Ha “waters” Vasu “blue-green” Pai “people”  FALLS.

Havasupai, meaning “the people of the blue-green water” made up of a village of only 500 people, located in the middle of a canyon. Havasupai Canyon. Now I know you're all wondering where this picturesque scenery is located, and it’s actually in my home state, ARIZONA! You can find this piece of paradise bordering the southern end of The Grand Canyon. Containing 5 waterfalls of the most blue-green water I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. A true desert oasis!

This hidden gem is not much of a secret anymore, in fact social media is to thank for it’s now difficult lottery-style way of obtaining a permit to experience this incredible place. Yes, read that again, you MUST have a permit to go. I know everyone stares at these pictures and immediately says “I want to go!” So I’m here to tell you how it’s at all possible do so. Like I mentioned previously, it once was a lot easier to get your permit to visit this desert oasis, as simple as a phone call to reserve a spot. Now the permits are only available to purchase online,  on one specific date of the year, and are booked out for the entire year. So on February 1st at 8:00am on the dot, 50k people log on to the same website and try their best to secure a date.

Mark it in your calendar, February 1st! Head to Havasupaireservations.com, there you will create a profile prior to this date so that you are ready, set, go to join the race of getting your permit. 8am hits and you sit there refreshing your browser over and over again! It was one of the most stressful processes ever! For me it was a huge travel goal for the year, so there was no way I was giving up easily. Not going to lie, I was very doubtful that it wasn’t even going to happen. After about 1 hour and 48 minutes of refreshing, signing in and out and literally losing my mind- the calendar opened up and it let me select dates. At this point, you don't really get to pick the dates you had in mind,  you just go for what’s available. March 3rd-6th, DONE! It wasn’t the dates or time of year that I preferred because I feared it would be colder around this time of year. However beggars can’t be choosers and there wasn’t anything that was going to stop me from going!

Okay, now that you have your reservation let's talk about how serious this hike is and how important it is to be prepared for it. A packing list will be included at the end of the article. There are two ways of reaching the Havasupai Village; by foot or by helicopter. My adventure was 100% more satisfying because I had the pleasure (bit of sarcasm) of reaching the campgrounds by foot, including carrying my own 40lb pack on my back the entire journey. This is obviously the cheapest option, but know that everything you are bringing for the following 3 nights you will be carrying on your back for 10 miles, one way.  I’m very much in shape and I would definitely consider this an intense hike. So please take this seriously. If you aren’t up for carrying your own pack or simply want to make it easier on yourself, then hiring mules to carry your packs are also an option. You must have a reservation in advance for this. Go here for more information….

The last and less strenuous option all around is taking a helicopter in and out of the village. A lovely option, for the next time I return! This too requires reservations ahead of time. This will skip the 8 miles hike and land you right in the middle of the village. From the village you will only have to hike 2 miles on your own to reach the campgrounds. **If you are not camping, there is an option of staying in the Lodge, which too requires reservations ahead of time.** Click here.

However camping is what it’s all about, so I highly suggest going that route.

The village is located about 8 miles from the trailhead, taking nearly 4-5 hours to reach. Of course you have all the time in the world to stop and take breaks- eat lunch. Ahhh, breath of fresh air- you’ve almost made it! It’ll take you another 15 minutes of walking through the town until you reach the center, where you will see the helicopter coming and going right in front of the office you will be checking in at. The person who created the reservation will go inside and retrieve your wristbands for the group. From there you will begin another 2 mile hike, roughly 45 minutes, until you reach the campground area. By this point, you are ready to stop, drop, roll & set up shop ANYWHERE! As you pass the ranger station, you are free to camp anywhere.

**Tip** You will want to find a spot near the one and only water spring and set up close to there**

It’s the only place in the campgrounds to fill up your water bottles and packs, and you don't realize how valuable that is until you're filling up your bottles 5x a day. It's also located near a few bathrooms, and that makes everything in life easier. Yes, there are bathrooms; and surprisingly they are pretty well kept. Be sure to bring your own toilet paper, at times they run out for the rest of the day/night.

Let’s talk about the beautiful waterfalls! Havasupai Canyon has 5 waterfalls throughout the hike.

Fifty Foot Falls

Little Navajo Falls

These two waterfalls will catch your eye because it’s the first real sighting of any kind of waterfall during your trek so far. You’ll want to stop, admire and catch your breath. Some stay and enjoy it for a bit, because at this point you're physically exhausted and might need a good reason to take a break. However, I didn't want to stay too long because I knew that I was only 25 minutes away from seeing the real magic!

Havasu Falls

About ¾ down the hill from Little Navajo Falls, the waterfall will come up quick on the right side and will leave you in complete AWE. You always wonder if a place will live up to its’ expectations, and you're in luck because its beauty exceeded anything I had in mind! The view and colors of the waterfall are beyond perfect and jaw dropping. There are plenty of spots for photo opportunities on the way down so stop, snap a few shots and take it all in.

To reach the waterfall you will head down towards the right of a picnic table. It’s a brisk 3 minute hike down to the bottom. I recommend continuing on to set up camp and return another time with out all the gear on your back.

**In between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls you are free to set up your camp. Remember what I mentioned earlier about finding a home base closest to the water spring.**

Mooney Falls

The tallest and most forceful waterfall, and chances are it’s the picture you’ve seen floating around social media. You will be camping prior to reaching the waterfall, but once you set up camp you are free to explore everywhere within the canyon. As you are approaching Mooney Falls, you will see the immediate drop and powerful waterfall on your right. Chances are you will have an amazing photo op here. Now to get down to the bottom of the waterfall, you must be prepared for the adventure to come. The trail to the bottom is completely sketchy and a bit nerve-wracking to most people’s standards. The hike down is extremely steep and has ladders and chains that you will have to lower yourself down with, requiring the use of both hands. It’s also wet coming down, making the rocks a bit dangerous and slippery. I'm not saying this to scare you, but it truly isn’t up to safety standards by any means. I recommend carrying a smaller day pack for your camera, water, etc. The hike down should only take about 10-15 minutes depending on the flow of the traffic going down and coming up. If you plan to stay only at Mooney Falls, it would be okay to leave your hiking poles back at the campsite. You are able to get into the waterfall, but prepare yourself for extreme turbulence! The waterfall is beyond powerful!

BEAVER FALLS

For the last and final waterfall, Beaver Falls. A few waterfalls that lead into each other, make up the entire “Beaver Falls.” After each drop, there are pools making it a good hangout spot for the day to swim in. This is an excursion for after a good night's rest, so the following day after you arrive is a good time to go. The hike is one of the best hikes I’ve ever done because it's stunning scenery along the way and the variety of terrains throughout the entire hike. It's roughly 8 miles roundtrip, but not too difficult if you ask me. You will be required to cross water 4 times, and go up and down a few ladders just to reach Beaver Falls. I highly recommend wearing water shoes for the entire hike. Also you will be getting wet; waist deep, so dress accordingly.

Packing List

• Backpack

• Tent

• Sleeping Pad

• Jet Pack cooking set/ cooking utensils

• Toilet Paper

• Wipes

• Water Shoes

• Hiking/trekking Poles

• Hiking Socks

• All Terrain Shoes

• Long Johns (colder months)

• Jacket (colder months)

• Beanie (colder months)

• Bathing Suit

• MRE food

• Snacks

• Electrolytes

• Camelbak

• Light Weight Towel

• And any personal hygiene needs.

• Headlamp

• “Ratsack”

• Sunscreen

• Lotion