| Hike Name: | Havasu Canyon |
|
| Location: | Grand Canyon | |
| When: | mid-May | |
| Difficulty: | Moderate | |
| Distance (round trip): | 20 miles | |
| Elevation Change: | 5,200 to 3,000 feet | |
| Time Estimate (round trip): | 4 days |
Living for the past several centuries within this beautiful side canyon of the Grand Canyon, the Havasupai Indians are comfortably isolated from the maddening rush of the outside world. Adding to the Garden of Eden ambience of their home are the clear blue-green waters of Havasu Creek and the incredible waterfalls that are formed as the creek tumbles toward the Colorado River.
We do this hike in May since the water is usually clear then and it's warm enough to enjoy playing in the water. (The water turns a muddy color after a big rain.)
We'll be hiking about 10 miles with over 2000 feet of elevation change on both Friday and Monday. The last mile or two of the hike out can be quite difficult because it has steep switchbacks exposed to sun. You can do anything you want on Saturday and Sunday, including just rest and enjoy the beauty.
The book 100 Hikes in Arizona rates this hike as moderate and says:For the first mile the trail descends through a series of moderately steep switchbacks. It then continues to drop at a moderate grade for another 0.5 mile before reaching the canyon bottom. For the rest of the way the trail is either level or it descends along easy grade changes. Because the route is utilized by pack animals, it is well maintained and easy to follow.This is not a hike to do without some training for distance, elevation change, and May heat.
Remember to take note of the "High Ground" signs as you hike. These signs indicate the safest place to be during a flash flood.
When hiking into the canyon, once you hear water, you should hike in the direction that the water flows. (The only regular route-finding mistake people seem to make is momentarily heading up the canyon that feeds Havasu Creek.)
Some people say the distance from Hualapai Hilltop to our canyon campsite is about 10 miles, and the optional hike from the campground to the Colorado River is 14 miles round trip, but here are some other distances I've read.
From Hualapai Hilltop, our trailhead, to the Tourist Office in the village of Supai is 8 miles.
From the office to Havasu Falls and the campground is another 2 miles, and the campground follows about a half mile of the creek. That's as far as you have to go.
However, if you want to go further, a short distance after the campground is Mooney Falls:
Good views can be had from the rim of the drop-off, but to really experience this natural wonder, make the climb down to the base. This is achieved by passing through two crude tunnels and then descending a steep (and frightening) series of ladders and steps built by miners around the turn of the century. This descent is an adventure in itself.
Most campers don't go past Mooney Falls but, if you can deal with some rock climbing (a rope to hang onto is usually already there) and lots of wading (some deep), the hike/scramble/wade from Mooney Falls to Beaver Falls is another 2 miles. Add 4 more miles to go to the Colorado River. Some of our hard-core hikers hike from the campground to the Colorado River and back on Saturday, taking about 8 hours at a fast pace.
I will make camping reservations for everyone who promises reimbursement by the deadline. You will lose your camping and entrance deposit if you back out of the trip and we can't find a replacement. Given enough time, I can often find a replacement, though, and may even have a trip waiting list.
Thursday, the night before our trip down into the canyon, we will be camping near the trailhead in an open area off of the road. We will be camping with no facilities. Most people who've never camped on the rim don't realize how cold it can get on the rim at night. Be prepared for freezing cold on Thursday night. It'll be much warmer in the bottom of the canyon.
If you'd rather, you can choose your own place to camp Thursday night, make your own reservations to stay at a hotel in Seligman Thursday night, or drive out from Phoenix very early Friday morning, but please let me know your plans. People using pack horse spots will need to drop off their packs at Hualapai Hilltop before 10 a.m.
We will be camping at the campground in Havasu Canyon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. The campground has a spring, but the Indians have always recommended filtering the spring water and still do. They have a chlorinator now right next to the spring, but on a past trip it was out of order. (Don't depend on the campground having drinking water.) Camping is not allowed outside the campground.
The campground has some picnic tables and pit toilets (smelly). There are no showers. The village of Supai has a post office, lodge, and general store, but they don't carry much. (Everything gets into Supai on foot, by pack horse, or by helicopter.) The village also has a restaurant with a very limited selection of fast food type stuff. Sometimes the general store has ice. But don't count on everything in the village being open for business.
When you hike into the canyon, do not pick up a permit at the Tourist Office in Supai, but do stop in to sign that you've read the Havasu Canyon Rules and Regulations. If anyone asks you for a permit, say that you are with Kathy Sharp's party and that I'm paying our full balance at the Tourist Office when I arrive there. I'll pick up the permits for everyone. (As you're walking through the village of Supai, the Tourist Office will be on the left side before the store and restaurant. It will probably have a sign saying that you need to register to camp. This office handles camping and horse reservations.)
We have seen scorpions in the campground and on our tents at night, and we've also seen snakes on the trail during the day, so be aware that there are dangerous critters in the canyon. (We've never had any trouble with them.)
You can either do a true backpacking trip and carry all your camping and hiking stuff in and out of the canyon yourself, or you can get a spot for a pack or duffel bag on a pack horse. (If you use a pack horse, you'll still need a day pack for the hike in and out of the canyon.) We'll reserve pack horses to carry our stuff into the canyon Friday morning and out Monday morning.
The Indians recommend internal frame packs or duffel bags for the horses. (I use those green canvas army-surplus-look bags that just have an opening at one end. I got mine at Popular Outdoor Outfitters. The closing hook is what makes me have to replace them from time to time. It can be a real chore to carry from the campground entrance to our chosen campsite, though.)
Each pack horse can carry four 32-pound bags, but we have to reserve whole horses. Kathy will probably guesstimate the price per spot.
Here's a price example. Let's say each horse is $157.50 round trip, and we need 22 pack horse spots. One spot is 1/4 horse, so we'd need 5 1/2 horses. However, we can only rent whole horses, so we'd rent 6. That would turn out to be 6x157.50/22=$43 per 1/4 horse.
Our group just drops off their bags with the person who is manning the trailer and weighing bags at Hualapai Hilltop, right before starting the hike. Make sure all our bags are piled in one pile, separate from other piles! Unfortunately, the time the person arrives to work at the trailer varies widely. (We have occasionally had to just leave our bags at the trailer with no one there, but it's better not to do that.) Everyone usually starts hiking whenever they get to the trailhead, after dropping off their bags, since the trailhead is not the most pleasant place to hang out (lots of cars, dusty, and horsey).
The horses start down between 10 a.m. and noon, and they start up about 7 a.m., ending up at the other end by about 3 p.m. and noon, respectively. The packs will magically appear at the entrance to the campground and Hualapai Hilltop, respectively. One year, some of our packs did not magically appear at the hilltop. I think that problem was a fluke, but to help avoid it, let's make sure we all pile all our packs in one big pile at both ends of the hike.
Label packs or bags to be put on pack horses with "KATHY SHARP" in big letters. Make sure your bag and label will be able to stay together for a long, bumpy ride tied onto a horse.
Pack and weigh your pack horse bags before the trip! The tribe will weigh packs for pack horses at Hualapai Hilltop, but their scale isn't very accurate. You should probably aim for 30 pounds or less. If, say, you're using two pack horse spots, a combination of a 20-pound and a 40-pound pack is NOT allowed. You'll have to rearrange the contents.
The helicopter company sometimes changes from year to year, but usually helicopter rides are available on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays, conditions permitting. The helicopter can't fly if it needs a repair or the weather is too dangerous. See the "Quick Details and FAQs" on the Havasu Canyon links page for more about the helicopters.
Bring light fleece for other nights. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. When we've done this trip in mid-May in past years, no cold weather gear other than, say, a packable windbreaker was necessary in the canyon.
Bring camping gear and your own food for four nights and four days. Many people estimate that they need quite a bit more food than they use; try to be realistic with your quantities. I suggest making everything as light weight and minimal as possible; the weight really adds up. For example, I'd recommend dried noodles, backpacker's meals (the Mountain House brand meals are pretty good), dried milk, powdered drinks, and oatmeal over food in glass containers, canned foods (usually heavy due to liquid), etc. And make sure everything you need to take to the canyon campground fits in your pack before Thursday!
Bring a small camp stove. Open fires are not allowed.
Bring garbage bags; you will have to pack out all your own garbage, and you'll probably want to double-bag it for the hike out of the canyon.
Bring something to hang your food with to keep aggressive campground squirrels and dogs out of your food and toiletries.
Bring wading shoes and hiking shoes. On one trip I wore my feet raw hiking to Beaver Falls in sandals. Sand stuck to the wet straps and became sandpaper. I suggest wearing socks if your wading shoes are sandals.
Carry at least 2 quarts or liters of water for the trip down and at least 3 for the trip out of the canyon. If you have a water filter and iodine tablets, bring them. If you don't, consider getting them, borrowing while you're in the canyon, or taking your chances with the spring water. (Some of us drank directly from the spring on past trips and no one had any problems of which I'm aware.) There's now water treatment at the spring, so I either drink the chlorinated water, if the chlorinator is working, or use a filter. If you're expecting a hot, sunny day for your hike out of the canyon, you might want to carry some extra water to pour on your head while you're hiking up the final switchbacks.
Bring your FRS radios if you have them. At least some people will be able to communicate on the trail and between vehicles during the caravan up to the trailhead. We use channel 9, code 1.
Don't forget extra batteries for your radios (and flashlights).
You should probably bring extra socks, a hat, and Moleskin. (Kathy prefers athletic tape over Moleskin.)
Most first-timers say in retrospect that they brought far too much weight in clothing. We'll all be wearing dirty clothes. Be a minimalist!
Bring light weight rain gear.
Bring biodegradable soap or shampoo.
Bring ear plugs if you have trouble sleeping with people noise, road noise, etc.
Bring a day pack or fanny pack, something to swim in, and possibly a towel (camp towel?) for the hikes to the waterfalls in the canyon.
A water bag for hanging in a tree is nice for washing.
Sometimes mosquitos can be pesky at dusk, so bring bug repellent, but be careful not to get it on your camping gear. (Most bug repellents can damage certain synthetic materials.)
I saw some people enjoying snorkeling at Navajo Falls. They thought that carrying the extra weight of snorkeling gear was worth it.
I usually hike to Beaver Falls and the Colorado River on Saturday. (You don't have to.) For that trip I plan to wear quick-drying clothing (no cotton) for wading or swimming, such as nylon river shorts and a Cool Max shirt; shoes that can do double duty for both hiking and wading; a daypack or fanny pack; and a walking stick.
In the past I have brought a waterproof camera, a waterproof case for my camera, or both. Now I have a digital waterproof camera. Don't forget film or camera batteries if your camera needs them.You might want to leave some drinks and snacks in your vehicle for after the hike out Monday. What you leave in the car will probably get pretty hot, though. Sometimes someone sells cold drinks in the parking lot.
At the bottom of this page are links to generic lists of backpacking supplies and day-hiking supplies.
Again, try out your loaded backpack before Thursday!Don't forget to print directions to the campsite and trailhead and bring them with you.
There are multiple ways to get to the trailhead (some are posted on the Havasu Canyon links page), but Kathy normally uses the following directions from Phoenix to Hualapai Hilltop. (The Prescott route might be added here later.)
You should see a sign that says "Hualapai Hilltop" or "Supai" or something like that at the point where you should turn off of Route 66 onto Tribal Road 18. From Route 66 to Hualapai Hilltop, our trailhead, is 63 miles northeast on Tribal Road 18. The trail starts at the end of the road.
We see lots of elk, cattle, and rabbits on TR18. Be careful driving there, especially at night!
Directions to Campsite: This final stretch of road, TR18, goes through another Indian reservation. At some point after we exit the Hualapai Indian Reservation, and within 10 miles of the end of the road, we should find our Thursday-night campsite. The turn-off is difficult to spot unless you're really looking for it. It's on the right as you're heading down Tribal Road 18 to the hilltop, between mile markers 52 and 53; it's a sharp turn. (You'll actually turn back toward the direction you came, slightly.) Deb provided some more details: The turn-off for the campsite road is only 50 feet past mile marker 52; slow down at mile marker 51 and watch your odometer. As soon as you see mile marker 52, you'll find the road on your right in 50 feet. Also, be aware that when we left in 2005, wind had blown down mile marker 52. Shortly after you turn off Tribal Road 18, take the left fork in the dirt road. Park in the large, open area that has obviously been used for lots of camping.
The Hualapai Hilltop trailhead is at the end of TR18.
Passenger cars should be fine for this trip, but high clearance is preferable. You never know how dirt roads are going to be from one year to the next. Only the short road to wherever we camp Thursday night is dirt.
I would like for us all to caravan to the trailhead together if possible so that no one can get stranded with car problems along the way. With multiple vehicles going on a trip, we have no excuse for letting anyone get stranded.
The caravan doesn't work well if the cars don't stay close together. If someone is trailing behind in the dark and gets out of radio distance or doesn't have a radio, there's not much we can do. It's hard to tell whose headlights those are way back in the distance. If you want to participate in the caravan, we'll have to agree on a top speed and a lead driver who will stick to the agreed-upon speed.
We might want to have a place to meet up somewhere along the way, such as the Texaco on the north side of I-40 about 11 miles west of I-17. It's a good meeting place and has a couple fast food counters, but the gas is expensive. We've also regrouped at the Mustang gas station in Seligman.
The driving is 300 miles one way, and the last 60 miles is slow.
To sign up for this trip, check with me to see if any openings are left. If so, you can hold a spot by sending me a check for your group. I need to have each trip participant's first and last name for the roster I'll turn in at the Tourist Office.
Kathy usually makes the group reservations in mid-January. If you ask to be part of the initial group reservation, check the participant list web page before Kathy's sign-up deadline to verify that you're on the list of people for whom reservations will be made (to keep Kathy honest).
Members of our hiking group have unintentionally broken Havasupai laws on past trips. There will be no excuse this year! To go on this hike, you MUST read and agree to the Havasu Canyon Rules and Regulations, which you'll sign at the Havasupai Tourist Office.
Even if you're not using a pack horse, please let me know how many pack horse spots you want by two weeks before the trip. I'll make the pack horse reservations for everyone, so we can split the costs.
If you will not be meeting with us Thursday afternoon, please let me know.
If you send me your name, carpooling information, and how to contact you, I can put the carpool information on a carpooling web page so everyone can use that to find carpoolers. (The information can be, for example, that you need a ride with someone or that you have room for a passenger.) Don't forget that you need room for everyone's gear, as well as all the passengers.
We can put other sharing information (water purifiers, tent space, etc.) on the carpool web page, too.
We caught some dogs chewing holes in our packs while we were playing at Navajo Falls. Beware of hungry critters when you leave your pack somewhere!
We encourage anyone who goes on one of our hikes to write a trip report. You can write anything you like and as little or as much as you like. We really need some new authors! Just e-mail your report to Kathy.
What to Bring for
Hiking
Optional Supplies for
Pack
Backpacking Supplies
Havasu Canyon Links