Guest post by Ittua
Map tips: each color represents a different day. Click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
Day 1
We flew into Phoenix and drove almost 4 hours to the Stagecoach 66 Motel in Seligman, Arizona. There are a few hotels around the area, and that is the cheapest place near the road to Havasupai. There is only 1 way to get to the Havasupai Trailhead, and that is Indian Road 18. It is 65 miles and takes over an hour to drive to the trailhead on that road from Route 66, and there is nothing but the trailhead at the end. So you basically need to stay as close as possible to the intersection of Route 66 and 18 the night before you want to start the hike. Once you make the drive to the trailhead, it’s an 8 mile hike to the town of Supai.
Day 2
We got up early, drove to the trailhead and did the 8 mile hike. We had reservations for 2 nights at the Havasupai Lodge. The campground is another 2 miles down the canyon, and is right by Havasu Falls.
Day 3
- Navajo Falls
- Fifty Foot Falls
- Havasu Falls
- Mooney Falls
- Beaver Falls
These are in order starting at Supai, and it’s a little over 5 miles from the lodge to the furthest one, Beaver Falls. That is the one with all the different tiers, and it’s definitely worth going to. You’ll pass all the others along the way, and you hike down the canyon on the way and up on the return. There are areas along the hike with chains and traffic is one-way at certain times, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Day 4
Hiked back to the car and made the long, slow drive to the Stagecoach motel for another night. The hike out of Supai is uphill, so it’s a good idea to get a very early start before it gets too hot.
Day 5
We drove back to Phoenix and flew back home.
There are only 2 options for staying in Havasu: the lodge or camping. The permit that you need to access the reservation (including the falls) comes with a booking at either the lodge or camping. Reservations for both are very hard to come by, and you have to book well in advance. We booked by calling the lodge a year in advance. A lot of people camp, and I would have done that if I hadn’t been traveling with family. We were able to eat most of our meals at the café in Supai. However, if you’re camping and want to make meals you’ll have to pack in & out supplies. You can have your bags taken down by horses, or take a helicopter to skip the 8 mile hike.
The water was pretty cold in April, but it is less crowded than the peak months.
Traveled in April 2018
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