Saying that Havasupai Falls or Havasu Falls is a desert oasis is truly an understatement, but you will have to see it for yourself to believe it.  Thanks to the beautiful photos shared on social media, it’s become increasingly difficult to make it out there as you need permit reservations.

Until last year, the only way to make a reservation was by calling the Havasupai tribal reservation phone line. You may have experienced the busy signal and the constant hitting of the call back button. Well, I am glad you haven’t given up yet because you can actually book reservations online now.

After three years of trying to make a reservation, I cannot describe how I excited I was to finally be able to get to the turquoise waterfalls I had seen so often in my dreams by reserving through the website.

 

How to contact the Havasupai Falls reservation line: 

By Phone

The phone number to make a camping reservation for Havasu Falls is (928) 448-2121. The phone line system is a mess. You will likely have to keep hitting the redial button for hours and hours, but seriously, don’t give up. I know a lot of people who were able to get through and make a reservation.

Online

Click here to make a camping reservation at Havasupai.

Cost Per Person to Camp at Havasupai (including taxes and fees)

• One Person, 2 Days / 1 Night: $140.56
• One Person, 3 Days / 2 Nights: $171.11
• One Person, 4 Days / 3 Nights: $201.67

Payment in full has to be made at the time of purchase!

Things to Know About Your Hike to Havasupai Falls

Can I day hike to Havasu Falls?

Important to note is that round trip day hiking is not allowed! This mean you cannot hike there in the morning and then hike back to the trail head on the same. They will not let you walk down the trail that leads to the campgrounds so that 10-mile hike will have been wasted.

When is a good time to hike out to the campground?

Avoid hiking down from the Hilltop after 4 am. Plan to get to the hilltop relatively early, like around 5 or 6 pm and sleep in your car or truck bed with your alarm setting off no later than 3 am. You seriously want to avoid hiking in the Arizona heat with no water in sight.

Is there drinking water a Havasu Falls?

There is fresh spring water that is constantly running at the campground so you can go ahead and fill up your bottle there. However, be sure to have PLENTY of water for the hike down to Havasuapi Falls. There is no water in sight to drink or to cool off so be sure to be prepared to prevent dehydration. I was mortified when we climbed back up to the hilltop and a group who was planning on going down in the morning asked us if their small bottle of Gatorade would be enough to get them down to the camp.

Should I book my reservations with a Havasupai tour group?

I made a lot of observations during the trip and I noticed there were several large camp group over 15 people each, which I personally think takes away from the entire experience of connecting with nature and fnding time for yourself. I also noticed that these groups were using mules to bring down a lot of excess equipment including coolers. At the end of the day, if you cannot carry your own camping gear, you are carrying too much. Using the mules to carry your heavy gear down and back up (24+ miles) through the heat, is borderline (?) abusive. Additionally, the cost of these group trips is very inflated. You don’t need a guide at all to make the hike down as the hike is extremely straightforward.

Here are a few examples of prices I found for 2017 guided hikes down to Havasupai Falls:

• 4 days, 3 nights: $1,075 per person
• 4 days, 3 nights: $1415 per person
• 3 days, 2 nights: $1,260 per person

How many nights should I reserve for Havasu Falls? 

Camping for two nights would be ideal – if you can get three nights, that would be great as you won’t have to cram all the waterfalls into one or two days and will have a chance to really give your body a rest. My friends and I are pretty hardcore – and while I don’t recommend it – we hiked in – then hiked out the next day because we couldn’t get a reservation for two nights.

When is a good time to go to Havasu Falls? 

Avoid the months of July – October like the plague when the weather is the most unpredictable. For one, flash floods are a serious concern for the area which is prone to monsoonal moisture. Two, if it’s not wet, it’s probably too hot. I spoke to someone who recommended doing the hike in December because the water temperature was a lot warmer than the air. We went in early June and it was fantastic. Additionally, if temperatures exceed 115 degrees, the trails will be closed.

Can I take a helicopter out of Havasu Falls? 

If you don’t want to hike back to the hilltop, there is an option to take the helicopter instead. It is an all-day process as tribal members and products getting flown into the village get priority. However, as long as you sign-in you will be flown out for $85 (cash or credit is accepted) by nightfall.

What Else Do You Need to Know About Havasupai?

There are three waterfalls in the Havasu Falls vicinity. The main one, Havasu Falls is nearest to the main campgrounds. Then there are Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls. We didn’t make it to Beaver Falls as we would need another day to hike to it, but we did get to Mooney Falls. You should absolutely wear sturdy shoes/water shoes as it is not a simple climb down the canyon caverns. It is incredible how nothing about this area is man-made, just a few reinforcements to help you access it. Feeling adventurous? There is a rope swing over the creek at Mooney Falls and you can jump into the cascade pool. Super worth it!

You can catch me swinging in this video here into this beautiful swimming hole!