Visitors who don't want to hike to the falls have several options. Guided tours by mule include meals, permits and gear. All you need to bring is your clothing and personal items. Skilled guides are expert with wilderness first aid and are knowledgeable about the region.
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You cannot enter the Havasupai reservation without a permit. You used to be able to take a day hike to see Havasu Falls but day hikes are no longer allowed. To access the Havasupai waterfalls, you will need either a camping permit or a reservation at the Havasupai Lodge, the hotel on site.
Reservations are required before entering the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Guests can hike down 8 miles to the lodge and tourist office, then 2 more miles to the campground.
Plan Your Trip to Havasupai FallsThere is no day hiking permitted in the canyon. Any visitor must have a reservation and entrance fees are now paid in advance. The cost is $100-$125 per person/night including all taxes and environmental fees. These fees can be paid upfront online when you make your reservation.
Getting a Havasu Falls Permit is arguably the most difficult part of the Havasu Falls hike, and each year getting a permit to hike Havasu Falls gets more and more competitive. In fact, according to the Havasupai Reservations website, most permits sell out the first day reservations open.
While the exact cost can change from year to year, we estimate the Havasupai permit cost to be around $395 to $500 per person. Typically, a minimum stay of 3 nights and 4 days is required. Reservations are 100% non-refundable and non-transferrable.
However, in 2023, visitors are required to stay a minimum of 3 nights. For the 3-night minimum stay, Havasu Falls permits in 2023 will cost $395/per person. Although these are the most expensive permits I've ever paid for, the unworldly experience of hiking to Havasu Falls is worth visiting!
Plan Your Trip to Havasupai FallsAny visitor must have a reservation and entrance fees are now paid in advance. The cost is $100-$125 per person/night including all taxes and environmental fees. These fees can be paid upfront online when you make your reservation.
The waterfalls are not easy to get toThere are no roads to the waterfalls only a difficult 10 mile hike in each direction. The hike begins on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, a 4-5 hour drive from either Phoenix or Las Vegas.
The hike into Havasupai is a great one for novice and advanced backpackers alike with options to carry all your own gear or have a mule/packhorse carry the majority of the weight for you. That said, hiking to Havasu Falls is not easy, so plan ahead, prepare for heat, dust, and a long day.
Why was Havasu Falls closed for so long? Havasu Falls is just one part of the broader Havasupai Reservation. The unique health-care problems faced by Native American tribes contributed to the lengthy closure, the tribe noted. “We closed our Reservation in March 2020,” the tribe wrote on its website.
In a post, the Havasupai tribe said it made the decision to raise prices because the popular hiking and swimming spot in the Grand Canyon has gone viral and the demand for permits has greatly increased. “We have many more reservation requests than available campground spaces,” the post said.
While more powerful than Navajo Falls, Havasu is still mellow enough that you can swim behind the cascading waters and enjoy the approximately five-foot-deep pool at its base.
The creek is well known for its blue-green color and distinctive travertine formations. This is due to large amounts of calcium carbonate in the water that formed the limestone that lines the creek and reflects its color so strongly.
Havasupai and Hualapai reservations are both dry reservations. This means they do not sell nor permit alcohol on their land. It also means that if you have it in your possession, you can be fined, banned from Havasupai or charged with a felony with the possibility of up to 1 year of incarceration.
Havasupai CampgroundThe best time to visit Havasu Falls is in the late fall, winter or early spring. During the summer months, plan to hike as early as possible to avoid the heat.
ALL visitors must protect their food, trash, and everything with an odor, at ALL times. The only 100% effective method of doing this is for each visitor to bring and use a bear canister (available for rent or purchase at many outdoor gear retailers and also via online stores).
Havasu Falls Crowds: Very crowded. The permits for this hike sell out pretty much instantly. So if you are only looking for solitude… pick a different hike.