Havasu Falls: What to Pack and Expect on the Journey
Located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Havasu falls is a hikers dream. The turquoise water against the red rock is a picture perfect and the ultimate escape from the real world. Pictures of this oasis have taken over the internet and made this a popular destination, which makes it difficult to achieve permits. This is a guide on what to pack and what to expect on the hike, not a guide on how to secure a permit. I will give a quick overview on the permit process and provide a reference for further information. Permits go on sale on February 1st and more information regarding that process can be found here. This is a stressful process since thousands of people flood the site and it often crashes. Instead of fighting the internet crowd, I purchased my permit my permit as a resale from a couple that couldn’t make their dates. On the reservation website you will see a separate section for people to list their permits for sale if they’re unable to make it and there’s often a ton of dates available especially as the year goes on since plans always change. I only recommend purchasing permits through the website since it is an official transfer and immediate transfer so you don’t have to worry about scammers. Well, now that that’s out of the way let’s dive into it!
What to Pack
Just remember: what you bring in you must take out.
On your back. It sucks and you’ll be sore so keep this in mind while you’re packing and pack light! Well, the best you can. I’m a horrendous over packer so this was a challenge for me, but I’m listing everything I brought below. Keep in mind, I went in early March so it was hot during the day and cold at night so my packing is tailored to this weather. For this reason I chose a tent to sleep in, but my previous trip was in the summer and I slept in a hammock. It’s all about your preference and what you’d be most comfortable in.
- Hiking Pack
- Tent
- This was a solo trip, but a purchased a 2 person tent from Amazon and it was a great size for one person. I couldn’t imagine having 2 people in there so definitely size up for some room!
- Sleeping Bag
- Since it was cold at night I brought a 30 degree F sleeping bag. I was really cold the first night even in all my layers, but the other nights were ok. I’d personally bring a lower degree sleeping bag if I’m there in the winter again but I also get cold super easily so it’s definitely your preference.
- Inflatable Sleeping Pad
- This isn’t essential but it made sleeping on the ground sooo much more comfortable and I’m glad I had it!
- Hiking Poles
- Absolute must! The first mile of the hike is switchbacks so these really helped with going up and down.
- Power Block
- There’s not outlets in the desert (shocker, I know) but this power block from Amazon kept my phone charged all 3 days.
- First Aid Kit
- Something you should always bring on an outdoor adventure!
- Food
- I brought all packaged food since I didn’t want to bring extra supplies for cooking. For 3 days I survived on Uncrustables, protein bars, peanut butter crackers, and Poptarts. Really nutritious, I know. There is a store in the village where you can purchase food, a cafe, and some food stands but don’t count on this since it may not always be open.
- Clothing
- On the hike in I dressed in layers, which included:
- Leggings
- Long sleeve shirt
- Sweatshirt
- Wind Breaker
- Hat
- Note: I basically wore the same thing on the hike out that I wore in to save space.
- In my pack I had:
- Swimsuit
- Athletic shorts
- Tank top
- Water shoes
- Underwear
- Socks
- You really don’t need much for this trip since you’ll spend most of the time playing in the falls. I slept in my leggings and layers depending on the temperature at night
- On the hike in I dressed in layers, which included:
- Toiletries
- Please make sure the products you’re bringing are safe for the environment. The tribe asks that you do not bathe in the water and use soap. I brought a pack of baby wipes for my “shower” each day.
The Hike
Day 1
I stayed in Peach Springs the night before I started my hike so that I closer to the trail. It was still about a hour drive from the hotel to the trailhead, but I arrived by 7 am and started my trek down the canyon. It’s 10 miles to the campground and I was there by 11 am. I found a nice spot to set up my camp by the river that was still close to the fresh spring so I had easy access to water. I spent the first day down by Havasupai Falls and played card games with some people I met. I spent most of the day relaxing since I was already a little sore from the hike in and it was just the start of my adventure.
Day 2
I woke up early and headed for Mooney Falls to start the descent down. This is not for the faint of heart as it is already nerve wrecking going down and the mist from the falls makes the rocks, chains, and ladders slippery. Once you’re at the base of Mooney it is a 7 mile round-trip hike to Beaver Falls. The trail isn’t really well marked but there’s often a lot of people heading the same place so you’ll all get there together. There are a lot of river crossings in this hike so this is when your water shoes really come in handy. I did not go out to Beaver Falls the previous time I was here so I was very excited to see it! I enjoyed the hike since the views and water crossings were beautiful and Beaver Falls was fun, but I’ll likely skip it for my next trip. Once you’re at Beaver Falls there isn’t a lot of dry land so it gets real cramped and crowded real quick. I still enjoyed it and thought the falls were gorgeous! I returned to the campground in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day back at Havasupai Falls with my new friends.
Day 3
My friends and I woke up early and headed straight to Havasupai Falls. It was nice to have a quiet morning there to ourselves since the previous days it was pretty crowded. We spent the morning exploring around the falls then headed over to Navajo Falls. I had so much fun at Navajo Falls! It is definitely overlooked since everyone heads for Havasupai and Mooney which made it a nice, secluded area. The top of the falls offered great pools for swimming and then we hiked down the side of the fall to get to the base. This was a highlight of the trip since the base of the falls isn’t too rough so you can really get up close and even go behind the falls. It was a great last day and I’m so glad I met some fellow adventurers!
Day 4
There is a helicopter that hikers have the option of taking to and from the campground to avoid a majority of the hike. It only operates on certain days so do not rely on this when planning your trip! I asked when I arrived and found out it was operating the day I was leaving and thought it would be fun to see the canyon from above. The locals have priority for the helicopter and you have to arrive super early to get in line for the helicopter. I got in line at 6 am and was towards the front, but didn’t get out until 2:30 pm. If I knew it would be THAT long I would’ve just hiked out. Still, I enjoyed the ride and it did give my legs a break. On the upside, I did learn that the helicopter will take your bag out of the canyon for $20 so I may do this in the future!
And there you have it! I hope you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful destination and let me know how your trip goes!
**All canyon shots were captured by my friends I met at camp
