Havasupai is a fascinating destination – a place filled with magnificent towering waterfalls hidden in the canyons of the Arizona desert. Use this hiking guide to the Havasupai waterfalls to find out what permits are needed, where to stay, what gear to bring as well as where the waterfalls are located, and how to get to them!
Havasupai | Permits/Reservations:
Camping Vs. The Lodge
There are two options when visiting Havasupai, camping in the campground two miles outside of the village, or stay at the Lodge in the village. Typically, reservations are sold out almost immediately when the phone lines and online reservations open for the year, once in February – for camping, and once in June – for the lodge. Plan what days you would want to take the trip and have multiple backups as they tend to go EXTREMELY fast!
Permits/reservations are mandatory to be able to experience this place. This land is protected by the Havasupai Tribe.
We were invited by a friend who was lucky enough to get a lodge reservation for our group in June. The Tribe enforces a maximum of 4 Days / 3 Nights per reservation. Visit the Tribe’s website for up to date information.
Havasupai | Packing Guide:
What to Bring for a Lodge Stay
Another much need addition to this travel guide for hiking Havasupai is the gear you’ll need to bring. We borrowed some packs from our friends who had done this hike previously. They worked perfectly & it was great having the waist support straps to keep the weight off my shoulders. My pack weighed close to 30lbs with water and all my supplies. Tim’s pack was slightly larger and a different brand.
Below is a brief overview of what I hiked in with.
Tim brought along our Jetboil as well so that we could make coffee and dinners. I highly suggest getting one. Fresh coffee by the falls for sunrise was a dream & a warm dinner after a 12-mile day of hiking was much needed. We got simple meal items from the village store.
Camera & Photo Gear
With every place, comes adventure and memories that will last you forever. I always make sure to take lots of pictures for my frames at home & now I have this place to share them with you all as well!
I’ve made some awesome friends through Instagram who gave me some great advice… bring lens wipes! The mist from the falls have minerals in the water and will not wipe off easily from your lenses.
On my hikes I use this clip system you see in the picture on the left from Peak Design to help keep my camera body and lenses attached to my day pack for easy access:
- Two Capture Clips attachments
- Large Dual Plate ( for my camera body that also clips into my tripod seamlessly)
- Lens Kit ( holds my two extra lenses )
The underwater housing for the go pro makes for some very unique photos.
Havasupai | The Drive:
Phoenix to Havasupai
We drove four and a half hours north from Phoenix to reach the Havasupai Trailhead. As it is highly suggested to hike in early while the canyon is shaded, Tim & I, along with many others chose to sleep in their cars/tents in the parking lot the night before.
This hiking guide to the Havasupai waterfalls wouldn’t be complete without some warnings… Be cautious when driving on the roads up north, there are deer in the area and one of the members of our group was in an accident with one on the way in. Be careful!
Hiking to the Supai Village
We started our hike at 7 AM from the top of the canyon and hiked down 8 miles into the village of Supai. It took our group close to three and a half hours to complete. This section from the trailhead to the town is rated as moderate and it is very easy to follow. The journey down boasts some amazing views from within the canyon but keep in mind there is no water until you get into the village, so be prepared!
Havasupai Map | Trailhead, Lodge & Waterfalls
I pre-loaded my Garmin GPS with the entire route. You can find lots of GPX files online that give you routes to follow to all thee falls and even some secret spots! Do your research and save a few in advance of your hike if you are using a GPS. I tend to over-prepare for my hikes and like to make sure I don’t miss a turn off to a place I wanted to see. This GPS allows you to call for SOS help in an emergency and you can text on it as well via satellite. No cell service needed. Email me and I can send you the .gpx file I used if you have a similar unit. 
There are people from the tribe checking for permits and reservations along this trail. NO DAY HIKING IS ALLOWED and you must have the proper paperwork. You could face fines or just be turned around entirely.
Once you start getting into the canyon you know you’re getting close! There are usually many people that started off the hike early from the parking lot and you are rarely alone for long while hiking in to the village.
On our visit overall we did 24+ miles over the course of three days. That was with the helicopter ride out which saved us 8 additional miles.
Yes, there is an option to fly in and out via helicopter. One to two helicopters typically run 3-4 days a week, weather permitting. When we went it was $85 per person with one medium-sized backpack (20-40 lbs) each. We chose to take it out on our last day so we could get a couple of extra waterfall visits in that morning. Keep in mind though the wait can be rough… we waited 4 hours to get on. We opted to pick up trash around the town and help keep this beautiful place clean!
Havasupai | The Stay:
Camping & Lodging
Once we got into the village, we first came across the check-in building for those with camping permits off to your left. This is also an area you can re-fill your water bottles! We had reservations at the Havasupai Lodge ( 2-night stay ) but we arrived way early for the 4 pm check-in and had to wait outside. We grabbed some food nearby at the small store and checked out their one restaurant as well. The fry bread was amazing after that long hike in!
The one store in the village closes around 7 pm so keep that in mind while visiting!
Now that you’ve read the hiking guide to the Havasupai waterfalls and know how to get to the village, how to get permits or reservations, what I packed, and where to stay… let’s get to the really good stuff – getting to the waterfalls!!
Click the blog posts below to learn more about each of these beautiful falls in Havasupai and how to get to them.
The Waterfalls in Havasupai
Havasu Falls
Mooney Falls
Beaver Falls
