35 hiking miles, some blood, lots of sweat, endless views of turquoise water, constant astonishment, 3 nights and 4 days later, our adventure in the bottom of the Grand Canyon was an experience of a lifetime. Time spent with my sister and boyfriend in this magical oasis left us with memories and stories to cherish forever.
This trip has been highly anticipated since February of 2020, when I was able to snag some tickets. However, due to covid, the campground has remained closed the past 3 years. So when we got the news that they were reopening in 2023, we anxiously waited for our dates to get here! Soon you’ll see why.
Our trip began by renting our car and heading west through a winter snow storm. The car we chose, Bernice the Bungalow (a minivan), was the car of our dreams! She offered lots of space, making the 15 hr trek much more comfortable. (As seen in pictures below)
Our first stop on our road trip to Havasupai, was in Page, AZ, where we explored Horseshoe Bend and Upper Antelope Canyon.
The next day, we were able to get reservations for a tour of upper Antelope Canyon.
After visiting the slot canyon, we headed south west towards Peach Springs, where we stayed the night prior to our big hike! We double checked our packs, enjoyed our last showers, and rested up for the life changing adventure to come the next day.
Day 1
After an early hotel departure, we arrived to the trailhead parking lot by 6:30 and were on the trail by 7:10. Many people chose to have a donkey carry their heavy pack to the campground (4 packs to 1 donkey), we didn’t agree with how the donkeys were treated, so we wanted to carry our own gear.
We took many breaks for snacks, shade, and water. But after 10 miles, we came across this breathtaking view. I’ll never forget this moment, flooded with feelings of accomplishment, relief, and pure joy.
Havasu falls is the beginning of the mile long campground. Since we arrived later than we would have liked, we walked all the way to the end of the campground, trying to find a spot, turning our hike into 11 long, tiring miles. I was getting worried we wouldn’t find a good spot, but then I heard Sean yelling our names. We waddled over to him, still carrying our heavy packs, to find the best spot, in my opinion, in the entire campground! We quickly put up our hammocks, then set up the rest of camp. Later, we had to walk a mile back towards the beginning of the campground, where the freshwater spring was to fill up our jug for camp and our water bladders, turning our 11 mile hike into 13 for day 1!
Many of the campsites were along the common busy path, so I was very relieved to find a spot with privacy, a place to hang the hammocks, and easy access to the creek!
The rest of the evening was spent hanging around our peaceful campsite and resting up for the next few days of packed adventures.
Day 2
After a decent nights rest, we woke up and the realization set in that this beautiful oasis was our playground. We could chose from different hikes, terrains, waterfalls, sites, levels of difficulty, the list goes on. Since we were sore from the hike in, we decided to do the easier hikes on this day, all while enjoying the beauty of the land we were so fortunate to be on.
If you didn’t already know, Havasupai lies on an Indian reservation in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Reservations/permits to the campground are hard to come by and sell quickly. Then, throw in a global pandemic and it’s really impossible to get there. But I’m so thankful the tribe reopened to the public, allowing us to experience and explore their beautiful land.
Our day started with breakfast, then we headed towards Fifty foot falls and Little Navajo falls.
Due to the recent flooding, the trail to fifty foot falls was not marked clearly, so after some bushwhacking and a little trailblazing, we arrived to find a secluded beach looking pool with several waterfalls. We showed up before most people so it was definitely worth the adventurous hike!
After about an hour here, we headed towards Little Navajo falls.
After Little Navajo falls, we headed to Havasu falls, where we made lunch and enjoyed the scenery.
Even though this was an “easier” day of hiking, it was still adventure packed, trying to see as much as possible, while soaking up all of the beauty this land had to offer. Looking back through my pictures, I still am in awe of the landscapes.
Day 3
Our last full day was my favorite day for obvious reasons. We discovered Mooney Falls, hiked to Beaver Falls, hiked back to Mooney, then hiked to Hidden Falls so Sean could do some cliff jumping. So much to do and see on our last day!
To start our day with adrenaline, we climbed down a 200ft cliff through caves, slippery rock and chains to grip, steep stairs, and claustrophobic areas to reach the bottom of the tallest waterfall, Mooney Falls. All while keeping in mind, no fall protection or access to medical attention as we are at least 11 miles deep into the bottom of the Grand Canyon…
Once we got to the bottom, I was in awe of Mooney falls as well as the efforts it took to get there. Although it was probably one of the sketchiest things I’ve ever done, it was an exciting, adrenaline filled ride I’ll never forget.
Unfortunately, on the descend, Savannah felt she hurt something in her leg. So, she was unable to join us on the 7 mile round trip hike to Beaver Falls. Even though she couldn’t join us, hanging around Mooney Falls wasn’t a bad place to be for a few hours.
On a side note, for those who don’t know, my sister was in a car accident in May of 2020 and fractured her femur, amongst other injuries. She’s had 3 femur (IM nail) replacements, last one being February of 2022. She is a rockstar for being able to do this trip without any hesitations, despite her injuries and pain she deals with on the daily. She was also adamant about carrying her pack when she could have chose a mule. Im so proud of you, sister!
The path to Beaver Falls was, you guessed it, beautiful, as we followed the water from Mooney, along the creek, through wide open green spaces through the canyon, and across the creek a few times.
Once we arrived to Beaver Falls, we lathered up in more sunscreen and went to play in the turquoise waters. The water temperature throughout has remained cool, but since it was so hot outside (high 80s), the water felt refreshing and good once used to it.
Since Savannah was alone back at Mooney, we decided to head back to her, making one last stop from up above Beaver to take in more views.
We made it back to Mooney and Savannah close to our goal time. The sun was hitting Mooney straight on this time of day so it was turning the water into a more vibrant color. We hung out for another hour or so, ate lunch, swam under the waterfall, took pictures and videos, and just soaked in every minute.
Since our campground was about 150 ft from the top of Mooney, we had to climb back up the cliff in order to get back. I thought the climb up was scarier than the climb down.
It had been a long, adventurous day already having hiked around 7 ish miles. We got back to camp and Sean asked me if I would make another 4 miles round trip hike to go visit the cliff jumping waterfall with him. I was tired for sure, but I knew how much he wanted to go, so off we went.
When we arrived to Hidden Falls, there was a group of 5 native kids playing in the waterfall. Since this is their actual playground, they were fearlessly running off the cliff, barefoot, doing crazy flips and dives into the water. It was entertaining to watch them and heartwarming to hear them cheering on Sean as they saw him at the top of the cliff.
We made it back to camp, made dinner, reminisced on the past few days, and prepared for the dreaded last day. I especially enjoyed lounging in my hammock one last time, feeling present in the moment, as I listened to the creek flowing and the frogs croaking, and I was overcome with gratitude for this incredible experience. After my moment, we began packing up because the 4 am wake-up call would come too fast.
Day 4
I tossed and turned all night, feeling sad and anxious about leaving. We woke up at 4 am, broke down our camp underneath the stars (and our red light headlamps), packed everything back into our packs, and hit the trail for 3 miles until we arrived at Supai village.
We decided to take the helicopter out of the canyon as there was no way Sav would make it with her leg and honestly, we were all so sore and tired, another 8 miles uphill with our packs seemed impossible. Plus, I had never ridden in a helicopter, so why not take it for $100, get free panoramic views of the Grand Canyon, and most importantly, save our legs and bodies!
Summary
If you’ve read some of my previous blogs, you’d know that I have visited many beautiful places. After this trip, I can say, without a doubt, that Havasupai has got to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, right here in the USA! There are simply no words to describe the beauty of this land and I still struggle to find the words to summarize this incredible experience.
The vibrant colors of the turquoise waters and the canyon, the waterfalls, the sounds, and the overall ambiance make this place so special. Although it was challenging, the beauty of this land made it worth every mile, temporary sore muscle, blister, sunburn, and battle wound! I will forever be thankful for the permanent memories Havasupai has left us with.
Thank you to the Havasupai Tribe for the opportunity to visit your beautiful land, we will forever hold this experience close to our hearts!
Food for Thought
Although we had never backpacked before, I felt we did a good job of researching and using our resources (shoutout to friends whom lent their gear and gave advice). Next time, we would pack lighter and train more in advance to prep our bodies for the high mileage in short amount of time.
We discovered a lot about humanity while camping on this sacred land, that we found to be quite disappointing. People not respectful of the rules- pack it in, pack it out, people would put their bags of trash in the bathrooms, or on the ground. People overpacking and expecting a donkey to carry their packs 20 miles round trip with little access to breaks or water. We saw people literally struggling to carry their bags, why expect a donkey to do it. People had full sized body wash bottles, with no biodegradable properties. The beautiful turquoise water is a result of the natural minerals from the canyon, soaps and other substances can be damaging. I fear that if people continue to mistreat this land, it will eventually not be available to the public. Please do your part and be a good human, do your research, and respect the land!
Some tips if you plan a backpacking trip of any sort: 1. Pack it in, pack it out! Every piece of trash and toilet paper included. 2. Pack lightly! 3. When passing hikers, people going up hill have the right of way. 4. Use a red light head lamp when packing up camp so you don’t laser beam the entire campground with your light and ruin their sleep! 5. Be present and enjoy every minute!
If you’ve even made it far, thank you for reading and following along! Comment some of your best camp tips or upcoming trips!
The Aud Blog 