First of all, make sure to get your CAMPING PERMIT by calling the Indian Reservation before they book up for the summer: http://www.havasupai-nsn.gov/tourism.html Directions: I came from LA, which is about 6.5 hours away, so you can drive to Kingman and spend the night there (Motel 6 - $45), then drive to the start of the trail which is about 2 hours from Kingman. Or, you can stay at the Grand Canyon Caverns hotel that's closer by 30 minutes to the trail in Peach Springs. It's a lot more expensive ($100 per night, but you can split room with friends). Or, camp out for the night outside of the trailhead (free), but it's very chilly there in the morning. Parking: Once you get to the trailhead, expect a huge line of cars as this place gets very popular so you might have to park 15-20 minutes away from the trailhead. The best thing to do is to drive to the start-point, unload all of your passengers/cargo there, then drive all the way back to park. Parking is free by the way. Park your car and get to the starting point of the trail. If you have backpacking reservations or paid for a helicopter to fly you in, then check with the only cabin that's there. If not, use the only restroom available (if you need to), and start your 10-mile (one-way) hike in. The hike starts as steep descent with several switchbacks, so bringing poles might be helpful. After about a mile in, the trail flattens out and it's fairly easy hiking at that point. Expect the hike to take you about 3-hours, and 4 hours for the way back because you'll be climbing those steep switchbacks on your return trip. Tip: you can always pay $85 (before you arrive) to make reservations to fly a helicopter on your return trip! There is also (optional) paid mule service for carrying your camping luggage (reserve ahead of time). You'll see attractions in the following order: Supai Village (where Lodging is) - Upper Navajo Falls - Havasu Falls - Campgrounds - Mooney Falls -- Beaver Falls First, you'll come upon a Supai village with a tourist office. If you made camping reservations, check in here and pay to get your camping tag. If you made lodging reservations, don't stop here but continue to the lodging office itself, which is about 5 minutes further. Pay for your room, check in, relax, use your HOT shower (nice!) and private restroom (very nice!), then head out to explore what's around you. Head towards the only way that points to the campgrounds. About 15 minutes in, you'll run into your 1st waterfall "Upper Navajo Falls." It's very beautiful. Once you are down by the water, take a look to your left side and you'll see in the distance another waterfall that's part of Navajo Falls. It's very easy to miss. We hiked over to it, and took some pictures of it, it's very pretty. Continue on the trail for about 20 minutes until you hit your 2nd waterfall "Havasu Falls." Gorgeous. The water stays constant 70-degrees, so it'll feel cool to jump in but you'll warm up rather quickly. Totally worth playing around and even jumping into small pools around the falls. Then, continue further to hit "Campgrounds." This is where you'll be staying if you are camping. There is water source and several toilets around (they actually don't smell, pleasant surprise!). Continue for about 15 minutes to your 3rd waterfall called "Mooney Falls" which is simply amazing. Word of caution, as part of your descend towards the falls, you'll have to climb through a little hole, then climb down using chains and ladders. If you are afraid of heights, this might be a tough descent for you. One lady in front of me got frozen with fear and was stuck on the ladder for 30-minutes half-way (and it's only 1-way traffic) so you can imagine the traffic jam she caused! Visit this Fall early to beat the traffic. The cool thing about Mooney Falls is you can actually continue beyond it to visit your 4th (and last) waterfall "Beaver Falls". The only thing is, it's really far away, about 8-miles (3-hours one-way) so my suggestion is to save this one for next day, so you are fresh when you start it. We thought about doing it the same day when we hiked in, and that was too much. We were exhausted. So save it for your next day of hiking when you are fresh in the morning. Lastly, don't forget logistics, like bringing enough water and food with you. If you are camping, bring everything to camp out 2-3 days. My recommendation is to plan your trip for 3-days. First day to hike, 2nd day to hit Mooney and Beaver, then 3rd day to hike back out. One word of caution, start hiking now to train your body because you'll be doing a LOT of hiking once you start Havasupai trail, upwards of 10-15 miles of hiking daily, so you'll beat up your body pretty bad, especially if you don't condition yourself beforehand. Perhaps most importantly, bring proper hiking shoes for gravel hiking (NOT tennis shoes) and 2-3 liters of water. Also, water shoes are awesome to wear when you go inside all the falls. read more

Located halfway between Supai village and the campground, Havasu Falls is the iconic picture one sees when they look up Havasupai. You cannot miss it as you travel between the village and campground. There are several waterfalls nearby to explore including Upper/Lower Navajo, Mooney, and Beaver Falls. HOW TO GET THERE: (no day hike allowed, and permit is required ~$35 per person per night with advanced reservation, or pay extra for walk-ins) 1. Hike from Hualapai Hilltop trailhead ~10-12 miles into campground, depending on pacing could take up to 4-5 hours 2. Take 10-minute helicopter ride down to village (~$85 one way, first come first served), then hike about 2 miles to the fall/campground TRAIL CONDITION: Going down the canyon, the trail is barren, open, and rugged with lots of little rocks and abundant green horse/mule manure, which at times served as our trail marker. As you get closer to the village, there are more trees and dirt paths. We started our journey arriving at the hilltop trailhead ~6am; most of our group hiked down with a few opted for the helicopter ride. You can choose to hike down with all your backpacking gears or hire mule service to transport the heavy gear to the campground ($187 roundtrip to carry up to 130 lbs/4 large bags). We've seen mules carrying large coolers and duffles. Then upon delivery to the campground, you can use wheelbarrows to push in your bags to the desired campsite. Will consider that to pack in real food next time opposed to the dried freeze food, which were quite convenient to. If you choose the mule service, as long as you tagged your bag with the reservation number and dropped off at the pallet area by the trailhead, you can start hiking down to the village to check in at the tourist center/get the wristband (aka permit) before proceeding to the campsite. VILLAGE: There are two general stores to purchase last minute stuff, microwavable food, and ice cream: one on the outskirt and another one in the middle of the village by the postal office and helicopter drop offs/pick up area. The public restrooms are flushable with sinks. As we walked around in the village, we saw houses with satellite dish and workers facilitating the airdrop packages. CAMPGROUND: The campsites are first come first served with picnic tables onsite, no trash can, so you will need to pack trash out or throw it away in the village trashcan. Toilet papers are provided in the bathroom, but there are no electricity, flushable toilets or sinks to wash off (hand sanitizer foams available outside the bathroom). To preserve the environment, there are composts (wood chips) for you to throw in after you conduct your business. Some bathrooms also have trashcan inside for other non-compostable items. There's a drinkable spring water source via pvc pipe; this is where everyone collects their water, so no washing allowed to avoid contamination. A large capacity water container is recommended (3L - 5 gallons) to reduce the trips between campsites. There are dogs and little mice roaming around, so be sure to pack all belonging inside your tents. Some campers have left ropes between the trees to dry clothing or towels. The whole experience was a pleasant one consider my first time "backpacking." TIP: 1. To get the whole Havasupai experience, it's recommended to stay here for 4 days: Day 1: hike down to campground from hilltop trailhead Day 2: explore Havasu Falls and Navajo Falls Day 3: explore Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls Day 4: pack up, hike up to hilltop and go home 2. If you go during fall time, layering is a must as the temperature varied in a big range from sunny 60 during the day down to chilly 20 at night. 3. Share the equipment with the camp mates to reduce the amount of load to carry. 4. Comfortable and warm sleeping bag is a must after a long day of hike; if you don't have the space for warm sleeping bag, then pack a space blanket to keep you nice and warm 5. In the cold, you won't even consider wanting a shower, just bring some wipes to wipe clean for the day. 6. Pack swimwear and water shoes/hiking sandals for the stream crossing/water play. 7. If riding the helicopter back up to Hilltop, go EARLY in the morning as the lines form quickly and the chopper only take 4 at a time. In our group, all the hikers made it back to the trailhead before the people riding the helicopters. read more

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! A group of us came here at the end of March. We arrived at the hilltop parking place at around 11pm and slept in the car that night. It was freezing... I should have busted out my sleeping bag but instead just went with a blanket.. big mistake. The next morning we got up and hiked down with all of our stuff. It took us about 4.5 hours total to get from the parking lot to our camp site. It is 8 miles to the village where you pay a camping fee. From there you hike two more miles and stop along the way to play around in upper and lower navajo falls and to stare at the majestic havasu falls. Then you will reach the camping area. None of us brought tents since we didn't have light ones and the weather was supposed to be bearable at night, and it actually worked out well (except our sleeping bags got really dirty). The next day we went to Mooney Falls, which was a 0.5 mil walk from the camping area, and also made our way to Beaver Falls (another 4 miles in). Both were so beautiful and we spent a lot of time just frolicking, taking pictures, and getting in the water. The next morning woke up early and left around 5am so that we wouldn't hit too much sun on the way up. To address many of the individuals writing about the animal abuse going on, I honestly did not notice any going on. One partial solution could be to just backpack everything in and out and not use the mules to carry your stuff. Also, I found all the people living in the Supai village to be very friendly and were not rude at all.. One older gentleman told us to take lots of pictures and to have fun. SUGGESTIONS: 1. bring water shoes/sandals as it can get slippery and there are a lot of rocks. 2. Moleskin. You will be going in and out of water and sand and it can rub on your shoes and feet unpleasantly. This saved me so much, especially on the hike back to our cars. 3. If hiking out at night/ early morning, be mindful of how you came it. It can be confusing remembering when groggy. 4. whenever I camp/ backpack-- wooden chopsticks are a staple...cook/eat/stab read more

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The water is beautiful here but if there is rain up in the canyon no one will come to warm you to evacuate. Almost all campsites are on the water and many have streams running through them, we were trapped for several hours praying the water didn't rise anymore. Also plan to hike both in and out these people do not care how early you get in line they let people cut and actual groups do not get on helicopters until noon. This same water and waterfalls can be seen on the rim to rim hike in Grand Canyon. Which is 1/4 of the price! Save your money and time, go there instead. read more

Havasu Falls - Campsite relative to the water - Hiking Near Me

Hiking Havasupai is easily one of the most incredible things I've ever done in my life. Even as an unexperienced hiker (for real, y'all -- I had to google "switchbacks" when I was prepping for the trip), this hike was 100% enjoyable. A few tips based on my experience: 1. Book early: If you want to have time to explore, book early to get a campsite or room at the lodge. I booked my trip just a few weeks ahead of time, so we had to hike in & helicopter out same day (day-hiking is both prohibited & probably cause for a mental eval). 2. Condition: The hike in is pretty easy. I am out of shape (not in that polite I actually run a few miles a week way-- we're talking drinking soda, eating fast food, & sitting at a desk all day out-of-shape) and certainly no avid hiker and I found the 8 miles from trailhead to Supai pretty breezy other than sore knees & ankles. But here's where the kicker comes: the 1.5 miles each way to Havasu Falls is in sand. Which isn't so bad on the way there, but an uphill climb through sand when you're panicking that you might miss the last helicopter out is rough. So get your body prepared & save yourself from walking like a zombie for a few days post-hike. 3. Start early: Getting a headstart on this hike is CRUCIAL, especially in the Summer. The closest hotel to my knowledge is Grand Canyon Caverns Inn in Peach Springs. It's weird as hell, kind of creepy, & has cinder block walls but it does the job. We left the hotel at 4:15am and even with a pit stop to change a tire in the middle of desolate Indian-18 (lucky, huh?) we made it to the trailhead before 6am. This bought us hours of glorious shaded hiking all the way to the village. Also, as soon as you get into the village, add your name to the helicopter list near the tourism office where you check in. It's first come, first served so being higher on the list will win you less time standing around waiting. 4. Pack lightly & well: Per usual, I overpacked. That being said, in many ways you can never be too safe. We packed a whistle & first aid kit that we fortunately never had to use, but we also packed a mini mag-lite which went to good use when that tire pooped out. Also pack lots of snacks & water. I read that salty snacks & tons of water were advisable, so I packed 3 liters of water, some Clif bars, & my favorite high-sodium energy snack -- peanut butter crackers. I only drank 2 liters of water, but can imagine I would've gone through lots more if we had been in direct sun. Other essentials are sunscreen, sunglasses, & a swimsuit (I wore mine under my clothes and found it to be comfortable & expeditious). Other helpful items include Chacos/other sandals for wading/climbing around the falls, floats for hangin out in the water, & towels for both sweat and swimming. 5. Wear good boots & socks: I didn't own a pair of hiking shoes other than Chacos so had initially planned to just wear tennis shoes for the hike. By the grace of some divine power, I decided the night before the trip that maybe it might be a good idea to get some hiking shoes. So I bought some Merrells as well as an extra pair of SmartWool socks. The shoes worked out okay (& certainly better than tennis shoes), but I must say I was a little jealous of my boyfriend's (less expensive!) shoes that sported a deeper tread for more grip. Both of us agreed that a hiking boot (as opposed to lower profile shoe) would've been nice as we both suffered a bit of ankle ouch. Another weird tip: CLIP THOSE TOENAILS. For real. Short as you can safely get em. I did this and my nails were still painful to the touch after the hike because of all the downhill pressure. 6. Be culturally & environmentally sensitive/realistic: After reading many reviews, I was most nervous not about the hike but about the cultural backdrop. As an avid animal-lover, the reports of emaciated and wounded horses & mules, wild and underfed dogs, rude residents, & a trash-filled village made me antsy. These reviews I read weren't without truth, but I do think they were overblown. Most of the mules & horses appeared to be in good shape & well-fed, though there were a few emaciated horses in the village itself. The village dogs were delightful & seemed happy (I fell in love with an Aussie puppy). The residents were a bit chilly, but often warmed up with a smile (tip: fawn over the kitten in the office to warm up the tourism lady). And the only trash I saw was what I presumed to be from tourists along the trail. All in all, understand that you are visiting the home of these people -- respect their decisions & attitudes and do your best to do no harm. No matter how you get in & out of Supai, this will be one of the greatest experiences you ever have. Even hiking uphill through sand, I still paused to enjoy it and kept going by acknowledging (outloud when I needed extra reassurance) "WORTH IT." I hope to go back soon and spend more time relaxing & enjoying the beautiful falls! read more

Havasu Falls - Havasu Falls - Hiking Near Me

Horrific animal abuse! Please Boycott the use of Pack horses!! My sister and I just returned from a trip to Havasupai on Tuesday 4/19. We spent the weekend there, like so many others, to enjoy the beauty of the falls and go hiking. The falls are truly stunning and among one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I have ever witnessed. However, there is another sight that we observed there that left us horrifically shocked and reduced to tears. As we descended into the canyon, we watched sickly looking packhorses pass us by, hauling camping equipment for the tourists staying at the campsite. We noticed that they appeared malnourished, and saw that their fur had been rubbed off in several places. We were immediately grateful we had packed our own supplies rather than use this service. Upon our arrival into the village of Supai, we were sickened. We witnessed too many horses to count, that were not only gruesomely emaciated, but also horses that had fresh, bleeding wounds (just on Monday 4/18/16 we witnessed this and took photos which I have published with this review) and oozing sores all over their backs. We were so outraged passing house after house with horses tied so close to their fence posts they couldn't lower their heads enough to even get water or food (if there had been any, which there wasn't). One of the horses we saw as we entered the village appeared to be dead. We spoke to some other tourists later who confirmed that they had seen it also and it was in fact, deceased. I am begging anyone considering a trip to Havasupai to boycott the use of pack horses. As long as people continue to pay for this service, these animals will be overworked, beaten and then starved to death once they can no longer serve a financial purpose to the people of Supai. You can pack items in with you, or take a helicopter service which is not much more expensive than using one of the pack horses. Please don't be one of the people who turns a blind eye to this. read more

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What an incredible journey through the Grand Canyon... I would never in a million years think that there was such a gem in the Grand Canyon. Sure there's the CO river but this is just something else.. cool aqua blue pools, towering falls against terra-cotta red rocks. Refreshing wintery air, peacefulness.. this was my first time camping out by a waterfall and it was as magical as it sounds. The stars alone are bigger and brighter out here than Joshua Tree! If you are allergic to animals: dogs, horses, cats, and donkeys be prepared or skip this adventure all together. There is a lot of horse and donkey traffic. Book in advance at least four to six months. We visited in late October and it was gorgeous. I didn't pack a swim suit because I thought it was going to be too cold, I ceased the opportunity with my underwear. This is not an easy hike in or out, we totaled 30+ miles in three days. I'd definitely include a 20 mile hike weekly (10 miles one day, 10 miles the day after) at least a month in advanced and practice on a trail. The hardest part about hiking in and out wasn't the distance, it was the weight of the pack paired with the slippery unstable gravel and fine sand. I saw plenty of hikers with these poles which I think could help a little, but do not skip the physical conditioning prep. They offer a pack mule to bring your goods in and out, it's around $85 one way and that allows up to three packs a total of 120 lbs and you must book in advance. We did not do this on our way in since it was mostly downhill, but I recommend it for the way out. Quality items I recommend packing/purchasing: Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai or any meal from Backpacker's Pantry period, this is a solid company that saved our lives. We packed more Mountain House products and almost projectile vomited because of the horrible chemical taste. Primus Eta Express + their butane tank which allowed us to boil 12 pots of water total and we still had left over fuel. Camp Suds, please do not wash items in stream or by drinking spout, dig a hole five inches or so deep at least four feet away from stream or river and wash/rinse with campuses there and bury with dirt to let suds biodegrade. Osprey water pack, I got the 3 liter, but I could've gone with the 2 or 2.5 liter. This is a superior water bladder because it has structure to the pack making it easy to fit into any bag. It has a solid handle grip to hold while you're filling up, and most importantly the mouth piece is so easy to drink from and also comes with a powerful magnetic clip you can put on our pack strap or clothing and it was around $38. Comfortable backpackers backpack, but don't go too big on the size, the most important part is the padding against your shoulders and your back, REI has an excellent selection and a knowledgeable staff. My pack has a detachable day pack to the outside making it super convenient to pack my day pack vs: stuffing one into your pack taking up valuable space. Basic essentials: Tent, camera, flashlight, sleeping bags built for 30 degree fahrenheit nights and the smaller the better. hat, lip balm, sleeping pads, lots of snacks, 1 cup raw oats with walnuts, almonds, and pecans in zip lock baggie for breakfast (spice it up with cinnamon nutmeg a pinch of salt and sugar for breakfast) extra clean dry socks in a ziplock, sandals, sweatshirt or something warm. plastic bag to pack all your garbage out with you. Things I packed but didn't really need to pack: bug spray (used it a few times but could do without it, my boyfriend didn't use it at all), water tablets (there is a drinking water spout that's surprisingly not that cold), Mountain House freezer dry food, ummm ya I'd rather drink a gallon of expired milk than a bite of any of their food... MOONEY falls is the beginning of the highlight, but for some it is the highlight. There are more falls to see and explore, but you must go through Mooney to get to them. It is steep and dangerous, if you have a fear of heights you may not even get to the scary part I'm talking about... we got pretty far, but as soon as we came to the part with chains and a vertical climb we said f*** it and went back up. Do not hike at night give yourself an early start to maximize your day light. Pack water shoes if you do decide to venture to Beaver falls or the CO river. The sun starts setting around 5:30. We stayed a total of two nights, however if I could do it again I'd stay for three... there's a lodge in the village which would lighten up your load to food, water and clothing. If you're looking for a gorgeous and active get away this is your destination! Also no service, but wifi available at the village sans password. read more

The falls are incredibly beautiful and honestly breathtaking. It is impossible to truly enjoy the beauty of the place though, with the animal cruelty and trashing of the land that takes place. The magnificent land is littered with soda cans, old bed frames, bags of garbage and emaciated animals. We witnessed bloodied pack horses and animal carcasses. It was awful and I left horrified. Never have I been so appalled - the horses and mules are skin and bones with open, bleeding sores all over their spines from the weight of the packs. They are malnourished, tied to posts with no shade from the direct sunlight, and whipped and beaten when they won't go any further due to exhaustion. The review written below me is laughable and also frightening. I can say with certainty that many of these animals would be better off dead than alive and under the care of of their current owners. What's the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"? Given the condition of the horses shown in the pictures posted by a prior reviewer, these animals need help and visitors to the area need not to turn a blind eye to what's going on - document what you see, let people know when you get back, and PLEASE boycott the use of pack animals. Carry in your own packs. read more

This place will NEVER be less than 5 stars. It cannot be described with just 5 stars, photos, and a yelp review. You need to BE THERE to experience it for yourself. This was my third time at Havasupai -- 4/3 to 4/6. I was a little concerned about weather and, yes, my concerns came true. It was COLD. It was probably mid 20s to low 30s at night and a little colder early morning. If you come early april I strongly recommend a very good sleeping bag that is rated for the Temps noted above. This was my first time to beaver falls and I regret not going earlier during my previous trips to havasupai. Do not short change yourself by not taking a visit to beaver falls. I stand by my recommended gear as described in my previous post. Of you have any questions feel free to message or email me. Below are my recommended travel plans DAY 1 Leave trailhead early at 0700 with ETA to campgrounds at 1200. you will be sore and tired. Have lunch and then relax at havasu falls for the evening. DAY 2 Wake up early and head down to Mooney falls at around 8 or 9. If you go any layer risk running into a lot of foot traffic. The way down to Mooney falls is a one way, narrow cave that becomes a choke point for people heading to both Mooney and beaver. After taking in the view, head down to beaver falls (2.5 miles up the river). The trail is very clear and as long as you follow the river you will be fine. You will want to get here around 11 and 12 for full sun exposure, otherwise it will get cold. Headback to Mooney falls by 1400 for optimal sun exposure for great photos. If you are only here for 3 days, use day 2 to spend the remainder of the afternoon at Navajo falls. Because the Navajo falls canyon runs parallel, you can enjoy sunshine from sunrise to sunset so try to plan for Navajo last if you can. The other falls (Mooney, beaver, and havasu are time independent for sun exposure) DAY 3 If you are here for four days, relax at havasu a little more and wander your way to Navajo falls. Enjoy the time jumping off the 30 and 40ft cliffs -- it is an amazing rush! Just be sure to jump in front of where the main falls hits the water. I saw a guy break his foot because he jumped too far off to the side. Ask more experience jumpers on where to jump if it is your first time. DAY 4 Start heading back at 0700 to make it back at the trailhead between 1100 and 1200. The way back is more strenuous so take into account the timing. The latter part will be under the noon sun and it's also the steepest for the last mile. Based on my three trips throughout the year (April, May, October) I would recommend going during Oct for ideal neutral weather. Not too hit and not too cold. May is the next best but the hike down and back up will be more hot. April is OK but just be prepared for COLD nights/mornings. Enjoy! I can't wait for a 2016! read more

I never envisioned myself as someone who would enjoy camping, let alone backpacking but this trip has changed my mind on how much discomfort and physical exertion I can handle. You begin with a ten mile trek to the campgrounds, which will include a two thousand feet elevation change, with most of the elevation change occurring in the first mile. The slope isn't steep -- it is as if you are walking down long, wide steps steadily downwards. I'd say having a healthy stamina level would help the most. The trek in its entirety will take about 5 hours, with the time fluctuating depending on your pace and the duration of your breaks. I recommend doing three days minimum. The first day to hike to the campsite and set up your camp. The second day to explore the falls and do the day hikes. The last day to pack up and complete the trek back up. The views were breathtakingly beautiful. I did the day hikes on the second day to Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls, which I will cover in more detail on their respective Yelp pages. This trip turned me from a self-professed princess into a camping and outdoor backpacking lover. It's definitely doable for a first backpacking trip, so if you're having any hesitations about the difficulty of the trip, squash them! read more

Second time and my how things have changed. our first trip (pre-yelp) in 2007 was amazing. fast forward 3 years after an apparent flood and it looks really different. but still......amazing! we drove up from phoenix to williams the night before. woke at 4am to drive to Hilltop parking area by 8am. hiked down in 4 hours (pictures, snacks, rest stops) to the supai village. checked in and continued our hike to the campground. hiked to beaver falls the next day for some 60 foot cliff jumping, then explored the caves at the campsite. next day, swimming and jumping in the new falls. and the next day...the sad hike out. Deets (for an august/summer hike): if having bags/gear taken in by horse, arrive no later than 10am at Hilltop. it's 187 bucks round trip for one horse (4 bags weighing no more than 130 pounds). there are bathrooms at hilltop, but no water. after about 8am, an RV opens to sell cold drinks or ice cream. unless you like brutal summer heat, start your hike no later than 8am. it's do-able in any weather, but it's much more pleasant the earlier you start. day bag plenty of water and some snacks. when you arrive in the village, you can always buy cold drinks and food if you want. don't take pictures in the village...they don't really like it! hiking out, again in the summer, leave your bags for the horses by 7am and try to start hiking out as early as possible. the first horse train arrives at hilltop with bags around 10am. if you have to wait, at least you can cower in some shade instead of hiking in the sun. do the hike to beaver falls! it's amazing and fun and wet. jump off the cliffs at new falls and beaver and explore the caves. the hike down to Mooney is so cool. bring fewer clothes than you think you'll need. really, a swimsuit, 2 pairs of socks, and a shirt and water shoes is as much as you'll need. finally....PACK OUT EVERYTHING! my only gripe (as with any hike or campsite) is the amount of gear and trash people leave behind. that stuff has to be packed out by somebody, so it should be the campers/hikers. we even saw many a church group leave their campsites littered with packaging, shirts, propane bottles, shoes, etc. GREAT hike and campsite. it looks a lot different but it's still beautiful. oh, and get gas in williams or seligman...it's still a long drive in/out with nary a gas station in site. and reserve well in advance. they'll let you in without a reservation, but charge you double if you don't. read more

Don't get me wrong. The waterfalls here are absolutely breathtaking. The customer service of the local Havasupai tribe, however, is appalling! I've come here a couple years ago with no complaints at the time and wanted to come back again. This time, my girlfriend and I set out for the hike at 6 AM when it was still pitch dark. Because of this, we completely missed their new day hiking policy of charging $88 a person for a DAY HIKE! I've done this a couple years ago for $44 with no issues. To our surprise, we were told by the local tourist official that we would be charged $176 total just to see a couple waterfalls for maybe a total of 2 hours. This was completely ludicrous - that's practically the same cost of 2 day tickets to Disneyland! She then said the reason they doubled the price is to discourage day hikers from "getting into trouble." This is complete BS to me - if they were REALLY concerned about people's safety, they would not allow day hiking at all. Instead, they just price gouge the hell out of everything. Sure, the people that we now call Americans have raped and pillaged their people in their past. This is their way of raping us right back! Don't even get me started on the mistreatment of animals either. After refusing to pay the $88 and turning back around, we saw a horse that was laying on the ground with a broken, bleeding leg. There was no one to care for that horse either except for some fellow hikers. Basically, that horse was left out by the local tribesman to die of heat and/or starvation. Other horses that we saw on the way down carrying other people's stuff were also bleeding. All throughout the hike, we frequently saw blood spots on the rocks. Other horses were left with very little to eat as they were literally picking off their own feces and barren logs. I'm no PETA superfreak by any stretch of the imagination, but even I couldn't help but feel terrible for these animals. read more

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker -- places I've been to include Phantom Ranch & Ribbon Falls in GCNP, Zion NP including top-down Subway, Sedona, Teton Crest Trail in GTNP, Yosemite NP, Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, RMNP, Big Sur, and the Lost Coast. Relative to those, this hike and destination was a major disappointment. Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls were beautiful and unique no doubt about it, but just about everything else was bad. Negatives include: 1. Hike from hilltop to Supai Village -- mediocre-to-bad compared to iconic national park hikes such as the ones listed above, not particularly beautiful or special. GCNP corridor trails and Sedona blow this out of the water 2. Supai Village - slum, wild horses and dogs roaming freely, litter, urchin native children pestering tourists. Rude, lazy natives. not quaint or charming at all. 3, Food - Snack bar restaurants was gross and expensive, with rude service to boot 4. Lodge - $200/night all in. A total disaster. Yes there are beds and bathroom and shower, but the grounds and structure sorely need a demolition ball taken to them. Knowing what I know now, this is how I would do this trip: 1. Take first helicopter in from hilltop to Supai Village 2. Hike 6 miles or so roundtrip to see both Havasu and Mooney falls 3. Take last helicopter out in afternoon This would minimize your time in this downtrodden place. Of course this all depends on there being a predictable, reliable helicopter service, which is definitely not how I would characterize it. Another option would be take chopper in and out, but do an overnight at the Campgrounds (which were quite nice actually). Sadly, this is what happens when a people take government handouts and "help" long-term -- squalor, and dependence, in perpetuity. This place has so much potential, it could be like the town of Sedona or an apres-ski like area like Aspen or Breckendridge, it only the government and natives would let the private sector do what it does best. What a shame a place as potentially beautiful as this is such a slum. read more

Havasu Falls is a world renowned destination. Rightfully so, this place was simply amazing. I had seen pictures for years from different nature photographers and it is one of those things that you really can't believe unless you see it for yourself. I had planned to go here in September because the weather just seemed more appropriate to hike than in the summer, temps in the summer reach way over 100 degrees, no thanks. This is a short 4.5 hour drive from Vegas, we decided to leave at 2:00am so we could make the trailhead at sunrise, another option is to sleep in your car the night before (which I didn't feel comfortable with, without traveling with a gun) or stay the night in Peach Springs, which is still an hour drive from the trailhead. Make sure you get gas in Kingman, that's the last station available. Also, if you are driving at night, be really careful driving on Tribal Rd 18, it was like Narnia on that road, cattle, elk and tons of rabbits. There are a couple different ways to get down to the Supai reservation, you can have your pack taken in by mule or horse for a one way fee of $100 for 135lbs (3 people can easily share, this requires advance reservations) or have your pack flown in by helicopter for $20 while you hike down (you must backpack the last two miles to the campsite) or you can take the helicopter with your backpack for $85 and be down in 6 minutes. Helicopter only flies Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Fridays and the locals take precendence over everyone else, so be prepared to wait as it is first come, first served. We decided to hike down and have our packs carried in. The hike down was 10 miles (8 miles to the reservation, another 2 miles to the campsite). The hike was fairly easy, first couple of miles of decent was a little rocky, but once you get in the canyon it was pretty flat. We kept smelling a horrific odor and couldn't figure out what it was, I had mentioned that it smelled like a rotting carcass, at some point I wanted to gag it was so bad. We were about 6 miles in when we saw a dog (I had heard there were stray dogs around the reservation) and we noticed he was chewing on something, when we got closer, we noticed it was a horses leg. I wanted to die. We found out the week before we arrived there was a bad flash flood, and some of the horses had drowned, so they had to be burned. Made me sick. Then we started passing some of the mules and horses that were carrying packs back and forth. I felt horrible. I truly had a since of guilt for having them carry my pack in. At one point one of the horses had stopped, maybe he was tired, the guy got off his horse and punched the horse in his face, not once but twice. My stomach turned, I wanted to punch the guy in his face. He didn't think nothing of us witnessing this, so I can only imagine what goes on when no one is around. When we arrived into the village, it looked like a third world country. Really dirty, children running around with no shoes on, and wearing only underwear. There is two small stores, limited amount of food and it appeared that the cafe sells the crap they had in the freezer from the store, like corn dogs, french fries and the such. Every local we came in contact with was beyond rude to us. The campground is probably one of the worst campgrounds I've been to, and I've camped most of my life. There are porta-potties, but there is trash around (there was a recent flash flood, so I will give them that excuse) there are stray dogs everywhere, and they will sit and beg for food. You can get water from a fresh spring, but be prepared to wait as the line does get long. Onto the good stuff. The first falls you will come across is Navajo Falls, or dubbed New Navajo Falls since the massive flood in 2008 rearranged some stuff. This area has the best swimming in my opinion. Havasu Falls. This is what we all came to see. Truly amazing. I've been to Hawaii four times, been to a Costa Rican rainforest, and this by far blows any waterfall I've ever seen away. The blue green waters against the red rocks, breathtaking. Mooney Falls. It keeps getting better! This was the largest of the falls. The exciting part is the decent down. You have to be able to crawl through a tunnel and down ladders and chains conncected to the rocks. I'm assuming 80-120 feet of decent? I'm afraid of heights, so this was challenging for me. Beaver Falls-make sure you get down here! A lot of people skip this area as it's a 3 mile hike from the campground. This area reminded me of the Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone how the naturally occuring pools and the turquoise waters appear like out of a magazine. Doesn't seem real. This was another good swimming area. I'm perplexed where all the money goes, $99 for two nights to camp, $85 for one way helicopter and $100 one way mule. It isn't going to maintain the grounds, that's for sure. read more

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The falls are gorgeous! And for as many people who are there, the falls are not over crowded. Tip though, do not count on the helicopter as your way out of the canyon! We hiked out at 6am and got to the village at 7am to sign up and wait for a helicopter ride along with about 50 other people. The helicopter started flying people out around 9:15am. Here's the annoying part, no hikers were being flown out, just the locals. They say its first come first serve, but if it's a local they get to go first, and there was a ton wanting to fly out. We waited for 5.5 hours, probably only 4 or 5 hikers got flown out, and then they said "No more, the pilot went home, he's tired, it's too windy." They also said there was no mules available for the day. Hikers started throwing away their stuff to make their backpacks lighter and the Indians were digging the stuff out of the trash and taking it and asking hikers to give them their stuff instead of throwing it away. So now the middle of the afternoon, we all had to hike out. There were a couple elderly people who had flown in and could not hike out and had to stay another night and hopefully get a ride out the next day. Helicopters don't come every day though. There was also a pregnant women who ended up hiking the 11 miles out of the canyon. Plan your trip well! Bring lots of water, lots of moleskin, and some extra cash if you run into any problems! read more

This was an AMAZING experience! What you see in photos is what you actually experience it person. It's like we were in a different country! Let's break things down: The Reservation: They say to book months in advance but I did it in 3 days (not recommended but they don't seem to have system. Just talk to them and they'll let you stay in the campgrounds). The Drive to Trailhead: Probably one of the creepiest drives since we drove around 3-4am, total darkness, and unpaved roads at times and alot of rabbits darting across the road which makes the drive a bit tense. Once the sun rose it was fine. The hike down: It's about 8miles to the village and 10miles to the campgrounds where the falls are. BE PREPARED since it's a LONG ways down. By mile 7, my knees started to hurt, so the last few miles were pretty brutal. It's a beautiful hike though, take your time and take lots of breaks. The Check In: Right when you get to the town, you have to check in. The process is slow but I was okay with that coming from an 8mile hike. The town: After check-in we had a well deserved rest. There's a couple options for food at this point: Supai Cafe or the little store across the way. We ate at Supai Cafe. Food was bad, service wasn't much better (I don't expect neither to be great since but just have to put it out there for those who maybe thinking "WTF man, you're in native land, you're lucky they feed you!") The campgrounds: There was alot of space when we were there. Make sure you know where the clean water hole is. The Falls: AMAZING! just like you're in a postcard. We didn't venture further down to the other falls since we were only staying 1 night. Next time, 2 night is probably better to get most out of the experience. The Hike / in our case "Helicopter ride" up: My knees were recovering so there's NO WAY I was going to make it back up to the top without a little assistance. MAKE SURE YOU COME EARLY and get in line for the copter. IT TAKES AGES to get up. OVERALL can't beat the experience and sights. Amazing and glad my wife and I had the opportunity. read more

Absolutely amazing! Some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. Reservations go quickly, so you have to call when the season starts in February to get a spot. It is on Indian land so you MUST have a reservation to enter. This was my first ever backpacking trip, and it was fantastic. The hike to Supai village is 8 miles. You can pay to have donkeys carry your stuff down, but that defeats the point of backpacking so my group carried our own bags. Not a rough hike but the first 2 miles are downhill switchbacks that can be a bit tricky. Since you are following the canyon down you can't really get lost. When in doubt, follow the trails of poop (no seriously, they will keep you on the fastest easiest path). We started our hike at 4:30am and made it to the village at 7am. Once you get to the village it is another mile to get to the campsites. No assigned spots so you can pick whatever spot you like best. The campsite area is a mile long so there is plenty of space for everyone. No fires allowed, so bring plenty of flashlights and lamps for when it gets dark out. Also a jet boil to prep meals. Once you settle in, the world is yours to explore! So many beautiful things to see and places to check out. I was there for 3 days and wish I had more time. Some tips: Invest in some good shoes! My Nikes got me to camp, but not without leaving some blisters. Bring hiking boots and seperate shoes for hiking in water. Pack light! Hiking 10 miles is one thing, hiking 10 miles with 30 pounds on your back changes the game a little bit (and by little bit I mean a crap ton). Hammocks are the way to go, and you spend most of the time in your swim suit so limit the clothing you pack. Plan to have at least 1 liter of water for the hike in and 2 for the hike out. Going back up those switchbacks is no joke. The village has fresh water and a well stocked store, so you will be able to restock as needed. Eat a big meal before you head out of Havasupai so that you do not get fatigue. My feet are sore I'm in desperate need of a good shower and my calfs burn with the fire of 1,000 evils, but I would come back and do it all over again in a heartbeat. read more

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No picture could EVER replicate what it feels like to stand in front of the falls! When I first saw the falls, it took my breath away! It's like almost being in another country, or another world viewing these magnificent falls! My former roomie and Yelper (Monica B.) helped plan the trip! (Btw, she did an amazing job researching everything!) We stayed at Flagstaff the night before so we could wake up early and head to the falls. The best thing to do is to wake up at 2-3am, pack, and drive to the start of the trail. It'll usually take 5-6 hours to make it down to the campsite. Before you enter the campsite, you'll have to pay for the permit/mule. Then, the campsite is 2 miles further. I would recommend coming here if you have at least a three day weekend. We left Thursday Night and woke up at Friday at 2am and drove to the place (a 2-3 hour drive from Flagstaff). We made it down Friday during noon to unpack and camp! Then we saw the falls! How unbelievably GORGEOUS!! We stayed to nights and also saw Mooney Falls. (That's pretty scary to get down to see those, but definitly worth it!) I recommend bringing a WATER-PROOF camera so you can take lots and lots of pictures! The water is a little cold, but great to be in! Pack lots of bug spray! The bugs come out at night! There's also an option for the helicopter ride out ($85)! read more

No words can accurately describe the beauty this place holds enough to give it even an ounce of justice. You can look at all the photos and videos people have made a million times, I guarantee you, the second you see for your own two eyes the ever changing perfection nature showcases in this canyon, it'll be as if you've never seen it before. Yes, its that incredible. First things first, its a helluva hike. Don't take that statement lightly, even more so, its grueling and the intensity and pain increases by about a thousand when you have to hike under that unforgiving Arizona sun. If you're a soldier and experienced, hiking down 10 miles and back up 10 miles with 30+lbs of backpacking gear is a challenge worth taking. If you're not so experienced or if you're just a frou frou la la, don't be scared you have options too. They have mules that run up and down the mountain with your gear if you don't want to carry it. If $86 for 5 minutes is chump change for you, you can take a 5 minute helicopter ride down into the canyon and totally bypass the hike through the canyon. Personally, I love the challenge, and one of my favorite parts of the trip was hiking on the ground floor with the massive canyon walls towering over me. You can also ride a horse which is $95 but if you ride a horse you have to pay another $95 for another horse to carry your gear. The hike. From the hilltop the first 1.5 miles of the hike is a 2000ft decrease in elevation, this part is called the switchbacks. Heading down its not so bad, heading up... it sucks. If you catch the end of your hike up under the sun, its worse than chinese water torture. Shade is limited and the 2000ft incline back up to the hilltop after hiking 8 miles will take is toll. Once you're in the village there's a sense of excitement and anxiousness, only problem there is that the village is 2.5 miles from the campground, never mind the added distance you hike to figure out which campsite you want to make home for the next couple days. The hike is also on softer sand and with little shade so plan to experience that as well. With that said, once camp is set up relaxation and beauty awaits. Upper Navajo Falls and Rock Falls you would have already passed and seen. Its a gorgeous cascading vision of water and rock. You'll hit Havasu Falls right before the campground entrance and by this point it'll be like seeing chocolate cake after a 6 month diet. Mooney falls is about 1.3 miles from the campground and is the largest waterfall to see. The hike down to the bottom of the falls is not for the non adventurous type. You crawl down two tunnels on the side of the mountain until you reach a series of chains and stone steps carved out on the side of the rock. Sketchy, but so thrilling and exciting to pass. The village and the Supai people are quite intriguing. I've read a few negative reviews about them that really isn't accurate. My party and I didn't have any problems with them, but even if we did, not a big deal. The one thing you need to realize is that this is their land that they've opened up to the public. They are sharing this oasis for the world to see, be gracious and thankful for that invite. Absolutely do not feel in entitled to anything there. Respect them. They are very curious as to where you're from and where you've travelled. Share it with them, joke with them, treat them as your equal, even if they're loading up your gear on a mule or taking your reservation down. If you're up for a challenge and are craving a good adventure, do this hike. You won't regret it. read more

Havasu Falls - 50 Ft Falls | May 11th, 2013 - Hiking Near Me

This is definitely a trip you need to make in your lifetime! The falls themselves are amazing and exceeded my expectations. Not much for me to say that hasn't already been said, but I do want to spread the word that if I ever go again I will NOT support their mule business. We hired a mule to carry our packs out of the canyon and I would never do that again. Most of the men who own mules abuse them. We saw MANY mules with huge, open, bleeding sores from where their saddles or straps or packs were chafing and rubbing their skin raw. Not only that, but I saw a man punch his mule HARD in the face four times because it was resisting being tied so close to a railing. He later kicked another mule hard in its back leg several times because it was resisting being tied up as well. Even the nice and friendly mule owners don't treat their animals well. We talked to one nice man who had just finished taking his mules up out of the canyon carrying packs and he told us the mules don't have access to water at the top of the canyon. So unless their owners bring them water (which few of them do) the mules are just dehydrated until the next day when they go back down the canyon to the river. He wasn't going to give his mules water until the next day - and this was on a 100+ degree day after his animals had been carrying huge loads uphill for hours in the hot sun. Next time I will carry my own pack out or take the helicopter. The animals don't deserve to suffer like that. read more

I don't even know WHERE to begin. Gorgeous. Amazing. Beautiful. Mentally challenging. Somewhat physically challenging. The HIKE ( long walk minus 2 miles of switch backs ) We had the mules carrying our things in both ways. A plus to taking a day pack was the weight was light, but the downfall was waiting till 6pm for our gear from the mules ( we arrived down at noon). It varies, so count on nothing on this trip unless you're taking your things in yourself. Some people's gear came in at 11,3, and 6. We got the 6pm. It's so pretty on the way in. It's 8 miles until the village, and around 2 to the actual camp sites. Where you have to SEARCH for a site. I had a group of 15, so it wasn't easy, but we found a great shaded spot closer to Mooney falls. We were so lucky. The people had told us they only let in around 200, we were told there was 700 let in the campsites this weekend. June6-8. There is wifi up at the little village and ZERO service in your campsites. We brought in all dry foods, tons of water, lots of bars, snacks, and mre packs to use with our jetboil. Next time I would bring tap ramen and mac and cheese NO doubt. Even though it's warm, food is food down there. The frye bread they sell is insane, you wait in the heat but it's all worth it. Especially since the food you bring in can get bland. Sweet treat. They run out of the tacos super early, like 11 am. I didn't experience anyone of the people of the village rude at all. Most seemed super friendly and happy to have you. After all, you are paying them to stay on their land. We spent saturday going to Mooney and I went halfway to beaver. I was VERY scared of the of the scale down from all the reviews. It's not something you can explain until you experience everything on this trip. Yes I can tell you it was scary and especially if you're afraid of heights like I am, but I could not imagine going on this trip and not trying it. ( DO ITTTTT) I will be back, but I need a break tom hiking haha read more

If you have the opportunity to go, I say go! You see the pictures but this place is even more magical in person. Spent three nights and four days in the canyon and it was the perfect amount of time to see all the falls & do some additional exploring. They say the hike is 10 miles to camp but my Fitbit had me at 12 miles. Whatever the mileage is, just be prepared to walk a whole lot but just know it's not strenuous. Once you get to camp you're going to be tired but keep walking. The best sites are towards the back and it's a bonus because it will put you closer to Mooney Falls. I will tell you this, the descend down to Mooney Falls is sketchy as shit. So bad that the first day I turned around because I was so scared. The second day my friends convinced me and my other friend to give it another try. We did it, but it was terrifying. This is something I wish I would have known before, so now I'm telling you! Bring gloves! Not necessary but it gives you a sense of security as you death grip those chains. Once you're down there I say book it to Beaver Falls. Everyone likes to hang around Mooney, so if you just head straight to Beaver Falls you may get lucky enough and have the Falls to yourself for a little bit! Portions of that hike were a little sketchy too. I can talk for days about this place ... but I'll spare you the manifesto. But if you have any questions, need advice, etc. send me message and I'll be more than happy to help you out! Happy hiking! read more

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July - August is monsoon season. Be warned! 8 mile hike to the village, walk gently down the switchbacks. The trail is pretty rough as of this post date, very rocky with some gravely trails. (The hike back up this will be tough but you have your car to look forward too) Little Navajo, Havasu, Mooney, Beaver and Colorado river is whats advertised now. Some other falls dont exist due to natural causes. After Havasu Falls, they have a little tent that sells Indian Tacos for $10 and frozen powerade. Further down that you can get some drinking water from a fountain! Bathrooms along this as well (newly built). Awesome trip, gorgeous place. Dont be afraid to talk to the natives, they'll be nice if you're nice! Spectacular, pick up after yourself, keep it beautiful hikers. read more

Wow what a amazing trip. We left Orange county and stayed in laughlin nv then drove to trailhead. It was a hard hike down with 45+ lbs but was great to build up the muscle as we needed it for return trip. Everyone was nice and polite(not what i read on reviews). Maybe it was because we had perfect weather. We found a great spot next to the river and set up camp. All day saturday we went to mooney falls and beaver falls its a great hike to beaver and there was not alot of people that went down there compared to mooney. At beaver you can jump off the falls and go into a secret cave under the falls. Told to us by the ranger. Sunday we went to havasu falls and started our hike out stoping and jumping in when we could. It was a easy hike out untill the last mile and half which is straight up but totally do able unless its 100 plus heat. Was the best backpacking trip i have ever done and would reccomend it to anyone. I saw kids to elderly doing it and skinny to fat people also ha. No pictures do it justice just something you have to see with your own eyes and body. Ps bring your own alchool our 6 beers and bottle of whiskey didnt last very long. And they do not sell any down there of course!! Pss dont fly in. To really enjoy it make the hike down. Push your body!! read more

Warning: long review, but hopefully this is helpful. So after hearing much about the beauty of these falls, we had to check it out. From California, (bay area) it was about a 13 hour drive to the Hilltop. It's pretty simple, the 18 is the road that you drive 60 miles to get to the top. FYI!!!!! -- get gas before! If you are traveling from CA the gas station you need to go to (that is open 24 hours, we were driving at like 3AM) is in Seligman. That's where you need to go. At the hilltop after getting a little side tracked with gas issues, we got there at 7AM (we wanted to start hiking at like 5AM to avoid the heat) The hike REALISTICALLY took us 4.5 hours with minimum stops and by minimum, I mean like 3-4 five minute breaks. Books say 3 hours, but that's like without a 30lb backpack on your back, so plan on walking for 4-5 hours. The hike downhill was not that bad, but it's long and tedious especially if you're traveling with baggage. It's 8 miles into the town, but don't get too excited, because the last 2 miles to the campgrounds is brutal esp if you hit the heat. The falls were worth it though, I mean you see Navajo first and you just know that it's going to be sweet. Then you hit Havasu falls, there's also Mooney which is the tallest, and Beaver which is beautiful (but there was a flash flood so we didn't get to see it) You can jump off Navajo it's like a 30 foot drop, but totally exhilarating! Gotta try it, you're already there right? You just camp anywhere in the campgrounds, it's like a first come first serve kinda thing.. But beware of traveling there in August, we were extremely lucky to have at least a day and a half to enjoy the clear waters because August is flood season at Havasupai, which means the mud/dirt from the canyon comes to the falls and turns all the water brown! You don't want to swim in that.. and I hear it takes a few days to clear up! So if you have only planned on staying there a few days and travel in when a flood hits, you're screwed =( So be careful with that. After learning our lesson with dealing with the heat......... We left our campsite at 4AM to hike back, got there at 8:30AM. The switchbacks at the end, which is about two miles of constant uphill climb is HELL in the sun (a tip we got from another hiker) so leave early and get shade. It's already hell in the shade, so I would think you would want to die in the sun. Services they offer: Mule carrying in your bag: $45 a bag. one way Helicopter carrying in your bag: $20 a bag. one way Helicopter flying you in with a bag: $85 one way But if you are physically fit, do the hike, and see the canyon in a way you wouldn't normally. I RECOMMEND this trip so much, the waters were beautiful and even though you essentially bathed and washed in the river, it was nice to get away from civilization and just relax wth the natural beauty of nature. Havasupai is honestly one of the natural wonders of the world that everyone needs to see before they die. I cannot wait to return! Pictures do this place no justice, it's even PRETTIER in person. read more

My friends and I were logged in and ready to get permit reservations when they opened on February 1, 2019 and it was a nightmare from the get-go. The website wouldn't refresh and sign us in, after waiting over 2 hours on the computers none of us were able to get in and all reservations (with the exception of a couple days at the end of February) all reservations were gone. Additionally, you have to put in credit card details when you sign-up (to help the process go smoother the website claims). My friend's credit card was charged and she didn't receive an email with an permit details. She tried calling for multiple days and no one answered the phone. Finally someone from the reservation recorded a message saying there was some issue, we didn't have reservations, and would be issued a refund. Not a great way to run a business. read more

Arrive early to get a spot. With it being so popular you likely won't get your ideal spot the first night but keep your eyes open as there is turnover each day. Bring plenty of the water when hiking in and out. If you're hiking out and it's during summer, it's best to leave no later than 3:30am. The locals aren't friendly but you kind of expect that. Don't expect help from the Rangers when you're in camp. They're there to monitor you but don't really do anything else. The rules say you can't bring inflatables but we saw plenty and they didn't do/say anything. Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The new restrooms are nice but only stocked once per day so they run out often. read more

I will forever give Havasu Falls 5 stars- it's a bit like my first love. Going thru the hike , walking thru the Indian village,then seeing the aqua blue waterfall in the midst of the canyon. Even if in the last few years, Havasu Falls is getting increasingly commercialized. When I first started hiking to Havasu Falls, rt 88 was not a marked road. I remember being part of a caravan of cars driving, wondering where the turnoff is and if we missed it. Now it's clearly marked and the road is even paved. There's even organized camping down there down with tour guides and pick up service from Seligman. A lot more horses and mules. More accessibility also means more people. And a lot more trash. Everywhere. A bit sad, really. The mountain side where the hikers hike out is littered with trash. In the "old days" there was an understood pack it in, pack it out policy that most of the hikers took seriously. Now there are recycle cans set up along the route and people leaving behind inflatables, water shoes, wrappers. I picked up 3 grocery bag full of trash and each day spent my day picking up other people's trash cause well, I love Havasu Falls I guess. The village itself is also a lot bigger and more crowded in the village center. And wifi has reached the village as I saw plenty of Havasu Indians walking around with iPads and giant tv ordered and delivered to their homes and plenty of satellite dishes. I want as many people to be able to enjoy Havasu Falls and all the other falls as possible- I hope they can continue to implement the pack it in, pack it out policy even as they make the hiking easier and easier with more services offered and the trails more groomed and easier to hike. Which brings me to how we had a stress free hike with our almost 8 year old son. I guess I have a hope of getting as many kids as possible into nature so if my experience helps another family then it would be a review worth writing!!! We basically decided we would not carry anything down except for a bladder of water each, snacks for the way down, swimming suit and googles, one toothbrush each, one tube of travel size toothpaste, changes of underwear and one change of t-shirt each. And of course first aid items like mole skin and ibuprofen,etc. That's it! We made reservations for the lodge and ate all our meals at the cafe and all the additional snacks at the village store. I knew from previous experience that after the first mile, the rest of the hike was easy and level- and we lucked out and hiked the first 3 miles with barely any weight on our backs and in the shade!!! It took us 5.5 hours to hike the 8 miles. I think it would have been quicker except my legs were really sore from a hard workout the day before. So I was the one who slowed our group down, not my son! My son totally loved the hike. Once we reached the village, we were able to check into the lodge and take a refreshing shower. We then walked over to the cafe bought our dinner to go, walked the additional 2 miles to Havasu Falls and had the world's best view while we ate our dinner then played for a bit underneath the waterfall. The next day we had breakfast at the cafe, had sandwiches packed to go for lunch then leisurely walked our way to Havasu Falls, stopping at Little Navajo Falls to play in the water and enjoy the beauty. It was a very relaxing, unhurried day. Truly Sangri la. Then we walked back to the cafe for dinner. After, got our snacks at the village store. No camping setup, no meals cooked, no stress over weight of gear. It was great!!! The next morning we got up at 4am, started hiking out at 5am while the majority of the canyon was in the shade. By 1pm we were out and we would have gotten out faster except somehow this time I had gotten six blisters on my toes so I was the one walking super slow. We also did not buy special hiking shoes for Andrew- he went down as I did in sneakers since the trail is so well groomed that hiking shoes are not necessary. So if you have been thinking about taking your young one down and you think your young one can hike the distance, this is one way to do it that is easy and practically stress free. There are big camping families who carry their own gears down and there are also other camping families who have the mules take their gears down. My hubby is not a camper plus we were not sure if Andrew could make the distance so this was our way of enjoying Havasu Falls with minimal stress. It really worked out beautifully for us. If any of you decide to do this, I hope you and your family enjoy the experience as much as we did!!! read more

By day, the water of Arizona's Havasu Falls is a remarkable bright blue-green color. At night, it takes on a milky ribbon appearance when illuminated by the light of camper headlamps. Havasu Falls lies within Havasupai Native American tribal lands. The roar of its cascading water flow can be heard still miles away from its source. A friend and I, while stargazing at The Falls, were mesmerized by the sheer darkness of the canyon. read more

Havasu Falls - Havasu Fall-Supai, Coconino County Arizona, USA - Hiking Near Me

Sigh, where do I start...It is the most beautiful place I've ever visited. I can't wait to go back. The locals were very friendly and accommodating. I thank them for welcoming us into their home/paradise. It is a STRENUOUS hike, lots of people are limping because of blisters, sore muscles etc. If you're scared of heights, you will need to mentally prepare to hike down Mooney...wet, rocky, shaky ladders, chains, very steep etc. which is why a line can form going down. You have to hike down Mooney to get to Beaver...it is worth it. It can get cold at night or quite warm, all depends on the time of year. Trail mix is the best snack, it's amazing how much energy it provides and for how long. Some tips: #1: Flying 1 way-makes the trip more enjoyable. Hiking 1 way helped me appreciate the isolated destination. #2: Hiking boots-test and train in them! Good quality and great fitting with thick soles for the rocky portions, very important! Figure out which insoles work best. #3: Bring Chacos! or some kind of a good quality water sandal with a thick sole(more comfortable on the ladders and rocks). Once you get to the campground, you can hike to all of the falls in them instead of changing out of your hiking boots at each waterfall/water crossing! #4: When hiking to Beaver Falls, leave the campground at or before 8am so you'll have time to enjoy the falls and the scenic trail. #5: The Colorado river is further than you think...from what we heard ;-) Some slept in the middle of nowhere because they couldn't get back to the campground before nightfall. #6: Deet mosquito spray #7: Don't over pack, bring just what you need! Plenty of places to get food once you get down...Café, grocery store(even has a small selection of fruit and veggies), cash vendors at campground. #8: Hang your food in odor proof bags then in a dry sack. Hang trash in trash bags. #9: Get a lightweight small tent, you don't need much #10: Get a small lightweight backpackers sleeping bag from Walmart, again, you don't need much. #11: Test and train with your pack and all your gear on local hikes! You may need to change up certain items. And lastly, a controversial topic, the mules and horses. All the ones we saw were treated just fine. These are working animals and have been for thousands of years before the automobile was invented, just recently. That is how the west was settled...no 4x4s or UTVs back then folks. If they can transport a person...carrying 4 packs totaling 160lbs is much lighter than my 6' self at 225lbs, think about it. And yes, live animals sometimes get spooked which can result in an injury, shoot, so do us humans. These animals have the life, the dogs too. It is so wonderful seeing them run and explore, much better than a slow death domesticated in a yard...think of an active human vs one dying at a desk job...which they now say is worse than smoking. Anyhow, it was a blast back in time hiking the trail out with them trotting past us carrying supplies. Part of the isolation and what makes this place so special. Safe travels :-) read more

One of the best backpacking trips I have been on! It's a 10 mile hike from the parking lot to the campsite, but the real struggle is the hike back as its majority uphill in sand and rock. The waterfalls here are absolute amazing though and pictures can't do it justice. They have 4 main waterfalls and 2-3 day trip is perfect to be able to go in the waterfalls and still explore the caves and rivers. You have the option to mule or helicopter your belongings in but don't take the easy way! read more

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Just got back from here and so happy we got to experience it. We hiked in starting at 5 am and it ended up taking us 5 and a half hours. Crazy! When we thought we were almost close we would be crushed to find out we still had a ways to go. I wore my nikes cause I hadn't broken in my hiking boots yet. Big mistake. My favorite shoes now have a hole where my big toe sticks out. Ha. but finally seeing the falls, it's worth every single step, I promise. Every hiker we came across was so friendly and helpful. The people of Supai were really nice too. They wouldn't go out of their way to say hi but they always greeted us back when we said hello. Havasupai Falls is beautiful. But I liked the mini adventure getting to Mooney Falls. You walk into a mini cave walkway and take a ladder down and hold onto some chains so you don't fall to your death. It sounds scarier than it is. It's fun! It was too dark for us to set out to Beaver Falls so maybe just maybe there will be a next time. We took a helicopter ride out and it took three minutes! Three minutes!!! Crazy how much time we could've saved taking a helicopter in. Totally worth it. Tips: pack liiiiiiiiiight. I'd suggest just taking a hammock. They sell frybread and sodas and Gatorade. They even have drinkable spring water. A lot of people took in portable plastic containers to fill up so you really only have to worry about taking enough water for your hike in. read more

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I went there on August 20th 2013 and on my way there I run over a HUGE ELK on the Indian reservation Highway 18, it was Pitch black at about 4am in the morning and that thing came out of nowhere slamming into my windshield. it was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. the ELK was about 800 pound or more and Died instantly. my car, a Nissan Altima 2013 Shut down completely and had a shatter windshield.,bended hood an major damage to the front of car. after about 10 minutes I start the car and could drive to the start of the trail. after analyzing the situation we decided to do the hike anyways. I told my wife "we are here baby, we didn't' come all they way here for nothing" so we did the hike and was the best decision we could make. ONLY one thing of advise be careful on the road 18, there are herd of ELK and Cow. picture of my at at 4 am Pitch black http://www.flickr.com/photos/familiamonje/9576647944/in/set-72157635198944130 link to my video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ5WnpMe-Wc read more

Came back from my hike! Was booked for March 10-13 but had to hike back up March 12 due to a flash flood watch on March 13th so we decided to leave early to avoid all of that. Even with only 3 days to enjoy this trip, it was beyond magical and I wouldn't have had it any other way! If there's any hikers that have a trip in the near future and have any questions regarding weather, equipment, camping, etc., please feel free to ask!UPDATE: as of March 13, 2019, rumor has it that the tribe plans on canceling all travel to the village, lodge, and campgrounds effective March 16, 2019 due to the coronavirus, but no official statement has been made as of yet. Was informed future campers will be sent out emails soon but as I mentioned, it has not been official whether or not they will halt travel. To be safe, call the rangers to confirm whether or not Havasupai will be closed off from the public based on the dates you will be traveling. read more

It is definitely quite a hike to get down to the falls, but it is worth the effort. The falls are gorgeous and an excellent way to cool off after the hike. We stayed a couple of days and ended up exploring further down the canyon, including Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls. If you have the time, I would definitely encourage you to do this as well. For Mooney Falls, make sure you are ready for the descent. It is best if you leave early. If you choose to sleep in and head down around 9am or so, you risk hitting "rush hour." There is only one thin passageway through the tunnels and down the chains to the bottom of the falls. So, you often have to wait for people to pass through before you can go. For Beaver Falls, make sure you visit the natural spring on the way. It is in an area known as Coyote Canyon, and intersects with Havasu Creek a hundred or so yards below Mooney. If you take a short detour into the canyon, you will find the spring. Also, where these two creeks meet, there is a cool little grotto area. It is a great place to relax and explore on the return from Beaver. For me, the hike to Beaver Falls was better than the destination. Around every corner is a new waterfall, there are cool bridges to cross over, and a gigantic field of grapes to walk through. But even if you can't explore Mooney and Beaver, Havasu Falls is great fun. If you are up to it, camp at the campgrounds rather than staying at the lodge in the village. The campground is located so close to the falls that it makes it far more enjoyable. And you don't have to hike the two miles back to the village each time you want to see the falls. read more

You have to experienced this at least once in your life, definitely need to add to your bucket list. I've hiked this place 3 times and we are planning of going again next year! read more

Havasu Falls - Mooney Falls - Hiking Near Me

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OMG!!!! The absolute most amazing adventure I've been on... My cousin's bf was able to get permits for the 4 of us on March 19-20 2017. We rented a car and drove from Los angeles, CA to Supai, AZ...i believe it was a 5-6 hrs drive... Anyways...we got there at around 5-6 am...and we were going to take the helicopter in but by 12 pm, the pilot got sick and we would have to wait...so we decided to just hike the 10 miles in... It was the toughest backpacking/hike i've ever been on. My wonderful boyfriend carried all our stuff (sleeping bags, clothes, tent, Mountain house ready to eat meals (RECOMMENDED, tasted really good!), flashlights, basically all the essentials. lol. I carried water, first aid kits, and a heated water pot. Anyways..shit was heavy AF for the both of us. hahah. Thankfully, my cousin's bf helped carry his backpack half the way. I definitely recommend wearing a sunhat, sunblock, lots of water, headlamps, and sunglasses. Anyways, it was definitely a journey to the falls...and it was worth it... This journey led me to propose to my boyfriend...who is now my fiance...and we got married....at EDC 2017...surpriseee! lol. We helicoptered out and it was a beautiful experience as well! We would definitely want to return and take some more time to just appreciate the bluest waterfalls/water and the greenest of green plants. It was so beautiful..le sigh... read more

This is such a beautiful and stunning hike! I wish to do it again someday. My sister and I (no hiking experience) did this hike together. We rented all our equipment from a rental place. I do have some tips: -do not do this hike in two days, this is if you want to really experience the beauty. We where so tired when we finally got to the camp that we only saw 2 of the waterfalls. What a bummer. I have never been so sore in my life! We couldnt believe w3 had to walk back the next day and because of that we only saw 2. -camp instead of staying at the motel. Not only do they rip you off, but the people are very unfriendly. They mistreat their dogs and horses, and I really dont support that. We had a dog follow us back to our motel and he sat outside howling for food. You can see the ribs of most of the animals. The people also threw stuff at us. Bring your own alcohol because they have none! Everything is very overpriced as well. Becaus3 we where so sore we paid to have our bags brought up by the mules, that was a rip off. I cant remember how much but I want to say 80 per bag. The life they live is really sad. Not only do they mistreat animals but there yards are disgusting. Dont leave anything because they will take it (there yards are fillrd with left behind things. The falls are really stunning. Im from illinois so seeing something like this was magnificent. I know you do have to pay for camping but its not as much as the motel. To avoid supporting them, I would just stick with camping and run through their camp as fast as you can. Haha read more

The most beautiful place I've ever seen. Be prepared and in shape mentally and physically to do the hike--especially during summer month! The heat will catch up with you quickly. Awesome hiking adventure. Its completely worth the trek to beaver falls from there, too. I can't stop dreaming about it and will return soon I hope! read more

Havasu Falls is absolutely unparalleled. It's one of those places that looks like it should be in a dream, or a movie. From the first moment I saw the first glimpse of it (while descending the trail, where it slowly unfolds off to your right as you come around a bend in the path) I was mesmerized. Absolute beauty, and after the 8 mile / 13 km hike to Supai village and the few extra miles down to the falls area, it is so awesome to just jump right in the blue-green water and cool down. Out of the three big waterfalls in that section of the canyon (Little Navajo, Havasu, and Mooney) Havasu appears to be the safest to swim near. There is a barrier of rocks to prevent you from swimming too close to the falls, and beyond is a large shallow pool area, and a few smaller waterfalls beyond, which is the perfect place to relax after the strenuous hike. And there's something almost elite about it, too - a sense of camaraderie with the other hikers who are there with you, borne of the fact that you've all had to go through a lot of work to get there, and it is something that not just everybody gets to see. (When having to choose between seeing the Grand Canyon from the South Rim with the teeming masses, or witnessing the majestic beauty of Havasu Falls, come on - there is no contest!) Visiting Havasu Falls is definitely one of those moments that will stay with you forever. It is so very well worth seeing. read more