The word “Havasupai” means “people of the blue-green waters”. Imagine a place consisting of multiple waterfalls cascading into mystical pools of aqua-blue water, shining brightly over lush, perfectly contrasting orange canyons! Well, that is Havasupai – one of the greatest places in the world!
A little bit about Havasupai
Havasupai village is isolated from the world and accessible only through this long-tedious-yet-super-adventurous hike or by helicopter. This entire area is known as Havasupai Indian Reservation and Havasu Falls is one of the five waterfalls located in this area. To reach the waterfalls, there’s a strenuous 10 miles hike to the Havasupai Campground. The hike to Havasupai Falls is not a random hike that anyone can do without any preparation. The key to making this hike memorable and successful is proper planning and preparations. So, let’s start, shall we?
How to Get a Havasupai Permit
The most difficult thing about planning a backpacking trip to Havasupai is getting a permit. Yes, you heard it right! You can’t go on a trail without securing a permit. And these permits sell out for the entire year in a few minutes after the reservation lines open. Here’s a link where you can find all the information about getting a permit: https://www.havasupaireservations.com/
Hike to the Havasupai Falls Campground – 10 miles
The hike took us about six hours considering the first patch of the trail was covered in snow. We also spent a lot of time looking around, admiring the beauty of canyons, taking pictures and of course throwing snowballs at each other.
Five hours and 8 miles later into the hike, after witnessing drastically changing landscapes, we finally reached Supai Village. This village was very unique, literally in the middle of nowhere!! The tribe members were busy doing their daily chores, there were children playing outside; some people were sitting outside and having conversations in their language, while the others were busy traversing across the reserve on horses.
One more mile later, we made it to the ultimate beauty: Havasu Falls. We made it. We really did. Overwhelmed by its beauty, we all took a moment to admire this place and let the mist from Havasu Falls brush against our skins and reflected on our long adventurous hike in.
Havasu Falls
The basin of Havasu Falls was roaring. We took our time to explore each and every corner surrounding this waterfall, we even found a small cave on the right side of Havasu Falls. It is definitely a paradise for photographers. We capturing this beauty from every weird angle possible until our memory cards were full. Later we also hiked to the top to capture some action on the GoPro.
Honestly, I was really really happy about this entire trip. Surviving sub-zero temperatures, snowstorms, climbing some of the scariest rocks I have ever climbed, hiking for miles and miles, crossing multiple rivers, walking through caves, camping in the wilderness and having the perfect digital detox – it was all worth it!! All I remember is being happy and enjoying the beauty of life at the moment. Havasu is good for that. You sort of lose yourself in its beauty.