. The town consists of a post office, a school, a restaurant, a market, a church, a playground, a hospital, and a few houses. It is very small, yet surprisingly populated with not only tourists, but locals. We weren't able to check in right away because we needed to wait for the group director to arrive, so we stopped and had lunch at a restaurant called 'The Havasupai Tribal Cafe.' Although it was a bit overpriced, the food was delicious and satisfying. Lunch cost me about $10.00 for two eggs, pancakes, and coffee. After a much needed meal and rest, we headed back to the registration office.
Registration Office:
The reservation office is located near the center of the Supai village directly on the trail. I have to admit, the people working in the registration office were not very friendly, and seemed to be more annoyed when assisting with larger groups. Once you've paid your fees, the office will provide each person with a wristband, along with tags for each tent, that you MUST have visible throughout the duration of your stay in Supai. I personally didn't experience this, however, there are rangers that patrol the campground during random times of the day.
Prices for Camping in Supai:
- Camping Fee: $25.00 / person / night
- Environmental Fee: $10.00 / person
- Entrance Fee: $50.00 / person
- Tax Fee: 10%
Final descend into the campground:
It was about 12:30 p.m. and the sun was in full force. I would be lying if I said the last 2 miles was easy. It was actually the hardest and hottest part of the entire hike. I would say that about 90% of the hike was directly in the sun and the dirt was more like soft beach sand which made it close to impossible to walk. Not to mention the majority of the 2 miles were mostly downhill with a few steep inclines every now and then. Not very conducive for beginner hikers.
After what felt like foreverrrrrr, we finally turned a corner and BAM!!!!! There stood, the most beautiful sight I have ever seen - Havasu Falls! Trust me when I say - it absolutely made all the hiking worth it! All that was left was to do was to choose a camping spot, set up for the night, and enjoy this magnificent gem of a place.
TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN SUPAI
1. Havasu Falls: You can't miss the falls as the trail turns a corner and descends next to it. Once you reach this point, you have just about made it to the campground! To reach the bottom of the falls, look for a trail heading right from the main trail after you've passed the falls. It will lead you down a relatively steep, loose trail to the pools at the base of havasu falls.
2. Mooney Falls - The tallest of the waterfalls located below the campground. After you've hiked through the campground you will inevitably come to the top of Mooney Falls. The views are incredible and make for some great photo opportunities! To reach the bottom of Mooney Falls you will have to descend down a series of chains and ladders, that are held together by bolts down a 200-foot tall cliff. This is potentially dangerous but the descend itself is pretty easy to manage.
3. Beaver Falls - The most remote of the waterfalls. It is located 3 miles below Mooney Falls, about 3.5 miles from the campground. Prepare for a long day of hiking because a round trip hike from Beaver Falls is about 7 miles. The hike itself is gorgeous but rugged, and the route is very difficult to follow if you don't know your way. Beaver Falls is a stunning, cascading waterfall with excellent swimming.
4. Navajo Falls - This is the first waterfall you will see as you descend from Supai village to the campground. The trail doesn't pass it directly and it is easily missed if you aren't looking for it. As your'e hiking from Supai down the canyon, you'll leave the village and hike on a wide, sandy trail for about 1/2 mile. When it starts to open up the trail will veer off to the left. The falls is located about 300 yards upstream from fifty foot falls.
2 Comments
3/6/2018 11:09:07 am
Good info! Thanks for sharing. I just returned from a trip to Havasupai as well. What a great experience! I made short film about it that you and your readers might enjoy! Please have a look: http://vimeo.com/crabbey/havasupai
Reply
Andie
3/6/2018 02:40:52 pm
Thanks so much for reading :) Glad you enjoyed your time in Havasupai Falls! Such an incredible place. Will def give your video a watch!
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