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Hiking to Havasupai with Your Family in 2023
Naturally, the best part of our 4 day Havasupai hiking and camping adventure was the non-stop breath-taking views!
Today, I'm not going to talk so much about our adventure as I plan to show you.
Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Here’s the funny thing. I used my big ole' camera ONCE. I pulled it out of my camera bag one time..
ALL of the pictures in this post were taken with my iPhone 8 Plus.
Before we dive into hiking to the waterfalls in the Grand Canyon, here’s what you should know about getting a permit to be there in 2023.
Grand Canyon waterfalls
Havasu Falls Permit 2023
The Havasupai Tribe is welcoming tourists back to their beautiful place starting February 1, 2023 for current permit holders.
HOWEVER, there are no NEW reservations/permits for 2023. Only those reservation holders that were impacted by the COVID tourism suspension have a confirmed reservation.
The only way to get a reservation for 2023 is to purchase off the official transfer list. Open an account at www.havasupaireservations.com to see what is available.
Check out the Tribe’s official Facebook tourism page, www.facebook.com/HavasupaiTribeTourismOfficial to stay up to date as well as the Tribe’s website for news and updates about making reservations.
Keep reading here to see the hike to Havasu Falls with kids and camping by the waterfalls in the Grand Canyon.
Day 1: Hiking Down to Havasupai
Day 1 highlights:
Reached the Havasuipai Trailhead at Hualapai Hilltop by 9:15 am
Checked in and tagged our bags of camping gear and food for 12 people for the 3 mules to carry down
Began hiking down at 9:40 am
Hiked 8 miles down to Supai village - we took our sweet time!
Checked into the Havasupai Reservations Office for the campground, received our arm-bands and grabbed ice cream snacks at the little Trading Post
Gawked at Little Navajo Falls, then Havasu Falls as we continued the remaining 2 mile hike to the campground
Set up camp near Havasu Creek around 3:40 pm
Explored, prepared chicken & broccoli stir-fry dinner, and crashed by 9 pm
Day 2: Playing in Havasu Falls and more
Day 2 highlights:
Enjoyed an easy morning in camp with coffee, hot cocoa, oatmeal, etc.
Took a naan-bread pizza picnic lunch and laughed and played in Havasu Falls*
Some of us took afternoon naps back in camp or in our favorite hammocks hung over the creek
Wandered down along Havasu Creek all the way to the top of Mooney Falls to scope out the descent for the next day's adventure
Opted for a Ramen dinner and a large MRE taste test
The stars at night were GORGEOUS. The sound of the rushing creek lulled us to sleep.
* If we look a little chilly, it's because we kinda were at times. We were expecting 70 degree days when we planned the trip, but a little cold front moved through and day time highs hovered around 60 the two days we had to play in the Falls. Thankfully, blue skies and plenty of sunshine prevailed, but we were also super grateful we had packed super cool towels, plus lots of layers.
Day 3: Mooney Falls and Fifty Foot Falls
Day 3 highlights:
Enjoyed another easy going campground morning
Left at 10 am for quick hike down to top of Mooney Falls
All 12 of us descended at our own risk and climbed the slick rungs, chains, and ladders all the way down to Mooney Falls
Picnicked and played at Mooney
Trekked back up to camp for optional down time while some of us took the short hike up to explore Little Navajo Falls and Fifty Foot Falls
Treated ourselves to the Fry Bread Hut and delicious Indian Tacos for dinner!
Day 4: Hiking out
Day 4 highlights:
Broke down camp, filled up water reservoirs and bottles, dropped off bags to the pack mules, and began hiking out by 8:15 a.m.
Our two 9 year olds led the hike out the entire way
Stopped briefly in the village for Pop Tarts, Vanilla Wafers, bananas and Cheese-Its - hiking motivators
Made 3 snack / rest stops and reached Hualapai Hilltop about 2:20 pm
High-fived each other, threw our dusty packs and gear in our vehicles and drove towards Williams, Arizona
Stopped for root beer floats along the way to Williams
Checked in at the Downtowner - Rodeway Inn & Suites - recently renovated, cool motel along Route 66 in Williams, Arizona
Splurged and celebrated at the Historic Barrel & Bottle House - amazing grub and so many choices for beer!
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what about Hiking to Beaver Falls?
Here's the short of it, as far as we were concerned: Leave the tweens and teens wanting more.
Here's the long of it: Following a 10 mile day down, plus loads of fun playing in Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls over the next two days, we chose not to take the extra 8 mile round trip hike to Beaver Falls from the campground.
Naps and hammocking over Havasu creek won over more miles in our boots.
Besides, we really want our kids to enjoy hiking and it always nice to leave them wanting more. It's very likely our kids will re-visit Havasupai in the future with college friends or the like. They can add on a brand-new experience of playing at Beaver Falls.
Learn more about the five waterfalls of Havasu here.
Havasupai Campground
The Havasupai Campground is located along Havasu Creek between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls
With a Campground Reservation/Permit you can camp wherever you like within the campground.
Have you been to Havasupai? What were your favorite moments? What advice would you give to families headed there?
Grab your Havasu packing list here!
All pictures in this post belong to Tanya Raedeke and may not be used without written permission.
Hike the Kanarra Creek Canyon Trail in a half day with your tweens and teens. Squeeze through a Utah slot canyon to the gorgeous Kanarraville Falls. Not far from Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. With careful planning, this UTah waterfall hike should be on your list when road tripping through this area.