Backpacking to the most beautiful place on earth. And back.

The fussy tourist
Feb 2, 2019
5 min read

Updated: Aug 7, 2019

A diary of my first backpacking and camping experience ever, including the longest hikes of my life, to the discovery of the Havasupai Reservation.

The Havasupai Indian Reservation is literally the most beautiful place I have ever visited. The acquamarine color of the Havasu creek and its spectacular waterfalls, given by the presence of travertine in the ground water, in contrast with the bright red of the canyon, creates a unique landscape. The permit-based system allows you to enjoy this natural paradise at your own pace and often with nobody else around.

Havasupai is one of the most remote Indian Reservations in the United States. It is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and can be reached only by foot or horseback via a 16 km trail, or by helipad. It is home to the Havasupai, a Native American people who owe its name (literally "people of the blue-green water"), to the color of the Havasu creek, that runs through the reservation and the main village.

WARNING: you need a special permission to camp in Havasupai. Permits for the whole season are sold every year beginning of February and you must reserve online. Camping permits often sell out within minutes. The permit (for minimum 3 nights) costs 100-125 $ per night.

Day 1

The 16 km trail taking to Havasupai lies at the bottom of the Grand Canyon so it is recommended to leave very early in the morning and reach the reservation before noon, in order to avoid being in the canyon during the hottest hours of the day (temperatures in summer can reach 50° C). For this reason, who wants to hike to Havasupai usually get to the beginning of the trail, at Hualapai Hilltop, a day in advance and spends the night there. Hualapai Hilltop includes a parking lot and a campground on the edge of the Grand Canyon, equipped with permanent toilets and a ranger station.

You may want to get to Hualapai Hilltop in the evening, to enjoy the sunset on the Grand Canyon. And be sure to pack a tripod for your camera because this is the perfect spot to take some awesome shots of the night sky.

Day 2

The trail to Havasupai starts at Hualapai Hilltop and descends 600 m into the side of the canyon. This first part of the hike is particularly challenging due to the steepness of the terrain and the fact that you go through it in the dark. For this reasons, it is advisable to hike with a large group of people and to be equipped with headlights, hiking poles and good trekking shoes. Once you hit level ground, the trail follows the shape of the canyon for approximately 13 km to the village of Supai. This is the most exhausting part of the hike. There's nothing challenging about it: it's just very, very long. And the hike is made even longer by the fact that you have to stop every 15 minutes to get sand and little rocks out of your shoes.

As you get closer to the village, the scenery starts changing. The dry desert landscape leaves the place to the lush banks of the Havasu creek and you can finally find shelter from the sun in the shadow of the trees. Once in Supai, you may want to rest for a minute and hit the store or the fast food for an energy boost and a toilet break. There are still 2 to 3 km to walk down the canyon to the campgrounds.

There are various campgrounds in the reservation. The best spots to set up your tent are those along the river: the temperature here is cooler during the day and if it gets super hot, you can just dive into the water for a refreshing bath. Plus, being close to a river provides you with water for cooking and drinking (if you packed a water filter) and to wash your clothes and dishes (only with biodegradable soap).

Once the tent is set up, you can start exploring the reservation and its spectacular waterfalls. If you plan to dive into the pools and river, be sure to have a sport swimsuit and water shoes. The rocks are slippery and you cannot see them well because the water is cloudy from the sand covering the river bed. This being said, swimming in the Havasu creek and waterfalls is absolutely a must. In the pictures below you can admire Mooney Falls, seen from above (the trail down is moderately challenging and require some climbing experience) and Havasu Falls. Havasu Falls are the most spectacular of the reservation due to their height and power. They are completely surrounded by rocks and vegetation and, when you see them for the first time as you descend into the canyon, it feels like you found heaven on earth.

Don't leave Supai without trying some Native American frybread. I found it to be one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Could be because I had been eating pasta cooked on a camp stove for days. But its simple yet flavorful taste reminded me of the many Italian recipes involving frying pizza doe. And it made me feel at home.

Day 3

The crown jewel of the Havasupai reservation are upper Navajo Falls. These waterfalls, upstream of Havasu Falls, can be easily missed because they are surrounded by the vegetation on the way from the village to the campgrounds. Here, the river falls down the canyon through a series of cascades and creates many small pools of crystalline water where you will want to spend the whole day. The water of these falls flows gently. Swimming here is very relaxing and invigorating and the view of the canyon is simply breathtaking.

Day four

Leaving this paradise is not easy. Emotionally AND physically. The 16 km trails seems somehow longer on the way back and, again, you need to leave the campground early in the morning to avoid being caught by the sun while at the bottom of the canyon. Keep your eyes open for tarantulas and scorpions during the first part of the trail: they often come out from under the rocks to enjoy some fresh air at night, and you don't want to have anything to do with them. Definitely, you don't want to be so stupid to stop and take a picture of them. Like we did. Though, if you have the time, and a nice camera with a tripod, and you are not afraid of bats (there's a colony living in the caves nearby), you can try and take some great pictures of Havasu Falls by night.

Backpacking advice

be sure to have at least 1 gallon of water for each hiking trip: there is drinkable water in the reservation so you can refill your bottles on the way back
pack only the food you are sure to consume: there are a store and a fast food in the village where you can restock if you are short on supply
you don't need to pack toilet paper: permanent toilets inside the reservation are equipped with it

Camping advice