How to Get Havasupai Falls Reservations / Permits + More Tips

How to Get Havasupai Reservations / Permits

People scramble to get the coveted Havasupai Falls reservation every year. In the past, reservations for the year started at the beginning of February and would sell out within minutes. They used to do it through a phone line, where they often did not pick up, but now you can reserve online here.

The 2024 season is different because they have a presale reservation system, giving people access to a limited number of permit reservations before the opening day sale on February 1, 2024. The presale doesn’t guarantee a reservation spot but significantly increases your chances of securing a reservation for your preferred dates.

Havasupai Falls Presale Reservation Info

• Starts: January 5, 2024, 8 AM (Arizona Time)
• Ends: January 18, 2024, 5 PM (Arizona Time)
• Reservation Site: Click here to set up your account
• Presale Fee: $15 per permit (non-refundable)
• Registration: You can select campground and/or lodge and three desired reservation start dates (or month if your specific date isn’t available)
• Reservation Limits: Campgrounds are limited to one reservation (up to 12 permits) per trip leader. Lodge reservations are limited to three rooms (4 people per room, 12 permits) per trip leader.
• Selection: After the presale period closes, the permits will be randomly given out.
• Notification: If they award you a date, they will email you by January 31, 2024. Total reservation payment will be due at that time.
  

Havasupai Falls Public Reservation Info

• Starts: February 1, 2024, 8 AM (Arizona Time)
• Ends: November 30, 2024
• Lodge Reservations: April 1 – November 30, 2024
• Reservation Site: Click here to set up your account
• Registration: You can select the campground and/or lodge and three desired reservation start dates or a month if your specific date isn’t available.
• Reservation Limits: Campgrounds are limited to one reservation (up to 12 permits) per trip leader. Lodge reservations are limited to three rooms (4 people per room, 12 permits) per trip leader.
  

Pro Tip: Sign up for an account before registration day and enter all your personal and credit card info to save time.

See More: 11 Famous Hiking Trails and Hardest Adventure Permits to Get in the US

Havasupai Falls Fees

• Campground Reservations: $455 per person (all campground reservations are 3 nights)
• Lodge Reservations: $2,277 per lodge room for up to four people (all lodge reservations are three nights)
• Pack Mules: $200 per mule each way or $400 per mule round trip
• Helicopter Transport: Call 623.516.2790 for schedule and pricing

The Hike to Supai Village + Campgrounds

The hike is a total of 10 miles each way.

• The trail into Supai begins at Hualapai Hilltop, where there is plenty of parking for regular vehicles (and very limited for RVs).
• From Hualapai Hilltop, there is a quick 2-mile descent into the canyon. You will go down switchbacks, and hiking poles come in handy.
• The next 6 miles to Supai Village is a relatively flat or very slow descent, which means getting out is mostly uphill.
• After arriving in Supai, you hike another 2 miles to the campground, continuing to descend into the canyon.

Pro Tip: During the hot months, people typically start hiking at night to avoid the heat.

See More: Your Ultimate Havasupai Packing List

Havasupai Campgrounds

The Campground is a “camp wherever you want” campground. It runs for over a mile on both sides of Havasu Creek between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls. Finding an area big enough for our 13-person group took us over an hour. There is also drinking water available and primitive toilets.

Pro Tip: Bring your own toilet paper, because sometimes they run out.

The Five Waterfalls of Havasu Creek

1. Little Navajo Falls

Little Navajo Falls, aka New Navajo Falls or Upper Navajo Falls, are the first set of falls you see from Supai to the campground.

This one was confusing to find. The 2008 floods destroyed the 70-foot Navajo Falls and created multiple falls in its place. Some people refer to them as Upper and Lower Navajo Falls, but the only one notated by a sign there refers to them as Little Navajo Falls. Either way, they are beautiful and worth exploring.

2. Lower Navajo Falls / Rock Falls

The Lower Navajo Falls were much easier to find.

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3. Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls is 0.5 miles away from the campgrounds. It drops over 100 feet into a beautiful pool. When hiking from Supai Village to the campgrounds, you will pass these falls.

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4. Mooney Falls

Mooney Falls is the largest of the Havasupai waterfalls. It’s only 0.5 miles after you pass the campgrounds, but you must descend through two tunnels, chains, and ladders. The lines can get long, and it took us over an hour to get down.

Local Tip: Watch out for centipedes!

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5. Beaver Falls

Beaver Falls is the furthest away and requires trekking through water, narrow trails, and over sketchy wooden bridges. It’s 3.5 miles each way (7 miles round trip) and an excellent cliff-jumping spot.

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What You Need to Know Before Your Hike

• Want to know what to pack? Here’s our ultimate packing guide for backpacking Havasupai.
• Pack enough water to get to the campground. There is fresh water you can refill there.
• Create and update your account online before reservation dates to quickly log in and look for dates once they open.
• All reservations include necessary permits, fees, and taxes.
• There is only one name per reservation, and that person must be present to check in with a photo ID, or the entire reservation will be forfeited.
• Enter a Potential Alternative Trip Leader (PATL) when you sign up and transfer to that person if you can’t make it.
• Pack Mule reservations are also online and are limited. Each Pack Mule can carry up to 4 bags with a maximum of 32 pounds per bag and a maximum size of 36 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 19 inches tall. All bags must be soft-sided with nothing hanging on the outside. Ice chests or coolers are NOT permitted. A lot of people put their backpacks into duffel bags for more protection. Remember that they only bring your bags to the village, so you must carry your gear to your campsite for the final 2 miles.
• Helicopters are not guaranteed. The locals primarily use them, and a reservation is simply a waitlist for a potential open space. If there are no spaces, prepare to hike.
• Check the weather forecast and always know where to find high ground (there are signs). Havasupai is subject to flash floods, and the monsoon season runs from late June through August.
• Purchase travel insurance after making your reservation if you don’t want to risk losing money.

More Essential Tips for Hiking Havasupai

• Bring your permit info, paid receipts, and government ID. There are multiple checkpoints during the hike and at the campsite. Also, write down or take a photo of your license plate number.
• Please drive slowly and carefully on the road to Hualapai Hilltop. The windy road was full of cattle, and it was a stressful night drive.
• They are stricter about what you are and aren’t allowed to bring now. Review all the rules and be ready for checkpoints. No alcohol, drugs, drones, or weapons are allowed. Our friends who recently went said there was a checkpoint where they poured out any alcohol they found in the car.
• Depending on the time of year, your hike may be very hot! To avoid the sun, we arrived at the parking lot and slept in the car to start hiking at 4 AM. That helped us avoid much of the heat. We also hiked out at night, which was disorienting and scary because of potential mountain lions. Luckily, there were only a few places where you could take a wrong turn. They don’t recommend hiking at night.
• Food options – There is a small restaurant in Supai and a food stand in front of the campground.
• Frequent flooding causes waterfalls to disappear and reappear. What you see now may not exist in the future.
• Arrive early to get a campsite ASAP! It’s first come, first served and fills up quickly.