Largest individual side-canyon to the Grand Canyon famous for its aquamarine color of the streams and ponds.
General Information
How to Get There
From Kingman, AZ (65 mi): Take I-40 east to Exit 53, follow Historic Route 66 through Peach Springs, turn onto Indian Road 18, and continue north for approximately 60 miles to Hualapai Hilltop Trailhead, the starting point for the hike to Havasu Falls.
Overview
Havasu Falls is a spectacular 100-foot waterfall of turquoise water plunging into travertine pools in Havasu Canyon, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation at the bottom of a Grand Canyon side canyon. It is the most famous of a string of waterfalls, including Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls, along Havasu Creek, whose blue-green water gets its color from calcium carbonate. Havasupai means “people of the blue-green waters.” The falls are reached by an 8-mile hike or mule ride down from Hualapai Hilltop, reached by paved BIA Road 18 about 70 miles from Peach Springs, or by helicopter. Access is controlled by the tribe, so advance reservations and permits are required and sell out.
Supai and Getting There
- Supai: the tribal capital, 8 miles from the nearest road, reachable only on foot, by mule or helicopter. It is the only place in the U.S. where mail is still delivered by mule. The tribe runs a café, lodge, general store, campground and tribal museum.
- Trail: from Hualapai Hilltop, the trail switchbacks down for about ¾ mile (the hardest part, especially on the way back up), then follows a dry streambed for about 5 miles before entering Supai.
- Mules: horses and mules are available for riders or for packs only.
The Waterfalls
- Fifty Foot Falls and Little Navajo Falls: the first falls, formed after a 2008 flood that ended Navajo Falls.
- Havasu Falls: 1.5 miles from Supai, a 100-foot falls into large pools with picnic tables nearby. It is possible to swim behind it.
- Mooney Falls: 2.25 miles from Supai, dropping 210 feet. Reaching the bottom involves a precarious descent through tunnels and down chains and ladders.
- Beaver Falls: about 6 miles from Supai, along a remote, rugged trail with several creek crossings, with small swimming pools.
- Confluence: the creek meets the Colorado River after a long, difficult hike for experienced hikers.
Flash floods have repeatedly reshaped the falls, and Havasupai land became surrounded by Grand Canyon National Park in 1919 while remaining under tribal control.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Havasupai Indian Reservation", "Supai, Arizona", "Havasupai Trail", "Havasu Creek", and "Havasu Falls", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
