How long to hike havasupai falls

Cool water, mists from the 50 and foot waterfalls will revive any weary hiker. Beneath towering cottonwood trees is a great place to relax before you start your trek back up the trail.

The remote Indian town of Supai near the falls is home to about Havasupai tribal members, and you do need to have a reservation and permit in order to go beyond Supai to the falls. Just remember whatever you buy needs to be carried back up the trail when you leave. Moderately strenuous. Steep the first and last mile and a half. Oh, and having a horse carry your gear does not make this hike that much easier.

First 1. Next 6. So while the hike is relatively level, it is sandy and gravelly. For a treat, before you go to the camping office, one of the first houses you will see when entering the village has a small convenience star in their living room.

Last 2 miles: You will leave Supai and will be hiking near the creek most of the way — passing various water features, a small waterfall or two, crossing a couple bridges and then up close and personal with the ft tall Havasu Falls before getting to the camp ground. You cannot just show up to the campground and expect to find a camping space or a ranger happy to see you without a permit. You must make reservations well in advance.

Permits come available for reservations on February 1st of each year and fill up quickly for the entire year. When you make your reservation, you are required to pay for all permits upfront and there are no refunds or transfers not that we have not heard otherwise but these are exceptions to the rules.

Do not attempt to show up without a reservation, they will not let you in and that is a long drive and hike to get turned around. There are spaces per night available at the one and only campground, so you also will not be enjoying the falls on your own. Because Havasu Creek is fed by a natural spring, it is not prone to drying up like other creeks around Arizona.

That leaves the Spring and Fall as the ideal hiking time. Visit in October and November and you will also avoid the larger groups as well.

Plenty of water, salty snacks , breathable clothing and hiking early am or later in the afternoon are good ideas for staying safe during the hotter months. Here are also some tips to hiking Grand Canyon in the Summer. Actually, a moonlit hike in the summer is a great way to avoid the heat and experience the area in a way so few hikers ever will. Flash flooding is most likely to occur early July through mid September, although knowing how to react is wise any time of the year.

Flash floods can hit suddenly and without warning, sending a deluge of deep and debris-filled water through the canyon. Staying safe means getting to the highest possible ground, watching for a change in the color of the water a change from blue green to brown means something is coming in from up stream, avoiding walking in a flowing stream during months flooding is prevalent or when rain is forecasted in the immediate and not so immediate area.

While the Havasupai Falls hike can be challenging, proper planning, preparation and training helps ace the mile trek. Though officials make it clear you must bring your reservation receipt and photo ID, I was asked for neither. This is the fact that stands out: The campground is still 2 miles away. Once in Supai, shrug off your pack for a few minutes and feel the unbearable lightness of being.

Some report a feeling of almost floating away. I felt an invisible hand between my shoulder blades, pushing me gently forward. Either way, we were struck by the fact that in just a few days we'd have to walk the same trail going against gravity.

We should've put in more training, beyond that one time we partially hiked South Mountain while carrying water bottles. Havasupai's only motel has some incredible amenities, namely beds and plumbing.

Second, the lodge is in the village, which is 2 miles from Havasu Falls, 3 miles from Mooney Falls and 6 miles from Beaver Falls. Beyond Supai but before the campground, you will come upon Havasu Falls. You may be tempted to stop. Time at this point is best used finding a campsite and setting up. Then rest for a bit, letting the crankiness flow out of you. The falls will look better a bit later, when you no longer have sweat on your brow and 3, pounds on your back.

Still, it was the most comforting sight since the Pop-Tart spotting. We did that and, after a short nap, woke to campers on either side who apparently didn't want to walk any farther either. The CSF campers per square foot factor gets much lower the farther you go in. At least we snagged a picnic table. Tables are scattered along the campground, but there are not quite enough for every group.

Grab the nearest one and layer it with belongings, establishing your picnic-table dominance. If you do see people eating on the ground, work on your karma and make some space for them.

Slinging stuff from trees is very popular. We returned to find nothing amiss, nor did we hear of others having problems. Since various rodent species aren't nearly as trustworthy mostly those conniving squirrels , we tied our food into a critter-proof pouch and hung it on a nearby tree.

Leaving food in your tent is a bad idea. The fabric is easy for sharp teeth to chew through. About a third of the way into the campground is a spring where clean water streams through a plastic spigot jutting from the base of a cliff. The stream never falters, and the small pool it creates stays the same size, so you don't sink into mud as you fill your containers. The biggest problem is getting in line behind that guy with four gallon-size water pouches.

No, he won't let you cut in, even if you just want to top off a liter bottle. Head up the stairs, pick a vacant room and take a seat. A gentle, and not terribly odorous, breeze wafts from below.

It works pretty well save for lines that may form during rush hour around a. In each stall, a long metal bar held a half-dozen rolls of single-ply toilet paper. Twice, however, I entered a room where each roll was exhausted. Thankfully, the toilet next door held a decent supply. Tip: With all the wondrous sights up and down the canyon, this is the one place where you should never look down. He will soon be off to the next batch of hikers in a usually successful search for treats.

Everybody we met enjoyed this affable pooch. Can you imagine how much sweeter fry bread tastes after a long hike spent gnawing on energy bars? You can buy fry bread at three huts between the village and the campground.

One hut even offered fry bread wrapped around hot dogs. At length, hikers reach the terminus of Hualapai Canyon at the junction of Havasu Canyon, where the famous turquoise waters of Havasu Creek first appear.

From this junction, you have just 1. The village of Supai, where the Havasuapai Tribe has made their home for the better part of the last years, is a small and quaint place.

Services are very limited. There is no cell phone reception but you probably knew this from the moment your phone lost reception below the canyon rim , and even the mail comes by mule train to this day. There are some options for supplies, however. This a great place to recharge for the last 2 miles of the trek to the campgrounds. There is also a diner, grocery store, and more in the town, so take a moment to explore.

Departing from Supai, hikers descend for an additional 1. Come around a bend, and wait for a figurative punch in the face. The outstanding scene around the corner, the famous Havasu Falls, comes into view. Cascading nearly feet over cliffs of travertine, Havasu Falls plunges into the blue-green waters with a thunderous might.

This view alone will make every step of the journey worth it. If you can, pry yourself away from the mesmerizing view and continue to the campground, a short half-mile beyond the falls. The campground has running water and trash receptacles, please use them both responsibly more on this later. Bringing additional water bladders and water bottles can cut down on the time spent at the faucet.

There is but one faucet, and lines will form at any time of year. Be smart, plan ahead, save time. Havasu Falls and the surrounding area is a very popular place. While it is intensely beautiful, it is that beauty that makes it very crowded. On any given night, during all times of the year, expect to share the campground with somewhere between other people. Also expect a nearly constant din of helicopters landing and taking off, as this has become a very popular method of reaching the falls.

There are several things you can do while at Havasu Campground to minimize your personal impact. Rule one: Pack it in, pack it out. If you bring it, take it the hell out please. Do not flick cigarette butts, toss napkins or do your dishes in the creek. Do not act a fool. There are trash receptacles at the campground itself, along with more in Supai. Please contribute positively towards a future where everyone that comes here can enjoy its pristine beauty and granduer without having to stare a pools full of popped intertubes, discarded bras, cigarette butts, and beer cans.

Mules and other pack animals such as horses have long been used to transport gear, supplies, and people up and down the canyon walls of Havasu. In recent years, this practice has been adopted by several private outfitters that run trips to Havasu Falls. Due to crowding, jostling, and overall irresponsibility and disregard, this pack animal situation has become untenable.