Where to start?! There is SOOOO MUCH to know and if you're here, you've likely scoured a half-dozen other blog posts to try and make sense of it all. However, if your experience was anything like mine, they ALL SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT! I will try to keep it short, but this really is more of a comprehensive trip than most people probably think.
If you want details on other aspects more specifically, send me a message...my IG DM's are always open! I will link other posts later about the different falls, what we packed, camping location, travel to/from, etc.
For starters, you MUST have a reservation!
Day 0...yes, Zero. We arrived in Peach Springs, Arizona the evening before our journey began since you have to check-in BEFORE arriving to the trailhead. Go to Grand Canyon Caverns and have your documentation printed as well as IDs for everyone in your party. Here you will get your wristband and can being your hike in the morning.
After checking in we stayed at Hualapai Lodge, it's as close as you can stay to the trailhead and we wanted to get there as early as possible. It also has a restaurant downstairs and a mini-mart across the street to get last minute items.
Day 1-We left the hotel around 4:45am and arrived to the hilltop around 6am.The hike in is fairly straightforward...just keep walking. By the time we got out packs situated and ready to hit the trail it was about 6:30, we arrived in the village around 11 (you still need a mask, so bring one for the walk through the village, they also ONLY take cash if you want to stop and buy anything at the limited convenience store). We reached the main Falls, Havasupai Falls, around noon and continued on the the campground. The campground is long, so depending how you want to break up your hikes to other falls (there are 4), you should pick your campsite keeping that in mind. We chose the back of the campground because we wanted to be closer to Mooney and Beaver Falls for the next 2 days and set up camp around 1pm.
Things to know about the campground: There IS fresh water at the beginning of the campground! We did not use our filtration system for the water we cooked with and ended up not using it for our drinking water either...it was super fresh!
There are restrooms with toilet paper that are pretty well kept for being where they are.
Have something to hang your food and backpacks, animals got into our MREs that were left out one morning during a quick hike.
DO NOT camp between the streams or on the other side! Initially, we were hoping to score one of those spots because they are GORGEOUS! Right in the water, you can hang a hammock, it just looks very appealing. However, not an hour after arriving it turned into a downpour! The water quickly rose and picked up speed...taking tents/stoves/boots/etc. with it! People lots their things and some were stranded on the other side. Luckily it stopped after about 2 hours, but this has the potential to be very dangerous!
Day 2- We decided on Beaver Falls since it rained so hard. We didn't want to go all the way to the Confluence and risk it being brown. Since Beaver Falls was "close" we didn't leave until about 8am. Getting down Mooney Falls is the trickiest part about this hike, it wasn't difficult in my opinion...but you definitely need to be coordinated and not afraid of heights. Once getting down to Mooney Falls you continue on to Beaver Falls. After doing this hike, I decided I should have worn chacos...it is about 3 miles one way but I am comfortable in Chacos and got tired of taking my shoes off and on since there are multiple river crossings.
We arrived to Beaver Falls in about an hour and it was completely BROWN! I was absolutely devastated to have waited so long and hiked so far for it not to be the beautiful blue water I see in photos. My tip to you, do your most important stop FIRST...just incase it rains.
Day 3- Today we went to Little Navajo Falls and 50 foot falls...stopping by Havasupai Falls on our way back. Havasupai Falls is the closest to the campground and is a good spot to hangout when you're done with your day. 50 foot falls is tricky to find, I might make another post to help locate it...we wandered for quite some time!
Day 4-We woke up at 2:30am to begin our hike out. It was long, hot, but mostly shaded the entire time since we left so early! We were at the top by 8:30am!
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