How to Hike Havasupai

Havasu Falls at Havasupai.

The Havasupai Indian tribe calls the Grand Canyon home. The Havasupai reservation offers some beautiful trails, including one to Havasu Falls. Hiking Havasupai is a truly spectacular experience. This is not an easy hike, and the more time you take to plan your trip will ensure the trip is enjoyable. The right preparation and planning will make all the difference.

Things You'll Need

• Backpacking gear
• Money to pay camping fees

Instructions

1. Determine when you would like to visit Havasupai. Allow a minimum of 3 days. Four to five days is recommended because of the spectacular waterfalls you are able to explore. Select a group leader.

2. Make a reservation. Havasupai is sacred Native American land. Because of this, only a limited number of hikers will be allowed to enter on any given day. Reservations are required. Call 928-448-2121 (the phone number for hiking reservations) to speak with a tribe representative and make your reservation. Reservations can be made a year or more in advance, and prime dates, like holiday weekends, fill up quickly. To confirm your reservation, the tribe requires a 50 percent deposit.

3. Train for your hike. This hike is a minimum of 10 miles (from the hilltop parking area to the campground). If you plan on exploring the waterfalls beyond the campground area, add another 3 to 5 miles. These are one-way figures. Be sure to train prior to embarking on this adventure. Hike as often as possible, with the approximate amount of weight you will be carrying into Havasupai. Take the hike seriously. It is a long, arduous hike.

4. Pack well. The essentials for your Havasupai trip are: sunblock, mosquito repellant, a swimsuit, camera, meals and a cooking stove with propane, snacks and water shoes. A hammock is a nice treat after hiking all day. There are plenty of places at each campsite to hang your hammock.

5. Travel to Havasupai. From Phoenix, it will take 5 to 6 hours to drive to the Hualapai Hilltop, where you can park your vehicle and begin your hike. If you plan to start your hike early in the morning (highly recommended for summer hikes) drive up the night before, sleep in your car at the hilltop and begin your hike at dawn.

6. Start your hike as early in the day as possible and carry a minimum of 2 liters of water per person. Rest often. There is no water available for about the first 6 to 7 miles of the trail. Once you get closer to town, you will see a stream. Be sure you have water treatment tablets to use on the stream water before drinking it.

7. Rest and complete your hike. When you get to town, check in at the camping office, pay any fees due and rest a little while. Tie your tags onto your packs. Have a meal or ice cream from the restaurant and general store. Then continue your hike from town to the campground (2 miles) and select your campsite.

8. Set up your campsite. Be sure to tie the tags they gave you in the camp office to your tent. These show you are in Havasupai legally and will help you avoid any trouble with a ranger.

9. Enjoy your time at Havasupai. Climb down the rock ledge to Mooney Falls. Explore beyond Mooney Falls. Play on the rope swings. Hike through the vines. Try to get to Beaver Falls. This secluded waterfall is about 4 miles from Mooney Falls and definitely worth the hike.

Tips & Warnings

• You will take tons of photos. Have extra film or back-up memory cards with you. A back-up camera and batteries are a good idea, too.

• Be respectful of the land.

• Instead of carrying your pack down to the campground from the hilltop, consider paying the tribe to have a donkey take it down for you. The hike is much easier without the weight of your pack. If you do this, carry a daypack with your water, snacks and camera.

• Tie a bandana onto your backpack. When you get to the stream, dip it in the water and tie it around your neck or head to help keep you cool.

• The hike out of Supai is much harder than the hike in (it is all uphill). For $85 you can take a helicopter out instead of hiking. The view from the helicopter is magnificent. The fee can be paid in cash or by credit card.

• During the hike to the town of Supai, be observant. There are petroglyphs, signage that shows how far you have gone, etc. but you have to be looking for them to find them.

• Do not hike at night unless you are very familiar with the trail.

• Only camp in the campground. You will be fined if you camp anywhere else.

• Supai is a dry reservation -- that means no alcohol.

• The U.S. Marshal Service patrols the reservation.

• You will be sharing the trail with pack mules and donkeys. Do not touch them, get out of their way when they are coming. They always have the right of way.

• Do not hike alone.

References

• Havasupai Tribe: Hiking