Havasu Falls

halmester's picture

Location

Grand Canyon
United States
36° 15' 18.6696" N, 112° 41' 52.5372" W
US
General info: 

The Havasu Falls plunge nearly 100 feet (27m) into a natural pool of blue-green waters in the Havasupai tribal lands in Grand Canyon. These are one of the most striking waterfalls in the Grand Canyon.

The minerals in the water form natural pools below the falls and creates perfect setting for swimming in the turquoise water. Next to the pools, there are plenty of cottonwood trees to relax by.

Due to the high mineral content of the water, the configuration of the falls and pools is ever-changing. The falls sometimes breaks into two separate chutes of water and the pools can be damaged or destroyed by large floods that wash through the area.

Getting there: 

The trailhead to Havasupai Falls begins at Hualapai Hilltop. The Hilltop can be reached at the end of Indian Road 18 which is 65 miles north of Route 66.

Once you get to the hilltop (by car) you can start the 10 mile hike along the Havasupai Trail to the Havasu Falls. Better to take enough water and protection from sun for this leg.

If you don’t feel like hiking, there is helicopter service or horses available for a fee. You may also pay for the helicopter or mules to take your backpacking gear.

It is IMPORTANT to know that only a limited number of visitors are given permits to enter. Thus, reservations for camping and hotels are booked even 6 months in advance. You can find info about the reservations and camping permits at the Grand Canyon National Park website.

Driving times to Hualapai Hilltop,
from Flagstaff: 3-4 hour drive
from Phoenix: 5-6 hour drive
from Las Vegas: 3-4 hour drive
from Kingman: 2-3 hour drive

Costs: 

Entrance Fee Permit: $35.00 per person
Campground Fee: $17.00* per person / per night
Environmental Care Fee: $5.00* per person

There are also guided hiking and camping tours into Havasupai provided by private adventure tour companies, for example http://www.wildlandtrekking.com/adventurehikes/havasufalls.html
Also rafting tours are organiced in the area, for example http://www.westernriver.com/trips/grandcanyon/

Interesting places nearby

Howelsen Hill ski area, located in downtown Steamboat Springs, is the oldest ski area in continuous use in Colorado and has been operating since 1915.

Keystone Resort is one of the closest major resorts to the Denver area, an easy 90-minute drive from Denver International Airport.

Few ski resorts can match Heavenly's scenic beauty and expansive network of lifts, terrain, trails, and snowmaking.

Eldora opened for skiing in 1962. The summit elevation of 10,800 feet means there is plenty of natural snow. There are 680 acres of skiable terrain with the longest run three miles long.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort plenty of snow dumps all season long spread out over 1547 acres. There's a private://go-for-it, wahoo...private:// attitude that prevails among friendly, loose skiers who favor its terrain.

Deer Valley prides itself on its commitment to customer service - and consistently raises the bar for itself in this regard.