High Desert Road Trip: Pt II

Pt II: Havasu Falls

Monday May 27 · Havasupai Hike Day 1

We drive from Las Vegas out to Peach Springs the night before our adventure begins, about a 4 hour trip. We check into our room at the Hualapei Lodge, about 1.5 hrs from Hualapei Hilltop where we begin our hike to Havasu. There are not many options here; basically you want to be ready for an early start the next day. This is the closest, most reasonably priced accommodation before heading into a very remote part of the United States. You get one last ‘Hail Mary’ shower and a satisfying breakfast - worth it.

We leave the Lodge around 4:30 am to drive to the Hilltop parking area. You will be entering the Indian Reservation, and they do not allow alcohol, not even unopened, stored in your cooler alcohol for after the hike. If they catch you with alcohol, there is a big fine and they kick you out and tow your vehicle away. Don’t bring alcohol.

We strap on our packs (mine weighed 32 lbs with camera and tripod) in a cold rain and begin hiking. The campground is 11 miles from the trailhead and we spend about 5-6 hours hiking. It is very steep for the first mile as we descend the face of the canyon. Then the trail levels out for the remainder of the hike as we follow the path through dry riverbed. The weather is uncharacteristically cool for this time of year, and it actually hails on us for a few minutes so we seek shelter during the storm under a rocky outcropping.

After about 3.5 hrs of hiking, we arrive in Supai Village and buy some Indian Tacos because we are starving! We spend about 1 hr in Supai Village checking in, grabbing tent tags, wristbands and gathering our strength for the remainder of the hike. We reach the campground about an hour past Supai Village, find a campsite, and make dinner. We pass Navajo, 50 Foot, and Havasu all before dinner time.

After Supai Village, the first falls we come to are Navajo and 50 Foot Falls. We see them from a distance but honestly we are so tired at this point we just want to ditch our heavy packs, so we don’t linger! Next, we approach Havasu Falls and it really takes our breath away. We just round a corner and are rewarded with this amazing view from up top of the falls, cascading over red rock canyon walls down to a lush oasis of green leaves and turquoise blue water spilling over terraces of travertine pools.

The campground stretches for 1 mile past Havasu Falls, alongside Havasu Creek and ends at the top of Mooney Falls. We are disappointed with the campground overall. It is not the nicest campground, but it works. It is not organized, and sites are not marked, so it is a free for all, first-come first-served type of frenzy when we finally arrive. There is also a lot of trash strewn about. People leaving stuff behind that they thought would be useful to others but just trashes the scenery - fuel canisters, tarps, water jugs are all lying about. There are composting toilets placed evenly throughout the campground which helps provide some level of comfort while we are down there. There is a natural fresh water spring at the top of the campground which is safe to drink. Animals are a nuisance at the campground, and the squirrels are especially adept at finding ways into your food and belongings.

Practice Leave No Trace principles when camping in Havasu Falls. Pack out what you pack in.

Tuesday May 28 · Havasupai Hike Day 2

We rise early for a full day of adventuring and exploring. Our mission is to make it to the Confluence. This all day hike takes us from Mooney Falls to Beaver Falls (3 miles), then an additional 4 miles past Beaver Falls to reach the Confluence with the Colorado River. This hike technically takes you out of the Indian Reservation, and should not be attempted after 11am.

Beaver Falls is my favorite waterfall of the trip. Featuring wide, cascading travertine terraces, Beaver Falls is the perfect spot for a picnic, swimming and cliff jumping in the myriad turquoise blue pools.

The path to Beaver Falls starts at the foot of Mooney Falls, on the left side of the canyon facing downstream. Soon, we know we are close to Beaver Falls when we find a huge palm tree in the middle of the desert landscape. The ladder next to the palm tree takes us up to a stunning vista and access to the travertine pools.

From Beaver Falls, the path continues until we see a sign saying we’re entering Grand Canyon National Park. After this sign, the trail becomes unmaintained and challenging to follow. There are numerous river crossings and parts of the trail are loose stone, gravel or rock. Cairns mark the way, but sometimes flash flooding wipes them away. Very few people are on the trail at this point so we really get to rely on our ability to navigate. Just before the confluence there is one last waterfall that drops into a section of narrows. We cross the river to the left side of the canyon and take the high route above the narrows to see the confluence from above!

Hiking to the confluence is quite the achievement and very rewarding, and I highly recommend it if you’re up for a challenge. We are glad we did it on the first full day in the canyon because we still had energy to burn. By the second full day, we were rightfully exhausted and preferred relaxing close to camp at Havasu and Mooney.

Wednesday May 29 · Havasupai Hike Day 3

Exhausted, tired, and sore! We spend the third day of our trip exploring the falls nearby our campsite: Havasu and Mooney.

In the morning, Havasu is partly shaded but gets good lighting in the afternoon for swimming.

Mooney has quite a bit of a climb down to its base, kind of sketchy and slippery so be careful! I’m not afraid of heights, but a fall is a fall and I’m not sure I fully trust the chains, stakes, and ladders guiding us down the wall. Look out for bighorn sheep!

Thursday May 30 · Back To Vegas

Time to pack up and head out. We leave camp in early AM, starting the long trek back to Hilltop before the midday heat could take its toll. We packed a Post-Hike kit in the car (fresh change of clothes, towels, drinks, delicious snacks). It felt AMAZING to take my hiking shoes off after 4 days.

The high desert road trip adventure continues in Part III: Death Valley to Mammoth ➳