The
destination for millions of visitors each year is the awesome
grandeur of the Grand Canyon, and many hiking opportunities are
found within the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. But large
crowds are not my idea of a quality hiking experience. Fortunately,
one of the top ten treks of the world is located on the southwestern
corner of the Canyon, a quieter, less accessible region. Havasu
Canyon is often described using references to Utopia, Paradise,
Shangri-la and other mythical places, as its natural beauty defies
description by words and photographs alone. The scenic splendor of
this secluded destination can only truly be experienced by those
willing to spend the effort. The easy to moderate hike begins with
an eight mile trek to the remote Native American village of Supai,
tribal headquarters of the Havasupai people. And that's just the
beginning! From Supai, the remainder of the trail passes by four
spectacular blue-green waterfalls, dozens of smaller falls, and some
of the most awesome scenery in the Grand Canyon, eventually reaching
it's terminus at the Colorado River, about ten miles beyond the
village. The entire length of the trail is 17 miles, with difficult
sections beyond Mooney Falls, but if you turn back at that point it's
a relatively easy 22 mile round trip hike.
The Havasupai (pronounced “have a soup
pie”) Indian Lands extend over a decent of 3,000 feet to the bottom
of Havasu Canyon at the Colorado River. The trailhead - Hualapai
(pronounced "wal a pie") Hilltop - is located at the end of Indian
Route 18, off Historic Route 66 near Peach Springs, AZ. Havasupai
means “people of the blue green water.” The tribe has been in this
region for more than 1,000 years. Throughout their history they have
farmed within the canyon during summer and hunted on the mesa tops
during winter. In June 1880 the Havasupai Indian Land was
established with 518 acres in the canyon, later enlarged to
188,077 acres in 1975 in a bill signed by President Gerald Ford. Most all of the tribal members live in Supai
Village. Tourism is helping the tribe’s living standards, although
it is difficult because there are only three ways in and out of the
community... by foot, horse or helicopter. Still, each year more
than 12,000 visitors come to see this Land of towering cliffs,
breathtaking waterfalls and calming pools of turquoise water. It is
indeed, a paradise for the senses!
The Havasupai believe that the Grand
Canyon is the origin of the human race so it is a sacred area. It's
okay to take pictures of the environment but not of people or homes.
You are expected to stay on the trails, respect whatever you find,
and clean up after yourself. Havasupai Lodge and Havasu Campground
are the only places to stay once you have hiked down from the
Hilltop. The guest capacity for both is limited and accommodations
MUST be reserved in advance. A permit is also required before making
the trip, and none will be issued without first obtaining
reservations at either the Lodge or Campground. This was a BIG issue
for us, because LuAnn had already made our flight reservations and
it turned out there were no accommodations available at either the Lodge or
Campground. A master at resourcefulness, LuAnn managed to get in
contact with a family who lived in the village and arranged for us
to camp in their backyard! The trek was on!
Thursday,
April 8th, 2004
Peach Springs, Arizona
The nearest commercial airport to Havasu
Canyon is in Flagstaff, Arizona. From Flagstaff you would travel
down I-40 to Seligman, AZ (pronounced "sa lig men"), making sure you
gas up there because it's the last chance you'll have before arriving at the
trailhead, about an hour and a half away. From Seligman, you
continue west on famous US Route 66, past the Grand Canyon Caverns (the
last civilization you’ll see) where many people stay for their last
night before making the final leg of the journey. Beyond, further
west on Route 66, you will turn right on Indian Route 18, heading
north about 62 miles to the end of the road. This is Hualapai
Hilltop and the last pavement you’ll see until you return.
LuAnn and I were not traveling to the
trailhead via Flagstaff. We began our trip on Tuesday with a three
hour drive to Charlotte, North Carolina. Wednesday morning we made
our way to the airport for our flight to Las Vegas, stopping briefly
in Chicago to change aircraft. We did a bit of sightseeing in Vegas, enjoyed a buffet dinner, and lost a few dollars in the slots.
Today we set out in our rented Chevy Trailblazer for the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs, Arizona,
about four and a half hours away, taking
time enroute on US93 to visit the awesome Hoover Dam for a photo op
(even saw a cool Roadrunner quickly cross the road!). Then lunch in
Kingman, AZ and finally to the Lodge for our last evening of comfort
before heading off for the trail tomorrow morning. We arrived fairly
early in the afternoon and found that there's really not much to
do in Peach Springs. The Lodge has a restaurant and there's a small
grocery store across the street but that's pretty much it. We were
ready for a beer, and since alcoholic beverages are not available
within the Hualapai Indian Reservation, we decided to drive another
30 miles east on Route 66 to Seligman.
Much better! We gassed up the
Trailblazer and asked the attendant where we could find a decent
place for a beer. Westside Lilo's Cafe was the answer, just a few
hundred feet down the road. The cafe was, well, a cafe, and we drank
our brews at the lunch counter. The folks there were very friendly
and told us of a few places nearby to shop for LuAnn's interest:
Native American handicrafts. After that we headed back to the Lodge
in Peach Springs. As it turned out, the Lodge was pretty nice though
unfortunately close to some very active railroad tracks. More on
that in a moment. We spent some time looking around their gift shop,
then went across the street to the store for a few last-minute
supplies. It was now close to dinnertime and we considered giving
their restaurant a try, but we were intrigued with the Cafe in
Seligman and decided to go back for dinner. It was a good decision.
The food was excellent!
We returned to the Lodge and crashed.
Tomorrow was the big day, with at least an eight mile hike ahead of
us. It was lucky we were so tired, no doubt because our bodies were
still on Eastern time and all the running around we'd done, because
the trains were relentless. About every 15 minutes a train would
roar by the Lodge, it's horn blaring at every crossing. And there
seemed to be a lot of crossings too. No wonder the room had TWO
complete window frames sandwiched together!
Friday,
April 9th, 2004
Hualapai Hilltop to Supai
We were up at 6:00 AM. In-room coffee is
always a plus! We showered, checked out the local weather forecast on
television,
packed up our stuff and loaded the truck. This time there was no
deliberation... breakfast in Seligman! We knew going to Lilo's was
going to delay us a bit but it was well worth it. I had an omelet and
LuAnn, steak and eggs. Yummy! After breakfast we filled up the
Trailblazer, then went to the local hardware store to pick up a tarp
for the tent, something we'd forgotten before leaving for the trip. It was now about 8:45 and we turned the vehicle back
west on Route 66 towards Indian Route 18 and Hualapai Hilltop, from
here about an hour and a half away. Another nice day, 55 degrees and
mostly sunny, just a few clouds here and there. Indian Route 18, the
only road leading to the Hilltop, is a good road, paved yet pretty curvy and LuAnn is WILD
as she speeds along the winding road. I hesitate to call it a scenic
highway - mostly desert scrub - but there are some beautiful
sections, including stands of pine trees reminiscent of the northern
woods. Open range cattle and antelope are often seen as well. The
road ends at the edge of a shear 1000 foot cliff, complete with a
200 car parking lot, an extensive horse pack station, and even a
small heliport!
We
arrived at a little after 10:00 AM. To say it was spectacular
doesn't do justice... The views of Hualapai Canyon are phenomenal,
breathtaking... better than we imagined! The white sandstone cliffs
of the canyon just fall away revealing the sage covered canyon floor
below. The lower layers are an intense red rock that contrasts
sharply with the layers above. We parked the truck along the road,
just outside of the parking lot, which was full. Surprisingly there
were a ton of vehicles here! And a lot of activity. Several groups
were preparing to start their hikes, horse pack trains coming and going,
and about every 20 minutes a red helicopter buzzing to and from
Supai and the Hilltop. We put on our gear, locked up the
Trailblazer, leaving it and our luggage behind at 10:45.
From the end of the parking area (5200
feet elevation) the trail drops dramatically down into the canyon
via a series of switchbacks cut into the cliff, a descent of more than a thousand
feet in the first mile and a half to the dry wash in the bottom of
Hualapai Canyon. The path is quite rough with a lot of rocks on it,
worthy of a moderate rating going down and certainly difficult for
the return trip, but the views are incredible! Once at the bottom,
the trail flattens out and is easy to walk. Hualapai (as opposed to
Havasu, which joins it later) is a dry canyon that has certainly
seen a great deal of water in the past. The evidence is everywhere:
In the hollows carved into the canyon walls, in the rounded stones
lying about, in the gravel floor.
For the next 5.5 miles the trail
descends gently along the Hualapai Canyon wash, providing the
feeling that we just jumped into a Western! There are few signs but
the path is fairly obvious, as most of the time you're just
following the dried up creek bed. Clues that
you're going the right way are frequent. Fellow hikers, like us, heading to
Supai, and once in awhile an encounter with those on their way out of the
canyon. There are also the pack horse teams traveling to and from the
village. Hearing the approach of hoof beats signals that it's time
to stand to the side and let them pass.
As the red walls of the canyon grow on
either side of us the available shade increases, offering some nice
rest stops under the overhangs. Since it was April, starting the
hike as late as we did was not a big deal but if you made the trip
during the summer months we would definitely recommend you start out
around daybreak. By 11:00 AM it will get very hot in the canyon.
After walking for about 3 hours we began
to hear the sound of running water and noticed an increase in
vegetation. We knew it was the point where Havasu Canyon joins
Hualapai Canyon, at roughly 3200 feet elevation and 6.5 miles from
the Hilltop. Here the character of the canyon bottom changes as a
gushing creek emerges from the ground at Havasu Springs, just beyond
the junction of the two canyons. The creek has created a
relatively lush landscape in sharp contrast to earlier sections of
the trail, irrigating the land and allowing a profusion of desert
plants and trees to grow. From this point on, Havasu Canyon is
beautiful, its weathered red sandstone walls contrasting with the
blue-green waters of Havasu Creek and the welcome shade of willow,
tamarisk and cottonwood trees along its banks. Turning downstream
beside the river, it is just 1.5 miles to the village of Supai. By
"following the creek downstream, crossing the bridge, and staying to
your right," we easily found our way into town. It was 3:15 PM, our
journey taking four and a half hours.
The village of Supai is located where
Havasu Canyon broadens briefly, allowing for adequate farming. Yet
the red sandstone walls of the canyon still tower over the village
offering both shelter and security to the residents. It is not easy to miss the two
columns protruding above the western wall of the canyon either.
These are called the "King and Queen" and legend considers them
protectors of the Havasupai people.
Supai village itself is a small
community of about 600 people, inhabited since A.D. 1300 and
relatively isolated from the rest of the world. Life here is rural
and of a gentle pace. Horses and dogs are everywhere. The wooden
homes are spread out over the available land, individual plots being
defined by trees and fences. The village has
its own school, church, clinic, police station, post office, general
store, lodge, and café, as well as their own water and sewer system, but there
are none of the amenities that we take for granted, like movie
theaters and shopping malls. Many homes have satellite television and the
town has telephone service and access to the Internet, but people
can't just drive somewhere else for the afternoon.
We headed first to the Café to get
something to drink. It was an unimposing building that nevertheless
boasted air conditioning and somewhat distressed, fast-food restaurant-style
booths. Next, on to the tourist office to register.
There we were delighted to learn that our our hosts for the next two
days, Leandra & Billy Wescogame and their two boys, Miles and Jose
(pronounced "joe say"), lived in the village, actually right around
the corner from the tourist office! This meant that we didn't have
to go all the way to the campground, two miles distant, as we originally
had thought. Time now to meet our host family. The Wescogames were very nice and wanted to make sure we had
everything we needed. They had cleared an area in their yard for our
tent and told us where to get running water. A privy nearby rounded
out the accommodations.
We knew that just a few miles beyond the
village were some of the most beautiful waterfalls to be found
anywhere in the world, and we were anxious to continue on the trail
toward the campground to get our first glimpse. After dropping most
of our equipment at the Wescogames, we hiked past the
school, a little church, and several homes. One had a travel trailer
in the yard, perhaps serving as extra rooms and we wondered how it
had gotten down there, since there are no roads. Continuing on the
trail, the canyon narrows again and begins to drop. Never
far from Havasu Creek, the sound of its rapids fills the air. After
about a mile we realized that the falls were farther away than we
thought, so we decided to turn back, set up camp and have dinner.
Tomorrow we would be back here hiking anyway.
After
putting up the tent and stowing
our gear inside, we went back to the Café to eat dinner, stopping first at
the Nation's only mule-serviced post office to drop off some
postcards to family and friends. Jose followed along and we sat
outside on the patio eating, taking in all of the village activity.
Sitting at the table next to us were two women and their daughters,
one pair from North Carolina and the other from Virginia. Small
world!
We had
noticed that people were gathering around a large bonfire at a
cleared area across from the Café, so after dinner we went over to
find out what was happening. It was a program for the visitors to
Supai - the first in a long while - relating the history and
cultural heritage of the Havasupai people. Darkness began to fall as
the Leader spoke. Native dances were performed by different age
groups of children, first the girls and then the boys, and in the
end everyone was invited to participate in one final dance.
Then time to crash for the night.
LuAnn's "two man" tent was cramped at best, especially with all of
our equipment stuffed between and around us. Turns out that was the
good part... After managing to finally fall asleep we were awakened
by one of the Wescogame dogs jumping on the tent and causing the
front support to come loose. That was followed by the intermittent
night sounds of Supai, the whinnying, braying and barking of the
village horses, mules, and dogs. And the Wescogame dog continued to
jump on the tent. At about midnight, LuAnn and I had
enough. This would be our first AND last night in Supai! Tomorrow we
would go to the tourist office and put our name on the list to
helicopter out late in the afternoon. Then we'd hike to the three
most spectacular falls, Navajo, Havasu, and Mooney.
Saturday,
April 10th, 2004
Supai to Mooney Falls - Supai to Hualapai
Hilltop
Our pathetic night of "sleep" had ended
and we walked through the village to the Café for coffee and breakfast -
scrambled eggs, sausage and hash browns! The folks running the place
seemed a bit grumpy for some reason today. And we were trying not to be,
given the events of last night. If I ever come back here again,
staying at the Lodge will be a requirement! It's another
beautiful day, with relatively cloudless skies and temps due to warm
into the 70s. After breakfast, we made our way to the tourist office
to reserve our helicopter ride. Unfortunately it was Saturday and we
quickly learned that the helicopter doesn't operate today. Damn! But
wait! One of the Supai men chatting outside the office could take us
out of the canyon on horseback. This would give us the time we
needed to visit the Falls and still be able to get back to the
Hilltop and to dinner and a decent night of sleep. We had already
decided... Seligman would be our destination. The plan was for us to
meet up with our horses and guide at 2:00 PM this afternoon. Yay!
We returned to our campsite, grabbed our
day packs, and headed out for the falls. It was now 7:50 AM and lots of
people are traveling to and from the village and campground this
morning. It looked like the majority of them, donning backpacks,
were leaving today. Following the main trail to the right of the
river (there are many parallel trails), at around 8:30 and 1.5 miles
into our hike we arrived at a place where there is a steep unstable
bank with many warning signs. Here, off on the left side of the
trail we could see the first major waterfall, Navajo Falls, through
the trees. Beautiful. Spectacular! Named for a former Havasupai
Chief (and not the tribe), this is not one waterfall but many,
interspersed across a wide area along the trail, at its highest
dropping 75 feet into the canyon.
Shortly thereafter there is a sign to
the Havasu Campground and the trail descends gradually into a
grove of cottonwood trees, then crosses the river over two wooden
bridges. Just beyond the bridges the trail climbs a small rise and
continues to parallel the creek. At 9:00 AM and another half mile
down the trail we arrived at the top of Havasu Falls (3010 feet
elevation). Just before the top of the falls the trail jogs to the
left near the canyon wall. All along this section were views of
Havasu Falls. This magnificent waterfall, split into two long streams,
plunges 100 feet into a beautiful blue-green pool. It is a wonderful
place that alone is worth the hike down from the Hilltop. The
secondary stream was not flowing as forcefully as in the pictures
we'd seen, but
the totality of it was marvelous! The trail
down to the base of the Falls was moderately steep, but quite
wide. The water was crystal clear, with many mini-waterfalls in and
around the base of the main one.
Looking up at the Falls from their base,
the classic words one would use to describe them are only part of the story.
It is the setting that makes them truly special. Havasu Creek has
carved out a natural amphitheater over millions of years, perhaps
100 feet high and over 500 feet wide. The two cascades are perfectly
centered within this arena, and of course one's attention is drawn
to them naturally. Their waters, brilliant in sunlight, drop into a
shadowed pool past ribbons of aged travertine on the rock walls.
Catching the sun's rays, the mist billowed from the center of the
pool, forced out by the power generated from the drop, resulting in
the creation of an amazing rainbow. Beyond the main pool, the waters
pour from small pool to smaller pool, a mini-Niagara Falls at one
point, eventually continuing downstream. We took a short break and
set out for the last waterfall we would visit, Mooney Falls.
Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls are located
at opposite ends of the campground (2840 feet elevation), in a
narrow part of the canyon with the now familiar towering red sandstone
walls. The trail is beautiful here, following the course of Havasu
Creek as it descends gradually along the canyon. Lined by large
centuries-old cottonwood trees, the waters of the creek reflect the
colorful canyon walls. The campground is actually spread out along
the course of the creek for nearly a mile and a half, with many
well-shaded campsites stretched out along both sides. There is one
main collection of privies at the southern end of the campground, one
small privy located at the center and one at the northern end. They
are primitive, one-time porta-johns turned into pit toilets. Ugh... the Inca Trail facilities
come to mind! We made
our way through the campground to Mooney Falls, a mile downstream
from Havasu Falls.
As the trail approaches the top of Mooney
Falls a sign warns of the dangers of following the trail to the base
of the falls. Heed the warning! A fall anywhere along this section
would almost certainly result in death or severe injury. We chose
not to go beyond the top of the Falls but have read that it requires
the use of a series of chains that are anchored into the unstable
limestone of the canyon walls. Be careful if you try it!
The view of Mooney Falls from the top is
absolutely breathtaking! Tallest of the four major waterfalls, Mooney
is a single waterfall dropping 200 feet to the bottom of the canyon
and named for a man who fell to his death here (nice, eh?). Mooney
Falls was perhaps not as spectacular as Havasu in terms of the total
scene but awesome none the less. This would be the farthest we would
travel along the Havasu Canyon trail and it was with some regret
that we turned back towards Havasu and Navajo Falls, the village of
Supai, and ultimately Hualapai Hilltop. Beyond us, in the opposite
direction, was Beaver Falls and others, eventually reaching the Colorado river,
some six miles distant.
We stopped again at Havasu Falls, this
time breaking for about 45 minutes. LuAnn, ever the adventurer, went
for a swim in one of the pools. I enjoyed just sitting on a boulder
and taking in the scene. Reflecting on the trail, both today and
yesterday, overall I would rate it as easy. There were certainly
steep sections, at the beginning and along our path today, but for
the most part the trail slopes gently down to Mooney Falls. From
there though, travel becomes more difficult as the trail meanders to its
terminus at the Colorado. Given the beautiful scenery and the
relative ease required to hike all the way to Mooney Falls, I would
recommend this world top ten trek to anyone in decent shape. The
trail is easy to follow and generally in good shape. And with the
option of arriving at Supai via horseback or helicopter, the short
three mile hike to Mooney from the village would be a piece of cake.
We arrived back at Supai around noon. As
we came into town we met the wife of the man who owned the horses
taking us out of the canyon later this afternoon. She said if we wanted
we could leave earlier. Would be better for them too, as they wanted
to make sure they could complete the roundtrip before sunset. Since
we had gotten back earlier than originally planned we agreed to be
ready in an hour, 1:00 PM instead of 2:00. We stopped for a moment
at the Café to get a soda (LuAnn also got some Indian Fry Bread),
then back to the Wescogames to break camp. Up until now we had not
told them of our change in plans, so we stopped by their house and
gave them the news. We assured them that we were not expecting any
money back and thanked them for their hospitality. Our packs filled,
we set off for our rendezvous with the horses, with a quick stop
back at the tourist office for a visit to the tribal museum.
It was now 1:00 PM and we were at the
rendezvous point in front of the village church. Considering that
our packs were pretty heavy, the horseman decided to put them on a
separate horse. After saddling the horses and securing our packs to
one of them, each of us was requested to climb up on a wall next to
the church to get on our horse. Next the horseman led us through
town, with me holding the reins of the horse carrying our packs.
Finally, at the village border, our guide and the two of us left for
the Hilltop. The horse carrying our packs was released and led the
way, with me, our guide, and LuAnn following. Now I don't know about LuAnn, but this
was my first experience at riding a horse for any length of time.
And the few times that I did ride was on flat Midwest ground. Now I was
looking at a three hour ride on a horse, in the Grand Canyon of
Arizona, on an ever ascending canyon trail. Turned out it was a
blast, though a certain part of me got pretty sore!
Our guide
was fantastic! I'm sorry I don't remember his name but we talked
throughout our journey to the Hilltop. He told us the legend of the
"King and Queen," of a former frontier casino along the trail built
into the side of the canyon wall and destroyed during an earthquake,
of Native Americans in years past that used to push boulders off the
cliffs so they wouldn't fall unexpectedly. It was fascinating
stuff...
The pack horse was being difficult and
wouldn't keep up a decent pace. The guide said the reason was that he didn't want to
leave so late in the day and that's why he was dawdling. LuAnn's horse was not very cooperative
either, and kept trying to stray along the edge of the trail. She
pulled on the reins to return him to the trail, but he never seemed
to tire of this little game. I'm sure it made for an interesting
sight to those we passed.
In reverse of our hike yesterday, at first we followed the cottonwood-lined
creek upstream through a relatively wide part of the canyon.
Gradually the canyon narrowed, enveloping us within its dark red walls. The trail
started to climb gradually. The vegetation became sparse. We
traveled, alternately, through shadow and sunlight. Suddenly the scene
changed, opening up as
the narrow lower Havasu canyon transitioned into the wider upper
canyon. Our ride now took us along the wide, dry stream bed of Hualapai
Canyon under the bright Arizona sun, passing hikers on their way to
Supai and those straining to return to the Hilltop.
The
trail climbs steeply for the last mile and a half to Hualapai
Hilltop. Most of this last section of trail switchbacks up a narrow
path to the rim of the canyon, rising like a steep
staircase above us. Our guide cautions us to be careful of the pack trains coming down
along this section of trail, being sure to stay towards the canyon
wall.
As we encounter the first pack train, we
hug the wall of the canyon,
allowing the train to pass. This occurred several times until we
reached the rim of the canyon and the top of the Hill. We finally
arrived at 4:00 PM, and our guide was the first to dismount and tie
his horse to the rail. I was next, and after he secured my horse I
dismounted and went to get the truck.
The Trailblazer was still intact and
everything was as we left it. I fired up the vehicle and drove to
the end of the parking lot where LuAnn was now off her horse and
chatting with our guide. I backed the truck in and we loaded up our
gear
Saying goodbye to our guide, we took our
last look at Hualapai Canyon as we drove back down Indian Route 18
towards US Route 66. Our destination was Seligman, for a delicious
shower, dinner, and sleep. Tomorrow we'd return to Vegas, with
the memories of another world-class hike successfully behind us.
Distances From Hualapai Hilltop:
Supai
Village |
8.13
miles |
Navajo
Falls |
9.5
miles |
Havasu
Falls |
10
miles |
Havasu
Campground |
11
miles |
Mooney
Falls |
11.3
miles |
Beaver
Falls |
13.1
miles |
Colorado River |
17
miles |
TRAIL MAP
- TOPO
MAP
Some additional musings...
How do I contact the Tribe for trip
information, prices, and reservations?
Check our their web site:
http://www.havasupaitribe.com/
How much does the trip cost?
The prices change each season, but
expect to pay about $20 up front to enter the Tribe's trails. In general the prices are higher than camping and backpacking on Federal and National
parklands, but there are no rangers, etc., and the Tribe maintains
the trails themselves. The scenery is incredible, and you can't put
a price on that, so consider that when you are wondering if a trip
will be too expensive. Staying at the Lodge will be more expensive
than camping, and if you decide to horseback in or take the
helicopter it will be expensive. It's a great trail with wonderful
views and a relative easy hike in, so get a hold of a good backpack
and at least take the trip down on your own.
How hard is the hike down to the
campgrounds?
A typical Grand Canyon hiking trail has an elevation loss/gain of
over 5000', while the trail down to Supai is only about a 2000'
drop. The first mile is reasonably steep, while the rest of the
trail follows a very slight down grade. The hike is not overly
difficult, and is a good one for first-time backpackers, but
depending on the time of year you will have to deal with the sun and
heat. It will take about 4-6 hours to hike the ten miles each way,
but don't try to go down and back in one day, it will NOT be fun. There
are things that can make this hike demanding, but with proper
preparation, it shouldn't be a problem; bring plenty of water and
sunscreen. The eight miles to Supai are mostly in the sun, without
any water sources, and there is limited shade for relief. Carry
plenty of water, 2 liters minimum. Use
waterproof sunscreen to keep sweat from washing it off, and wear a
large full-brimmed hat. These things should be in everyone's
backpack.
I have children, how old should they be
before I take them on a trip like this?
Well I don't have young children myself,
but after talking with some friends who are backpacking parents,
they agreed that a child should be 5-7 years old before you go out
on a overnight trip with them. Younger children can be taken on day
hikes starting at about 3.
When is the best time to
travel the Havasu Canyon Trail?
Generally the best time to go is
between April-May or Sept-Oct. It gets really hot there, so June-August can
be a bear. May is their busiest month, and all times require reservations. |