All you need to know, How to enjoy your trip to Havasu without a tour guide.
Havasu....you can probably hear the waterfall cascading down from the river that seems to originate from nowhere.
What does it take to get to Havasu? For anyone that has tried, it takes a lot of pre-planning and a little luck. Every February 1st permits go on sale and are usually all bought up before the day ends. If they aren't all gone, only the "cold" months are left, if it can ever really be cold in Arizona that is. When we went in October it was less than ideal temperature wise. Once the sun goes behind the canyon walls it gets a little cold for splish- splashing around in the water. It is not snow melt water...but it certainly feels like it. I can imagine in the heat of the summer that it feels really nice to jump in and cool off!
We did not get a permit in time and ended up going with a tour company, that ended up being a Tour From Hell! If I could do it over, I would have waited a year to go and booked a permit instead.
First You Have To Get A Permit!
I already mentioned the ever so elusive Havasu Permit. The whole reason that I went on the Tour from Hell in the first place was because I decided to plan our trip to Havasu in May, waaaaaaay after the permits were all sold out! It seems like everyone wants to go to Havasu, and why wouldn't they? It is a little slice of paradise in the middle of the Grand Canyon after all. The Havasupai Tribe had to put a limit on the amount of people allowed in to protect the land and that number is set to 350 people per night at the campgrounds. There is strictly no day hiking allowed, so you have to stay overnight and you have to get a permit or you will be turned around to hike the ten miles back out.
The permits open for the year on February 1st at 8:00am (Havasupai time) for the year. In 2017 they launched an online platform which made the process a lot easier, as before you had to call in to get a permit. You can still call in if you live in a cave that somehow has a landline and the dial up isn't fast enough. But I would suggest that you hop on the internet five minutes before the permits open up and just keep pressing refresh until the site opens up.
Booking Permits Online:
The first thing you are going to want to do is pick dates and then pick back up dates and then pick some more back up dates and so on and so forth. The best plan is to be flexible and don't be disappointed if you don't get the exact dates that you wanted. This website will take you to the place of permits. Make sure you put down the names of two people in your group, because if one of you ends up not making it then at least the rest of your group will still be able to go.
See below for information from the Havasupai reservations website regarding pricing:
Pricing is as follows and includes all necessary permits, fees, and taxes: One Person, 2 Days / 1 Night: $140.56 One Person, 3 Days / 2 Nights: $171.12 One Person, 4 Days / 3 Nights: $201.67
Weekend nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), Holiday weekday nights (several other dates), and Spring Break weekday nights are an additional $18.34 per night.
When making a reservation, you will have the option to add the name of a person you authorize to be able to use your reservation to check-in at the Tourist Office as if they were you. The reservation is only valid if at least one of the people named on the reservation is present at the Tourism Check-in Office in the Village of Supai (on the way to the campground) with photo ID - otherwise the reservation is NOT valid and will NOT be honored.
When to go to Havasu:
We went in October and I would not recommend it if your goal is to swim by the waterfalls. It was a bit cold as the sun goes behind the canyon wall very early in the day and the nights can be very cold.
I think that going in Mid September would be the ideal time (obviously I do not know for sure) because you are out of the flash flood season, the extremely hot weather and weather in September is still in the high 80s.
June to Mid September is Flash Flood season with July and August being the most at risk for Flash flooding as Monsoon season brings heavy afternoon rains.
It really depends what you want from your trip as every season offers something a little different. March through November offer the best weather as far as little rain goes, but it is kind of cold. Spring and fall are great if you are hiking in and out (i'll talk about the other option later on). But the ridiculously cold water feels the best in the heat of the Arizona summer sun. Even thought you are at risk for heat stroke and flash flooding during this time - it could be worth it. Winter trips offer seclusion from the crowds, which could also be awesome -- maybe just bring a wetsuit...
Month: High/Low
Jan: 53/27 … Feb: 60/32 … Mar: 67/37
Apr: 75/43 … May: 86/50 … June: 96/60
July: 99/66 … Aug: 99/64 … Sept: 89/56
Oct: 78/46 … Nov: 64/35 … Dec: 53/27
How Long Should You Stay For?
Most people like to stay 2-3 nights. That will give you enough time to visit all the falls while having time to play in water falls. Also this is typically the amount of food and water supplies that most visitors are willing to hike in with. If you're making use of a pack mule, stay longer if you must! It really does feel like paradise.
Getting there:
Once you have your permit all settled you have to figure out how you want to get there. There are three good options.
Helicopter in
This is obviously the easiest as you do not have to hike the ten miles out and back. But instead, only two miles from the village to the campsite. It costs $85 to fly one direction per person. Each person is allowed 1 carry-on bag. Any additional luggage is charged by the weight. Children 2 years and younger fly free. Reservations for helicopters cannot be made. You must show up at Hualapai Hilltop and sign in before 10am. Tribal members receive priority boarding. Tourists are boarded on a first come, first served basis. It takes approximately 15 minutes to fly from Havasupai Hilltop to the Supai village. In order to see the waterfalls, you will still need to hike 2+ miles from the village. For more information, call Airwest Helicopters (623) 516- 2790
Reserve a horse - so that you can ride in:
Between Campground (or Lodge) and Hilltop Trailhead: $250 one way. Between Campground and Village: $175 one way. Limitations: Maximum body weight of 250 lbs, small daypack no more than 10 lbs, long pants, and at least some prior horseback riding experience is required.
Make sure you make your Horse reservation at least one week prior to your trip by calling the tourism office (928) 448-2121. But, I would honestly recommend even more than that!
Hike in
You can always hike in, those not wanting to carry their own baggage can reserve a pack mule Between Campground (or Lodge) and Hilltop Trailhead: $132 one way, $264 round trip.One Pack Mule can carry a maximum of 4 bags for a total weight of 130 lbs.Maximum Baggage Size: 36 inches long and 19 inches wide.Ice Chest: Max 48 quart capacity, not to exceed 24' long and 19' wide.Maximum size and weight limits are strictly enforced. $300 extra for a late run (if you miss the 7AM campsite drop off).
Even if you are not backpacking in, especially in the hot summer months you should make sure to begin the hike before daylight, as it can be very hot in the canyon and there is very little protection from the sun.
Backpack in
Hike From Hualapai Hilltop, it is 8 miles to the Supai village and 2 additional miles to the campground and waterfalls. * Please Note: Hiking in the middle of the day is not wise, especially during the summer months. Most hikers begin just before sunrise to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures. There is no drinking water available at any point along the hike. Each person should carry a minimum of 3 liters of water to avoid dehydration. Hiking at night is also not recommended.
RULES AND RESPECT
The Havasupai tribe are a beautiful people and it is really fantastic of them to open their land to visitors and share their desert oasis with the world. While I know that they make some money off of it, they do not have to do it. Remember to always pack out everything that you bring in! Firearms, alcohol and recreational drugs as well as drones are all illegal on the Havasupai Reservation. If you break any of these rules it is a $1,000 fine and they will take away your drone! There are a few other rules as well, like no cliff jumping and only use the compostable restrooms provided near to each campsite. Do not use nature as there are so many people there all the time it would be terrible and unsanitary! There is strictly also no day hiking around.
As a side note, the compostable restrooms are actually pretty nice...compare to most camping restrooms they do not spell too bad because of the wood chips.
APPROXIMATE TRAIL DISTANCES
Hualapai Hilltop Parking Lot to Supai Lodge: 8 miles / 13 kilometers
Supai Lodge to Havasupai Falls Campground: 2 miles / 3 kilometers
Hualapai Hilltop Parking Lot to Havasupai Falls Campground: 10 miles / 16 kilometers
Havasupai Falls Campground to Mooney Falls: 0.5 miles / 0.8 kilometers
Mooney Falls to the Colorado River: 8 miles / 13 kilometers
Other Thing To Note:
- Be sure to bring a day pack with plenty of water - at least 3 liters and snacks/lunch.
- You are not allowed fires.
-You will need to bring your own camping stove/propane tanks if you plan on cooking warm food.
ENJOY YOUR TRIP TO HAVASU AND SEND PICS! LOADS OF PICS!
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