October 17, 2019

Arizona – Havasupai Hike

You know that quote that goes something like, “The journey is the destination”? This is not the case for Havasupai hike. Although the hike is a beautiful red-rock canyon in Arizona, Havasupai is an absolute oasis of turquoise water, lush plants, and waterfalls. To experience this campground and waterfalls, you will need to do some serious hiking. From the parking lot, it is a 10-mile hike to where you’ll be camping, plus exciting things to visit during the day, which requires MORE hiking. So let’s break down the journey. In this post, I detail out what the 10-mile hike to Havasupai is like and things to think about to train for the Havasupai hikes.

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What is Havasupai?

Havasupai is an Indian Reservation deep in a canyon in Arizona. As the bird flies, it is very close to Grand Canyon National Park, but it is completely inaccessible by car. What makes Havasupai so desirable is turquoise blue water and a series of waterfalls that you can hike to and explore. You will need to get a permit to camp overnight at Havasupai. Then, in order to get to Havasupai, you will need to carry in all your gear on a 10-mile hike. Though challenging, the reward is a turquoise lush oasis in what feels like the middle of nowhere.

For the most up-to-date information, including updates related to Covid-19, be sure to check out the permit booking website: https://www.havasupaireservations.com/

Havasupai Hike

The hike to Havasupai campground is a 10-mile downhill trek from Hualapai Hilltop. Coming from Santa Barbara, my group and I decided to drive to Kingman, Arizona, and spend the night. The following morning we were on the road by 4:30 am and arrived at Hualapai Hilltop around 7:00 or 7:15 am. There is a checkpoint before getting to the trailhead where they will look at your identification and reservation. The person who booked should have this ready. Drive all the way to the trailhead to see what spots are available. While we were getting ready, we noticed a couple emerge out of their car from sleeping there. I suppose this is an option as well.

Make sure you have everything you need, use the restroom one more time, then start the hike.

At a Glance:

Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would do it again in a heartbeat
Intensity: Backpacking gear, hiking boots, athletic clothes, hiking poles, etc.
Location: Deserts of Arizona
Cost: The overnight permit is $100/per person/per night on weekdays and $125/per person/per night on weekends
Restrooms: At the trailhead, Supai Town, and the campground
Timing: Any time of year!

Highlights:

5 turquoise waterfalls deep inside red rock canyon in Arizona
A campground with azure water running through it
Single campground with day hikes to the waterfalls
The hike in and out are also picturesque

view of the Beaver falls at Waterfalls of Havasupai

women at the Beaver falls at Waterfalls of Havasupai hike

ladder at the Beaver falls at Waterfalls of Havasupai hike

The Hike In

Fortunately, the 10-mile Havasupai hike is completely downhill. There is an initial switch-backed steep descent, but once the trail hits the canyon floor, it will be gradual descent. For much of the trek, you are walking on a dried stream bed with a lot of loose rocks. For this reason, I recommend using hiking poles. I found the hike to be pleasant with scenery slowly dipping deeper and deeper into the canyon. Around mile 5 or 6, there was someone checking our names with the number of people in the group. It was a casual check, but you don’t want your group to be too spread out.

A couple of reasons to start extra early:

Depending on the season, the heat of midday will be intense. There is not much shade, beyond what the canyon walls provide.
The helicopter transfers begin and you’ll hear them incessantly.
The mule trains begin and you will have to pull over when they pass and avoid “debris” from the mules.

Supai Town

You’ll reach the town of Supai at mile 8 of the Havasupai hike. There will be a couple of signs and a bridge before the town to get you extra excited. You will need to stop here to get your physical permit and tags if you are using mules. There are flushing toilets and water fountains in town. You can also stop at a restaurant or the small store if you would like to pick up any last-minute provisions. If you want to send a postcard, I recommend buying one on your way in and sending it later on Day 3.

A note about Supai town: do not take any photos or videos while in Supai town. There will be signs demarcating the no photography zone. Please respect this sign and don’t mess it up for the rest of us. With the explosion of popularity, there have got to be hundreds of people going through town every week. No photography is a small ask for privacy and in exchange for access to these incredible waterfalls. The Havasupai tribe could decide tomorrow that they no longer want to allow outsiders to visit their land. I repeat, do not mess this up for the rest of us.

Getting to Camp

There is another 2 miles of the Havasupai hike before you reach the campground. These last 2 miles are when I deeply started to feel the exhaustion and pain of the day. A bit brutal, these last 2 miles is also when you begin to see Havasu Creek at its full glory. You’ll pass by the very obvious Fifty Foot Falls and want nothing more than to drop your bag and go for a dip in the gorgeous blue water. You’ll also pass a bridge with the mesmerizing blue water below. Finally, there will be a gentle climb to the top of the mind-blowing Havasu Falls. Less than a quarter-mile downhill and you will reach the beginning of the campgrounds.

What I didn’t realize before going to Havasupai is that the campground itself is pretty incredible. Choosing a campsite will be tough, so I wrote a separate blog post about camping at Havasupai – check it out here!

mountain and waterfalls view during the Havasupai hike

woman dipping her feet at Waterfalls of Havasupai

ladder near the river during the Havasupai hike

three women resting after their Havasupai hike

woman sitting at the edge of a cliff after Havasupai hike

Waterfalls of Havasupai

There are five main waterfalls in Havasupai, which I encourage you to explore them all. Lower Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, Havasu Falls, and Supai town are all upstream from the campground. Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls, and the confluence are all downstream from the campground. If you are unfamiliar with the waterfalls of Havasupai, I wrote an entire post about it – check it out!

Structure your Days to see the 5 Waterfalls of Havasupai

To see all 5 waterfalls of Havasupai, I recommend that you spend three nights. Here’s what we did, and I found it to be a perfect balance:

1st Day: Hike in as early as possible, get your permit in the town of Havasupai, find a campsite, get settled, and recover. Also, marvel at the river passing through the campsites.
2nd Day: Head downstream to experience Mooney Falls and meander all the way down to Beaver Falls. Or go all the way to the confluence.
3rd Day: Head upstream to experience Havasu Falls, Supai town (if you want to go that far), chill out on the top of Fifty Foot Falls, and take a little walk to New Navajo Falls, finally enjoy Havasu Falls again before settling down at camp.
4th Day: Pre-dawn departure.

This is a very high-level overview. If you’d like more details on structuring your days, check out my other blog post: Havasupai Itinerary.

The Hike Out

A pre-dawn departure always feels dramatic but it is definitely the best time to leave. Believe me, you won’t be the only one. While packing up, try to use your red light and don’t talk unless absolutely necessary, so you disturb your neighbors. Each night I woke up due to people packing up or walking out and talking or using their full beam. Oi.

You will have to say goodbye to Havasu Falls and Fifty Foot Falls in the dark, but it was actually a lovely experience. It was peaceful at night with the stars above and a perfect temperature. Our first light came when we were in Supai town where we took advantage of the flushing toilets. I should mention that one person in my group opted to get a mule for the route up. She put her entire pack on and a couple of hefty items from mine and my other friend’s pack. This made for a much lighter return trip.

After Supai town, it became lighter and lighter. Doing those two miles in the dark, having a lighter load, and knowing the trail all made the return trip slip by easily. “Oh, this is where we had a snack” or “there is that funny-looking rock” made progress on the trail evident. We got a solid 8 or so miles before the mule trains began, but the Helicopter started before then. We made it back to the steep switchbacks before they were in the sun – huzzah!

first level of the 5 waterfalls during the Havasupai hike

Alternatives to Hiking to Havasupai

The Havasupai tribe does offer a couple of ways to make the 10-mile trek easier, but they come at a price. The first option is to pay to take the helicopter from Hualapai Hilltop. This helicopter carries tribe members and construction gear to Supai village, which they will take hikers if there is room.

However, there is no guarantee that you will get a spot. Priority is given to tribe members and there does not seem to be a regular schedule. In the morning, you add your name to a list. This is why there was a line of people waiting for the helicopter before sunrise when we hiked out. Also, I don’t recall hearing the helicopter on our trek in and they may have not run that day. Overall, you should intelligently prepare for the 10-mile Havasupai hike and not rely on the tribe’s resources. Keep reading for some training schedule thoughts.

Mules

The other option is having a mule take your heavy gear, while you hike with a day-pack. Mule reservations are $200, each way. One mule can accommodate four bags, under a certain weight (double-check the reservation website for exact weight). This could be a good option for a group of four that could divide the price. Also, consider doing the mule only in one direction. One person in my group was having a few health issues and decided to get a mule for the hike out. This allowed us to shed some weight/bulk and make for a quick hike out. Since we had started so early, we only had to wait for the second mule train at the top.

I remember receiving emails after getting our permits to reserve the mule in March for our October permits, with the explanation that they might run out. However, we did not do that. We booked the mule in late September through the reservation website. We were able to use a separate credit card and the mule was part of our permit when we arrived. And when we were waiting for the bag at the top, it did not seem like many mules in the first couple of trains was carrying loads. But maybe it depends on the season.

And finally, I wanted to mention the health of the mules. While researching, I had read that the mules were poorly treated with their ribs showing in previous years. This did not seem to be the case when we visited, in that I did not see their ribs. However, I am not an expert on mule health. Overall, again, you should intelligently prepare for the backpacking Havasupai hike and rely on the mules as a backup option.

Training for the Havasupai Hike

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: hiking is the best training for hiking. And hiking with weight is especially important. If you are new to backpacking or hiking long distances, do not assume that other forms of exercise alone will adequately prepare you for this trek. Yes, overall fitness is helpful, but your body needs to adjust to long periods of hiking, weight on the shoulders and hips, and using hiking poles.

For this type of hike, a good goal to train up to is to feel comfortable hiking 10-miles with significant weight and/or 14 or 16 miles with a day backpack. Start with 2 or 4 miles and add on 1.5 to 2 miles each weekend, such as:

1 – Training Hike: 4 miles
2 – Training Hike: 6 miles
3 – Training Hike: 8 miles
4 – Training Hike: 10 miles
5 – Training Hike: 12 miles (and etc.)

If you are only able to do day-hiking, start at least 3-4 months in advance and train up to 14 or 16 miles. It’s important to overshoot the pack weight goal if you are only day hiking. Especially with the longer distances, you’ll better understand your body – how much food and water you consume, when you need to use the restroom, and developing mental patience for the long haul. Beyond the switchbacks near Hualapai Hilltop, the elevation gain/loss is pretty gentle. When training for this hike, I recommend focusing on distance over elevation. Doing some elevation will only be beneficial.

My Personal Training Notes

I feel that I was adequately prepared for the Havasupai hike, but I wish I fit in a little more hiking with weight closer to our departure. About a month before Havasupai, I had a permit and successfully climbed Half Dome in Yosemite – a 16-mile round-trip hike. Because I was also training for Half Dome, I focused primarily on day hiking and my schedule was a little hodge-podge, but it worked. Here’s what it looked like:

1 – Training Hike: June – 6 miles local hike
2 – Training Hike: July – 8 miles local hike
3 – Training Hike: July – 11 miles Acatenango Hike in Guatemala
4 – Training Hike: July – 6 miles San Pedro Sunrise Hike in Guatemala
5 – Training Hike: August – 12 miles local hike
6 – Training Hike: August – 13 miles local hike
Backpacking Training Hike 1: August – 20 miles Olympic Basin Hike in Washington
7 – Half Dome Hike: September – 16 miles
8 – Training Hike: October – 6 miles local hike
October 15 – 18, 2019: Havasupai

As you can see, my training schedule is not linear. This is fine as long as you are hitting high mileage days before your trip. When I reach the 10+ mileage days, I typically have difficulty finding hiking partners. With this in mind, it is nice to start training early enough to have a couple of weekends free to do a shorter hike with friends. Mix it up a bit.

After Half Dome, my training schedule lost consistency. I traveled to Norway in between Half Dome and Havasupai. At the time, I was also borrowing backpacking gear from friends, so doing more backpacking hikes was difficult to work in. Not doing as many backpacking hikes affected me in that my shoulders were particularly sore. The tops of my hips were also sensitive for the first full day of exploration.

Overall Thoughts: Havasupai Hike

Even for those who are new to backpacking and who don’t actively hike throughout the year, I believe the Havasupai hike can be very attainable if you prepare intelligently and train your body. Don’t let serious outdoors people scare you away, but also don’t be dumb. If you prepare intelligently and do a series of training hikes, I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy yourself more while at Havasupai. Remember, it is not just getting through the 10-mile hike – there is more hiking if you want to explore the 5 main waterfalls. You can do it and enjoy!