Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls, on the Havasupai Tribe’s reservation in Havasu Canyon — a spectacular side canyon of the Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona — is widely regarded as the most beautiful waterfall in the United States: a 100-foot free-falling curtain of brilliant, impossibly turquoise-blue water cascading into a series of large travertine pools, surrounded by red Havasupai sandstone walls, desert willows and cottonwoods in a secret garden canyon deep below the Colorado Plateau.

Access is strictly controlled by the Havasupai Tribe: visitors must obtain a permit (extremely competitive; the lottery opens in February for the following year), hike 10 miles into the canyon or arrive by helicopter, and camp in the Havasupai campground. The difficulty of access — and the Tribe’s management of visitor numbers — is what preserves the canyon’s remarkable character. Havasu Falls is a treasured natural icon of Arizona and one of the most beautiful destinations in the American West.

Havasu Canyon offers visiting Havasu Falls and the other waterfalls of the canyon system (Fifty Foot Falls and Navajo Falls, above Havasu; Mooney Falls, below Havasu — a 196-foot drop accessible via an exposed chain-and-ladder descent through a travertine wall, the most dramatic waterfall experience in the canyon), swimming in the turquoise travertine pools (the water is 68-70°F year-round — a shocking, beautiful blue-green color from the calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate dissolved in the water, which precipitate as travertine when the water hits the air), hiking from the trailhead at Hualapai Hilltop to the campground (10 miles, 2,000 feet down, with the canyon walls closing in over the last 3 miles in a narrow, lush gorge), camping in the Havasupai campground (200 sites; the campground is the center of life in the canyon), day trips from the campground to Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls (a further 4 miles into the canyon), and experiencing the profound, otherworldly character of a lush oasis canyon deep below the Colorado Plateau. The turquoise waterfalls, the pools, and the canyon itself are the experience.

Spring (March through May) and fall (September through October) are the finest seasons — the temperature in the canyon is pleasant (60-75°F), the falls are at good flow, and the cottonwoods and desert willows are at their most beautiful. Summer (June through August) is intensely hot in the canyon (95-105°F) but many visitors go in summer because summer permits are easier to obtain; go very early in the morning and swim in the pools to manage the heat. Flash flooding is a serious and unpredictable hazard in the canyon — it can occur even when skies are clear in the canyon if there are storms on the distant plateau above (the 2008 and 2010 floods significantly reshaped the falls). Spring and fall are the recommended seasons; check weather carefully regardless of season.

The Havasupai people (“people of the blue-green water” in their language — the name is apt) have inhabited Havasu Canyon for at least 800 years and possibly much longer, using the canyon as their winter home and the plateau above as their summer hunting ground. The Havasupai Reservation, established by federal action in the 19th century, was initially confined to the canyon floor — a severe restriction of their traditional territory. In 1975, a landmark act of Congress returned approximately 185,000 acres of plateau land to the Havasupai, one of the most significant Native American land-restoration acts in American history. The Tribe now controls access to Havasu Canyon and the falls, managing it to protect the land and fund the tribal economy. The Tribe’s sovereignty over the canyon and the falls is absolute.

Havasu Canyon is a tributary of the Grand Canyon carved into the Coconino Plateau, exposing Havasupai and Supai sandstone formations of Permian and Pennsylvanian age. The extraordinary turquoise-blue color of Havasu Creek’s water results from the calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate dissolved from the limestone and dolomite in the spring water that feeds the creek; when the water hits the air, the CO2 outgasses and the calcium carbonate precipitates as travertine, building the extraordinary travertine terraces and pools around the falls. The travertine dams that create the pools are actively growing. The falls themselves have changed dramatically over history as travertine accumulates and floods reshape the formations — the current Havasu Falls configuration was significantly reshaped by the 2008 and 2010 floods.

Havasu Canyon supports the wildlife of the Colorado Plateau canyon country plus the lush riparian oasis of the creek — canyon wrens, black-throated sparrows, ash-throated flycatchers, white-throated swifts and violet-green swallows in the canyon walls; western tanagers and yellow warblers in the cottonwood-willow riparian woodland; mule deer (abundant in the canyon), coyotes (common in the campground), ringtail cats (nocturnal), and desert bighorn sheep on the canyon walls. The creek itself supports the endangered Kanab ambersnail and native fish including the speckled dace. The canyon’s lush oasis character (water in a desert canyon) supports a disproportionately rich plant and animal community.

Havasu Canyon is a riparian oasis in the Sonoran/Colorado Plateau desert — the permanent flow of Havasu Creek (fed by large springs at the canyon base) sustains a lush corridor of Fremont cottonwood, Goodding’s willow, desert willow and other riparian plants that support a disproportionately diverse animal community. The travertine-pool and waterfall system is actively building (the travertine terraces grow at a measurable rate), creating a dynamic, changing landscape. The Kanab ambersnail (“one of North America’s most restricted snails”) lives only in a few canyon springs in the Colorado Plateau, including Havasu — it is critically endangered. Protecting the creek water quality, the riparian vegetation and the travertine-pool system sustains the ecological heritage.

Havasu Falls holds a place of profound cultural and aesthetic significance — regarded by millions as the most beautiful natural place in the United States, the home canyon of the Havasupai people for at least 800 years, a place of the Tribe’s sovereign authority, and a destination that has inspired the imagination of travelers since the first photographs reached the outside world. Its combination of turquoise water, red-sandstone canyon, tropical-garden lushness and extreme remoteness makes it genuinely singular in the American landscape. Havasu Falls is a treasured natural and cultural icon of Arizona.

Access to Havasu Falls is controlled entirely by the Havasupai Tribe. A Tribe-issued permit is required for all visits; the permit lottery opens in February each year for the following spring-fall season (competition is extreme; permits sell out within hours of opening; plan at least 1-2 years in advance and apply the moment the lottery opens). The trailhead is at Hualapai Hilltop (60 miles north of Route 66 near Peach Springs, AZ; a paved road from I-40 to Hualapai Hilltop). The hike in is 10 miles, 2,000 feet down; the hike out is 10 miles, 2,000 feet up. Helicopter service (operated by the Tribe) runs on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays; helicopter reservations also require an advance booking through the Tribe. No camping outside the designated Havasupai campground. Full permit and access information at havasupaitribe.com.

The Havasupai Tribe manages all access to Havasu Canyon. Visitors must follow all Tribal regulations (permit requirements are absolute; enter without a permit and face immediate removal, trespass charges and Tribal ban). The travertine pools are fragile — do not break or chip the travertine formations; the pools’ edges are actively building travertine and are delicate. Do not use sunscreen in the pools (the chemicals damage the travertine and the aquatic ecosystem — the Tribe asks for reef-safe or no sunscreen in the water). Carry out all trash (pack-out is required; the canyon has no trash collection beyond the main campground). Respect the Tribe’s authority, rules and cultural significance of the canyon absolutely.

Flash flooding is the most serious safety hazard in Havasu Canyon — the canyon is a narrow tributary of the Grand Canyon; storms anywhere on the plateau above (even many miles away) can send a flash flood down the canyon with little warning. In 2008, a flash flood swept through the canyon with 8-foot walls of water, destroying much of the campground and the lower falls. Check weather forecasts for the entire Colorado Plateau (not just the canyon) before visiting; if heavy rainfall is forecast anywhere in the watershed, evacuate the canyon immediately. The hike in and out (10 miles each way, 2,000 feet) requires fitness; carry 2+ liters of water; heat exhaustion is a risk in summer. Mooney Falls access (chain-and-ladder through a travertine wall) is exposed and wet — assess your comfort with exposure before descending. Respect the flash-flood risk above all else.

Havasupai Tribe permit required for ALL visitors (no exceptions). Tribal campground only (no camping elsewhere in the canyon). No pets. No drones. No sunscreen in the pools. Pack out all trash. Campfire rules as posted at the campground. Respect all Tribal rules and instructions from Tribal rangers. The Tribe may close the canyon for floods, cultural events, or maintenance — check havasupaitribe.com for current status and any emergency closures before departing for the trailhead.

The Grand Canyon South Rim (about 65 miles east of Hualapai Hilltop via back roads, or about 90 miles via Route 66 and AZ-64) is the nearest major destination. The Havasupai Lodge and the Supai village (at the bottom of the canyon, accessible to permit holders) provide limited food and lodging services at the canyon floor. Route 66 between Seligman and Kingman (south of Hualapai Hilltop) is the finest stretch of historic Route 66 in Arizona. Peach Springs (on Route 66) is the nearest town with services. Planning a Havasu trip requires a dedicated effort far in advance of the visit.

Set a calendar reminder for the permit lottery opening date in February and attempt to book exactly when the lottery opens (permits disappear within 60 seconds of the booking window opening — have your credit card, group size, and preferred dates already loaded in the booking form). Book 2+ nights minimum — the 10-mile hike in and 10-mile hike out require one full day each; 3 nights gives you 2 full days in the canyon to visit all four waterfalls including Mooney and Beaver Falls. Avoid the creek pools immediately after a storm or any flood-colored water event (the water quality can be compromised and the travertine features are being actively reshaped). The walk-in-the-dark at 2 AM with headlamps to be at Havasu Falls for sunrise before any other visitors is the finest possible experience in the canyon.