i find this board to be very helpful, so I thought I'd post about our 4 day trek to Havasu Falls in Arizona. We hiked in on Monday and hiked out on Thanksgiving Day. I apologize in advance if this post is long, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip that you should take if you are able.
Pics from our trip are on my instagram, if you want to take a look. Pics are public (for now - I'm a bit hesitant to post that here, but hopefully I won't have any issues).
About Havasu Falls - it's actually a series of five waterfalls on the Supai Indian Reservation. It's near the Grand Canyon but is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park. Day hikes are NOT allowed, and you must secure a permit in advance (permits for the year become available in February and are limited, so they sell out fast). About 500 Native Americans live in Supai Village, which is 8 miles from the trailhead and 2 miles from the campsite.
Logistics - The trailhead is about a 3.5 hour drive from Flagstaff, and Flagstaff is about a 3 hour drive from Phoenix. We took a shuttle from Phoenix to Flagstaff, and the tour company we used (more on that later) drove us to/from the trailhead.
To get to Havasu Falls, you must hike 10 miles from the trailhead to the campground. The elevation change is 2400 ft, 1000 of that in the first/last mile, depending on which direction you are going. The hike in was long but not that strenuous; hiking out is much more difficult (especially that last mile).
Camping is the only option. The campground is lovely but primitive. There are composting toilets and drinking water, and you can buy some basic provisions from a store in the Supai Village. We visited the week of Thanksgiving, so the weather was beautiful and the campground was not crowded. However, they will allow up to 500 permits per day, and the campground cannot accommodate that many people comfortably. I would think that camping when it's that crowded would be very unpleasant. Our experience was that the toilets and campsite were VERY clean. I imagine that's not always the case.
Weather - our November trip saw highs in the 60s and lows in the high 20s/low 30s. The campsite does not get a lot of direct sunlight, so it never really warms up this time of year (summers are HOT). But considering the amount of hiking we did, those temps were perfect. The gear provided by our tour company kept us very comfortable - I hate the cold and never felt excessively cold for any extended period of time (mainly just when I would first wake up and have to go to the bathroom for the first time).
Exploring - as I said above, there are five different waterfalls to see. Three of them - Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, and Havasu Falls, are visible on the hike in and are a short hike from the campground. The other two - Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls - are a difficult trek.
To get to Beaver Falls, you have to descend into the canyon at Mooney Falls. I knew in advance we would be doing this, but I didn't realize how treacherous it really is. The descent is over 100 ft almost straight down. There are no actual stairs or railings - just chains, rebar, and hand/toe holes in the canyon. It's wet and muddy due to the mist from the falls. Once you start going, you can't turn around. And to get back to camp, you have to climb back out the same way - climbing out is just as hard as climbing in!
Our guides literally talked us through it every step of the way, telling us exactly where to put our hands and feet to inch our way down and back out. One of our guides had made the trip 30+ times, and his experience was invaluable.
Once you descend Mooney Falls, the hike to Beaver Falls is another 3 or so miles over some pretty tough and rugged terrain. The hike there took us about 3 hours. There is some additional climbing to reach Beaver Falls as well as several river crossings in about knee-deep water (the water level does change).
The water temp is 60-70*, depending on the time of year.
Planning a trip - as I said above, we used a tour company called Wildland Trekking (there are other companies that offer a similar service). I would not do this trip any other way. There were 8 of us on the trip (6 from one family and myself and my son), and we were assigned two guides. Had no one else but myself and my son reserved the trip, we still would have gone, just with one guide. In addition to the guides, Wildland Trekking secured the permits and provided ALL the gear - day packs, tents, sleeping bags, etc.; all we brought were our clothes, toiletries, and water bottles. They also provided AND cooked ALL the food. And we ate like kings - fajitas, stir fry, pancakes, pad Thai, etc. - it was delicious!
Our trip also included a mule train that carried down all the gear except for personal items that we wanted in our day packs. Unfortunately, ours was the last mule train hike that Wildland will be offering for the foreseeable future. Starting next season, treks will be backpacking trips; however Wildland will still provide ALL the gear and help you pack it appropriately at a weight you can carry.
Miscellaneous - this is a very challenging trip. I'm 40 and in reasonably good shape, so it was a positive experience for me. I took my (almost) 14 year old son and he LOVED it. I didn't see many kids during our trip, and I personally think 13 or 14 is about the minimum age for this trip. And it has to be a kid that loves camping, hiking, and climbing. At 14, I would have been miserable on this trip. I would also advise going in pairs - parent/child or with a spouse/SO. There are plenty of times you just need a partner - whether it's for encouragement while climbing down Mooney Falls or to have someone go with you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Other good times to go are April and May (after Spring Break and before Memorial Day) and Sept/Oct. Those times shouldn't be as crowded and the weather should be warm enough to swim. The fall foliage is beautiful.
I would plan a trip that includes three nights camping. It takes a FULL day to get to the trailhead from Flagstaff and hike in to the campsite. We left Flagstaff at 5 am (they leave earlier when it's hotter), and the hike in took 7 hours (including stops for lunch and pictures). The hike out took 5 hours. We were up at 4 am to eat and help break down camp and were hiking out by 6.
The hike to Beaver Falls took one full day. We spent our second day leisurely exploring Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, and Fifty Foot Falls, including a lovely picnic.
You are essentially "off the grid" the entire time. There is WiFi in the Supai Village, but tourists are discouraged from hanging out there out of respect for the Native Americans who call it home. I picked up some 3G service near the top of Havasu Falls, but it was spotty, and all I could really do was send a couple of text messages to family.
In summary, this was an epic trip that we are so glad we were able to experience! I don't like to camp and don't do it just for the sake of camping, but this was an amazing experience for me. If anyone is interested in doing this trip, feel free to ask more questions.
Here is my favorite picture from our trip.
https://instagr.am/p/BqgQ55LFLLG
Pics from our trip are on my instagram, if you want to take a look. Pics are public (for now - I'm a bit hesitant to post that here, but hopefully I won't have any issues).
About Havasu Falls - it's actually a series of five waterfalls on the Supai Indian Reservation. It's near the Grand Canyon but is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park. Day hikes are NOT allowed, and you must secure a permit in advance (permits for the year become available in February and are limited, so they sell out fast). About 500 Native Americans live in Supai Village, which is 8 miles from the trailhead and 2 miles from the campsite.
Logistics - The trailhead is about a 3.5 hour drive from Flagstaff, and Flagstaff is about a 3 hour drive from Phoenix. We took a shuttle from Phoenix to Flagstaff, and the tour company we used (more on that later) drove us to/from the trailhead.
To get to Havasu Falls, you must hike 10 miles from the trailhead to the campground. The elevation change is 2400 ft, 1000 of that in the first/last mile, depending on which direction you are going. The hike in was long but not that strenuous; hiking out is much more difficult (especially that last mile).
Camping is the only option. The campground is lovely but primitive. There are composting toilets and drinking water, and you can buy some basic provisions from a store in the Supai Village. We visited the week of Thanksgiving, so the weather was beautiful and the campground was not crowded. However, they will allow up to 500 permits per day, and the campground cannot accommodate that many people comfortably. I would think that camping when it's that crowded would be very unpleasant. Our experience was that the toilets and campsite were VERY clean. I imagine that's not always the case.
Weather - our November trip saw highs in the 60s and lows in the high 20s/low 30s. The campsite does not get a lot of direct sunlight, so it never really warms up this time of year (summers are HOT). But considering the amount of hiking we did, those temps were perfect. The gear provided by our tour company kept us very comfortable - I hate the cold and never felt excessively cold for any extended period of time (mainly just when I would first wake up and have to go to the bathroom for the first time).
Exploring - as I said above, there are five different waterfalls to see. Three of them - Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, and Havasu Falls, are visible on the hike in and are a short hike from the campground. The other two - Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls - are a difficult trek.
To get to Beaver Falls, you have to descend into the canyon at Mooney Falls. I knew in advance we would be doing this, but I didn't realize how treacherous it really is. The descent is over 100 ft almost straight down. There are no actual stairs or railings - just chains, rebar, and hand/toe holes in the canyon. It's wet and muddy due to the mist from the falls. Once you start going, you can't turn around. And to get back to camp, you have to climb back out the same way - climbing out is just as hard as climbing in!
Our guides literally talked us through it every step of the way, telling us exactly where to put our hands and feet to inch our way down and back out. One of our guides had made the trip 30+ times, and his experience was invaluable.
Once you descend Mooney Falls, the hike to Beaver Falls is another 3 or so miles over some pretty tough and rugged terrain. The hike there took us about 3 hours. There is some additional climbing to reach Beaver Falls as well as several river crossings in about knee-deep water (the water level does change).
The water temp is 60-70*, depending on the time of year.
Planning a trip - as I said above, we used a tour company called Wildland Trekking (there are other companies that offer a similar service). I would not do this trip any other way. There were 8 of us on the trip (6 from one family and myself and my son), and we were assigned two guides. Had no one else but myself and my son reserved the trip, we still would have gone, just with one guide. In addition to the guides, Wildland Trekking secured the permits and provided ALL the gear - day packs, tents, sleeping bags, etc.; all we brought were our clothes, toiletries, and water bottles. They also provided AND cooked ALL the food. And we ate like kings - fajitas, stir fry, pancakes, pad Thai, etc. - it was delicious!
Our trip also included a mule train that carried down all the gear except for personal items that we wanted in our day packs. Unfortunately, ours was the last mule train hike that Wildland will be offering for the foreseeable future. Starting next season, treks will be backpacking trips; however Wildland will still provide ALL the gear and help you pack it appropriately at a weight you can carry.
Miscellaneous - this is a very challenging trip. I'm 40 and in reasonably good shape, so it was a positive experience for me. I took my (almost) 14 year old son and he LOVED it. I didn't see many kids during our trip, and I personally think 13 or 14 is about the minimum age for this trip. And it has to be a kid that loves camping, hiking, and climbing. At 14, I would have been miserable on this trip. I would also advise going in pairs - parent/child or with a spouse/SO. There are plenty of times you just need a partner - whether it's for encouragement while climbing down Mooney Falls or to have someone go with you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Other good times to go are April and May (after Spring Break and before Memorial Day) and Sept/Oct. Those times shouldn't be as crowded and the weather should be warm enough to swim. The fall foliage is beautiful.
I would plan a trip that includes three nights camping. It takes a FULL day to get to the trailhead from Flagstaff and hike in to the campsite. We left Flagstaff at 5 am (they leave earlier when it's hotter), and the hike in took 7 hours (including stops for lunch and pictures). The hike out took 5 hours. We were up at 4 am to eat and help break down camp and were hiking out by 6.
The hike to Beaver Falls took one full day. We spent our second day leisurely exploring Havasu Falls, Navajo Falls, and Fifty Foot Falls, including a lovely picnic.
You are essentially "off the grid" the entire time. There is WiFi in the Supai Village, but tourists are discouraged from hanging out there out of respect for the Native Americans who call it home. I picked up some 3G service near the top of Havasu Falls, but it was spotty, and all I could really do was send a couple of text messages to family.
In summary, this was an epic trip that we are so glad we were able to experience! I don't like to camp and don't do it just for the sake of camping, but this was an amazing experience for me. If anyone is interested in doing this trip, feel free to ask more questions.
Here is my favorite picture from our trip.
https://instagr.am/p/BqgQ55LFLLG