About this place
I Am the Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People
Stephen Hirst · 2007
History of the Havasupai, whose reservation holds Havasu Falls; useful context before hiking into Supai village.
United States · Arizona
Havasu Falls
A turquoise creek falling through red rock deep in a side canyon of the Grand Canyon, reachable only on foot, by mule or by helicopter, and only with a permit bought directly from the Havasupai Tribe. No day hikers, no drive-up view.
Full guide Checked September 2026 by David Bussell · 16 sources
Havasu Creek runs an improbable blue-green through bone-dry desert canyon, fed by springs so loaded with dissolved limestone that the water lays down travertine — the same mineral that builds cave formations — as fast as it flows. That travertine terraces the creek into staircases of pools and drops, and Havasu Falls itself is the postcard version: a single 30-metre chute pouring into a wide turquoise pool ringed by cottonwoods, a few hundred metres above the campground.
The falls sit inside the Havasupai Indian Reservation, a sovereign nation whose only village, Supai, is at the bottom of the canyon and is still resupplied by mule train and helicopter rather than road — the last place in the United States where mail is delivered that way. Getting there means an 8-mile hike from the rim down to Supai, then 2 more miles to the campground and the falls, past a sequence of drops — Navajo, Fifty Foot, Havasu, Mooney, Beaver — each with its own character, Mooney requiring a chain-and-ladder descent down a travertine cliff to reach the bottom.
This is not a sightseeing stop. The Havasupai Tribe sells a fixed product: a 3-night, 4-day permit, camping or lodge, hiking in and out under your own power (or paying for a mule or a helicopter seat). There is no day-use gate and no shortcut. What you get for the effort is genuinely singular water in a genuinely remote canyon, run entirely by the people who live there.
Book this trip
All activities & prices ↓Nothing here is sold through tour sites. Havasu Falls works on official permits only — book with HavasupaiReservations.com, and treat anyone else selling permits as a reseller.
There is no tour to book — the permit is the booking
The Havasupai Tribal Council has kept a standing moratorium on outfitter and guide licenses for the reservation, so no licensed company sells a guided trip, gear-included package or permit-inclusive tour into Havasu Falls, and any listing that claims to include a Havasupai permit is either reselling a permit it isn't supposed to, or lying. The only legitimate way in is to hold your own campground or lodge reservation, bought directly at HavasupaiReservations.com. Formal permit transfers were also discontinued starting with the 2026 system — if your plans change, the tribe's own cancellation policy (partial refund with 90+ days' notice, none inside that window) is the only official route, not a resale board.
Which falls, and how far?
Navajo Falls & Fifty Foot Falls
the warm-up~1.5 km before the campground, just south of Supai
The creek's course shifted in a 2008 flood, and what locals now call Navajo Falls is a wide, braided drop reached by a short side trail off the main route, with the smaller Fifty Foot Falls (sometimes called Little Navajo) just upstream. Neither is on the direct trail — both need a short detour — and both are usually quiet because most hikers walk straight past on day one, heads down, aiming for camp.
Short side-trail detourWide braided travertine shelfGood swimming, few crowds
- Entry Covered by your permit — no separate fee. Reached by an unsigned side trail; ask at the tourist office for the turn-off.
- Best for A first swim on the way in, once the bags are off your back
Havasu Falls
the one on the postcardAt the north end of the campground
A single 30-metre chute over a travertine lip into a wide, genuinely turquoise pool with a sand beach and rope swing. It sits right where the campground begins, so it is the falls you wake up next to, swim in before breakfast, and photograph in the low morning light before the day-trippers from camp arrive. The colour is at its most intense in full sun, closer to green in shade.
Main swimming poolRope swingBest light early morningWalking distance from every campsite
- Entry Covered by your permit. No lifeguards — the pool is deep near the falls.
- Best for Swimming, photography, the view everyone came for
Mooney Falls
the one with the chains~1 km south of the campground
At roughly 60 metres, Mooney is the tallest fall in the canyon and the hardest to reach: the trail drops through two hand-carved tunnels in the rock, then a near-vertical travertine face fitted with iron stakes, chains and short ladder sections, wet and slick with spray the whole way down. It is not optional if you want Beaver Falls — this is the only route past — and it is genuinely exposed. Gloves help. Go slowly and let faster hikers pass at the tunnel mouths.
Chain-and-ladder descentNamed for prospector Daniel Mooney, who died here in 1882Huge plunge pool at the baseOnly route through to Beaver Falls
- Entry Covered by your permit. Not attempted in wet trail-shoe soles if avoidable, and not for anyone with a fear of heights or bad knees.
- Best for The single most memorable stretch of the whole trip
Beaver Falls
the day-hike reward~5 km (3–4 hr round trip) beyond Mooney
A series of smaller stepped travertine terraces and pools spread across a wide bend in the creek, reached by a route that crosses the water several times and includes one short ladder. It takes a half-day round trip from camp and is usually the destination on the one full day most 3-night permits leave free — quieter than Havasu Falls and, by most accounts, the best actual swimming of the trip.
Multiple stepped poolsCreek crossingsQuieter than the main fallsThe Confluence with the Colorado River is a further ~6 km beyond, for the fit and the well-prepared
- Entry Covered by your permit. Wear shoes that can get wet — you cross the creek repeatedly.
- Best for Your one free day, and the best swimming of the trip
The short answer
You cannot choose one — the permit gets you the whole canyon, and the falls are effectively unlocked in sequence as you walk in. Budget the arrival day for Navajo and Havasu Falls, one full day for the round trip to Mooney and Beaver Falls, and treat the third day as recovery before the hike out.
When to go
October is the general favourite — warm enough to swim, cool enough to hike, past monsoon season — with February–April a close second if you don't mind cold nights and skip the swim.
Heat, not water level, is what plans your trip. The canyon floor runs far hotter than the rim, there is no shade on most of the trail, and the reservation is closed outright for two months every winter.
Spring
February – AprilThe most popular window and the reason permits vanish fastest for these dates. February and March are cool for hiking but often too cold to swim comfortably; by April, highs reach the high 20s°C (mid-70s to 80s°F) with cold nights. This is when the reservation reopens for the season, so February permits are also the first ones released each cycle.
Open
- Full trail and both falls sequences
- Comfortable hiking temperatures
- Lower flash-flood risk than summer
Closed or compromised
- Reliable warm-weather swimming, until roughly April
Summer
May – SeptemberJune through August routinely tops 38–41°C (100–105°F) on the canyon floor, with no shade for most of the 16 km hike — this is the season most heat-related rescues happen. July through early September is also monsoon season, with sudden, violent thunderstorms upstream that can flash-flood the creek with little warning at camp, even under a clear sky overhead.
Open
- Warmest swimming of the year
- Longest daylight for an early-start hike
Closed or compromised
- Safe midday hiking — start before dawn or not at all
- Reliable weather — flash-flood evacuations have happened in August in multiple recent years
Fall
October – NovemberWidely rated the best window after spring: highs easing into the high 20s°C (low 80s°F) by October, monsoon risk fading, water still warm enough to swim, and noticeably thinner crowds than spring. The reservation typically closes for the season in late November.
Open
- Comfortable hiking and swimming together
- Lower crowds than spring
Closed or compromised
- Nothing significant, until the season-end closure
Winter closure
December – JanuaryThe Havasupai Reservation does not sell permits and is closed to tourists for these two months. This is not a soft off-season — no permits exist for these dates, and the tribe uses the window for village maintenance and its own off-season.
Open
Closed or compromised
- Everything — no campground, no lodge, no permits sold
The reservation opens and closes on fixed dates
Unlike a park with a year-round gate, Havasupai runs on a season: it typically opens in early February and closes in late November to early December, and the whole calendar year's permits go on sale in a single rush at the start of that window. Plan around the sale date, not around when you'd ideally like to travel.
Everything you can do here
Permit and service prices are the Havasupai Tribe's published 2026-season rates in USD, confirmed against the tribe's own reservation platform and its help centre; pack-mule and helicopter fares are secondary-sourced and worth reconfirming at booking, as noted in the callout and unverified list below.
Campground permit — 3 nights
US$455per person, 3 nights / 4 days — the only duration sold
The core product: a permit to camp along Havasu Creek between Havasu and Mooney Falls, first-come site selection along a roughly 1.5 km stretch of campground, composting toilets, and a spring at the south end for drinking water (still worth treating or filtering). This is not a booking for a tour — it is the tribe's own reservation system, and it is what gets you past the checkpoint in Supai.
February – late November (reservation open season)
Official reservations Book only through the official site.
Havasupai Lodge
US$2277per room, 3 nights, sleeps up to 4 (≈US$569 pp at full occupancy)
A plain, air-conditioned motel building in Supai village itself, 2 miles short of the campground and the falls — so you still walk 4 miles round trip to Havasu Falls each day you want to swim there. No restaurant on site; buy food at the small village store and café. The only non-camping option, and it sells out just as fast as campground dates.
February – late November
Official reservations Book only through the official site.
The hike in — Hualapai Hilltop to camp
included in your permit — no separate fee
8 miles of switchbacks and then open wash to Supai village, then 2 more flat miles to camp — about 16 km and 600 m of net elevation loss on the way in, all of it regained on the way out. There is essentially no shade on the whole route. Fill water at the hilltop; the next reliable source is Supai.
Best before 7am start in warm months
No booking needed.
Pack mule / horse service
booked separately online, roughly US$400+ round trip per animal — confirm current rate at booking
Carries your gear, not you — riding is not offered to tourists. Bags must be soft-sided duffels, 32 lb (14.5 kg) max each, up to 4 per animal, no coolers, booked at least 72 hours ahead and labelled with your confirmation code. Animal-welfare groups have documented serious problems with overloading and heat stress on this trail in past years; the weight caps and inspection rules exist because of that scrutiny, and travellers who use the service should stick strictly to the limits.
Year-round while the reservation is open
No booking needed.
Helicopter — Airwest Helicopters
US$300per person, each way, plus ~US$50 for luggage; cash preferred, card adds a fee
Flies between Hualapai Hilltop and Supai village only — you still walk or mule the 2 miles from village to campground. Tribal members, tribal business and cargo board first; tourists fill remaining seats on a walk-up or day-ahead sign-in basis, and there is no guarantee of a seat on any given day. Weather, mechanical issues and tribal needs ground it without notice, so never plan a trip assuming you'll fly — always be ready to hike.
Sundays and Fridays historically, though days vary — verify before relying on it
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
Swimming at Havasu Falls
included in your permit
The wide travertine-rimmed pool below the main falls is the classic swim — a sand beach, a rope swing, and water that stays a startling blue-green even in shade. Busiest midday when day-camp hikers wander down; quietest at dawn.
Warmest May – October; cold outside that
No booking needed.
Chains-and-ladders descent to Mooney Falls
included in your permit
Two tunnels blasted through rock, then a near-vertical travertine face with iron stakes, chains and short ladder rungs, spray-slicked most of the way. It is the one section of this trip that reads as a genuine via ferrata rather than a walk, and it is the only way through to Beaver Falls and the Confluence.
Year-round, more treacherous when wet or crowded
No booking needed.
Day trip to Beaver Falls
included in your permit
Past Mooney Falls, the trail crosses the creek repeatedly through a lush stretch of canyon to a wide series of stepped travertine pools. Most 3-night permits build their one full free day around this hike; go early to beat the heat on the return climb out of the Mooney descent.
Year-round the reservation is open
No booking needed.
Extension to the Confluence
included in your permit — no extra fee, but it is a long day
For strong hikers only, roughly 6 km beyond Beaver Falls to where Havasu Creek meets the Colorado River — turquoise water hitting the Colorado's green or brown, depending on releases upstream. This turns your one free day into a genuinely full one; carry more water and start before sunrise in the warmer months.
Cooler months strongly recommended
No booking needed.
Where to stay
There is no hotel market at the falls themselves — you are either in the campground or the lodge, both booked as part of your permit — so the choices that matter are where you sleep the night before the hike.
Havasupai Campground
Tent sites strung along roughly 1.5 km of creek, first-come first-served on arrival. Composting toilets, one spring for drinking water at the south end, no campfires, no cell signal.
Havasupai Lodge
Plain motel rooms with beds and air conditioning, 2 miles short of the falls themselves. The only roof-and-bed option, and the only one where you don't need to carry a tent down the trail.
Hualapai Lodge
Tribally owned by the neighbouring Hualapai Tribe, about an hour's drive from Hualapai Hilltop. Restaurant on site, the most reliable base for an early trailhead start.
Grand Canyon Caverns & Inn
The closer of the two common overnight stops — roughly an hour from the trailhead — and, at points, used as an official permit check-in location. Built around the show cave next door.
Kingman hotel strip
The nearest town with real hotel supply and services, about 90 minutes from the hilltop. Fuel up and buy last-minute gear here — nothing similar exists closer to the trailhead.
Seligman motels
A smaller, kitschier Route 66 stop between Kingman/Flagstaff and the Indian Route 18 turn-off, roughly 45–60 minutes from the hilltop.
Search all Peach Springs AZ accommodation
Getting there & getting in
LAS
Harry Reid International, Las Vegas
~195 mi / ~3.5 hr drive to Hualapai Hilltop via Kingman. The most common gateway — cheap flights, big rental-car market.
PHX
Phoenix Sky Harbor
~245 mi / ~4.5 hr drive. More direct flight options for the US East Coast; longer drive than from Las Vegas.
FLG
Flagstaff Pulliam
~170 mi / ~3.5 hr drive via I-40 west. Fewer flights, but closest to Grand Canyon South Rim if combining trips.
Las Vegas is the dominant gateway for both domestic and international connections; Phoenix is the alternative if your flights route through there instead.
The road ends at Hualapai Hilltop
From I-40 near Peach Springs, Indian Route 18 runs about 60 miles north with no fuel, no services and patchy-to-no cell signal, dead-ending at the Hualapai Hilltop trailhead parking lot. There is no camping at the hilltop the night before unless you're starting a pre-dawn hike from your car — most people stay in Peach Springs or Seligman and drive up in the dark to start hiking at first light. Parking is limited and fills for busy weekends.
Ways to spend the time
4 days
The standard 3-night permit
- Day 1 — Drive to Peach Springs or Seligman the night before; start hiking from Hualapai Hilltop before or at dawn. 8 miles to Supai (check in, get your wristband), then 2 more to camp. Set up, swim at Havasu Falls in the evening light.
- Day 2 — Full day: down the Mooney Falls chains, on to Beaver Falls for the afternoon, back to camp by dusk.
- Day 3 — Recovery day near camp: Navajo and Fifty Foot Falls, or simply more time at Havasu Falls. Pack for an early departure.
- Day 4 — Hike out before sunrise if possible — the climb back to the hilltop is the hardest part of the trip and far more manageable in cool air.
4 days, fitter hikers
Add the Confluence
- Day 1 — Same as standard: hike in, camp, evening swim at Havasu Falls.
- Day 2 — Very early start down through Mooney Falls, past Beaver Falls, on to the Confluence with the Colorado River — a long day, back to camp after dark or close to it.
- Day 3 — Full rest day: short swims only, hydrate and recover.
- Day 4 — Hike out at first light.
4 days, easier on the way in
Helicopter in, hike out
- Day 1 — Sign in at Hualapai Hilltop for the helicopter (no guarantee of a seat that day — build in a spare day if this matters to you), fly to Supai, walk the remaining 2 miles to camp.
- Day 2 — Mooney and Beaver Falls, full day.
- Day 3 — Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, rest.
- Day 4 — Hike the full 10 miles out under your own power, starting before dawn.
Practical notes
- Money Bring cash. Supai has a small general store and café with unreliable card readers and no ATM you should count on. Helicopter and mule services strongly prefer cash and add a card surcharge when they accept one at all.
- Water and heat There is almost no shade on the trail. Carry more water than feels necessary, start hiking before dawn in the warmer months, and treat or filter creek and spring water despite how clean it looks. Heat-related rescues are common in summer.
- Flash floods July through early September is monsoon season, and a storm miles upstream can flood the canyon at camp under a clear sky. Heed any ranger or tribal instruction to move to high ground immediately, and check the reservation's status page before you travel if storms are forecast.
- Connectivity Cell service exists only in small pockets around the hilltop and parts of Supai village, on one carrier at best. The campground has none. Tell someone your itinerary before you go and don't expect to check in along the way.
- Fitness and accessibility This is a genuinely strenuous multi-day backpack — 16 km each way with a loaded pack, plus a chained cliff descent if you go to Mooney or Beaver Falls. It is not wheelchair- or stroller-accessible, and there is no vehicle shuttle beyond the mule and helicopter services described above.
- Wristbands and check-in Everyone must check in at the Supai tourist office on arrival to receive a wristband proving a valid permit; rangers do check for it at the campground and on the trail. Have your confirmation and photo ID ready.
- Leave no trace Pack out everything you pack in, including toilet paper where composting toilets are full or unavailable. The creek and pools are the water supply and swimming water for the village downstream — treat them accordingly.
How it compares
This waterfall
Havasu Falls
United States
Height30 mWidth—
Most similar
Rio Celeste Falls
Costa Rica
Height30 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Costa Rica
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
30 m
30 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Havasu FallsRio Celeste FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 33× taller than Havasu Falls. Victoria Falls is 3.6× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Havasu Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Havasu Falls
17:28
4:55
20:39
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Lonely Planet Grand Canyon National ParkLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Grand Canyon National Park
Lonely Planet · 2024
Latest Lonely Planet Grand Canyon guide, covering rim logistics and the Havasupai reservation's permit-only trail.
Over the Edge: Death in Grand CanyonMichael P. Ghiglieri and…
History & travel
Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers · 2012
Sobering accounts of Grand Canyon accidents, including heat and flash-flood lessons relevant to the Havasu hike.
On the map
Questions people actually ask
Can I day-hike to Havasu Falls without a permit?
No. Tribal law requires an overnight permit for anyone entering the reservation past the checkpoint in Supai — there is no day-use option, and rangers check wristbands. Every visit is a minimum 3-night, 4-day commitment, camping or at the lodge.
How much does a Havasupai permit cost in 2026?
Campground permits are $455 per person for the mandatory 3 nights. Lodge rooms are $2,277 per room for 3 nights, sleeping up to four people — about $569 per person at full occupancy. An optional early-access sale window carries an additional per-person fee.
When do permits go on sale?
The 2026 season's early-access sale opened 21 January 2026 at 8am Arizona time for an added fee, with general public sale on 1 February 2026 at 8am Arizona time, through HavasupaiReservations.com. Popular dates, especially spring and fall weekends, sell out within the sale's opening hours.
Can I transfer or resell my permit if my plans change?
Not officially. The tribe discontinued its lottery and transfer-board system starting with the 2026 booking platform, and permits are stated to be non-transferable. Cancel 90 or more days before your date for a 50% refund of the permit fee; inside that window there is no refund. Treat any third-party resale as unofficial and risky.
Is Havasu Falls currently open?
Yes, as of the most recent official update the reservation is operating normally with both campground and lodge permits available. The area has closed before — five weeks after a fatal August 2024 flash flood, and again briefly after flooding in June 2025 — so it is worth checking the tribe's own status page shortly before you travel.
How hard is the hike?
About 16 km (10 miles) each way with roughly 600 m (2,000 ft) of net elevation change, almost entirely without shade. Most people manage it in 6–10 hours with a loaded pack. The climb out is harder than the descent in, and summer heat regularly pushes past 38°C (100°F) on the canyon floor.
Can I take a helicopter instead of hiking?
Airwest Helicopters flies tourists between Hualapai Hilltop and Supai village on a limited schedule, historically Sundays and Fridays, but tribal members and cargo board first and there is no guaranteed seat. Budget around $300 per person each way plus a luggage fee, cash preferred, and always be prepared to hike instead.
Is there a guided tour that includes the permit?
No. The Havasupai Tribal Council maintains a moratorium on commercial outfitter and guide licenses on the reservation, so no legitimate tour operator sells a package that includes a Havasupai permit. You book directly with the tribe or you don't go.
Where is Havasu Falls?
Havasu Falls is in United States (Grand Canyon, Arizona), inside Havasupai Indian Reservation. The nearest base is Supai. Its coordinates are 36.2551, -112.6975.
Is Havasu Falls in Lake Havasu State Park?
No. Havasu Falls is in Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, a side canyon of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. Lake Havasu State Park is a reservoir park on the Colorado River near Lake Havasu City, several hours' drive away, and has no waterfall of its own.
Sources (16)
- havasupaireservations.com/
- havasupaireservations.com/havasupai-entrance-permit-rules-and-regulations/
- help.havasupaireservations.com/hc/en-us/articles/12133761690004-What-are-the-permit-prices…
- help.havasupaireservations.com/hc/en-us/articles/45235358552852-Opening-Day-2026
- help.havasupaireservations.com/hc/en-us/articles/8806527006356--Pack-Mule-Reservations
- help.havasupaireservations.com/hc/en-us/articles/15176744559764-What-hotel-is-closest-to-t…
- www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/havasu-falls-permit
- www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/best-time-to-visit-havasu-falls
- www.shedreamsofalpine.com/blog/your-complete-guide-to-hiking-havasu-falls-trail
- bearfoottheory.com/havasu-falls-hike/
- www.jaredsdetours.com/havasupai-helicopter/
- www.fsguides.com/havasupai-falls
- gearjunkie.com/outdoor/havasu-flash-floods
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havasu_Falls
- nevadacurrent.com/2024/05/30/after-years-of-reports-and-complaints-havasupai-pack-still-an…
- waterfallsofthegrandcanyon.com/havasu-falls/trailhead-directions/
Prices, fees and entry rules change. We re-check full guides regularly; spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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