A Bucket List Adventure

While Niko and I were born and raised on the East Coast our love for hiking, camping, and photography grew with each summer road trip, pushing the boundary a little further west every year. Half of the fun revolved around researching, planning, and mapping out these month-long endeavors. I would spend hours looking at breathtaking images and finding out where in the states they actually existed, and how to best visit them. I scoured the depths of the internet between nursing classes, assignments, and exams — in particular, Pinterest. I can remember the first time my search yielded a photo of the iconic Havasu Falls. I read blog after blog, mesmerized by the prospect of a grand adventure in this tropical desert oasis. I lived vicariously through those who were able to get their hands on permits, which is no easy feat, until seven years later I was finally able to experience it firsthand.

I hope you enjoy the chronicles of my time spent within the walls of this vast canyon, and the story of how I ended up there not just once, but two years in a row (a story for another blog post). The itinerary was very similar for both trips so this retelling will primarily recount my second visit which, dare I say, was even better than the first.

Planning for Havasupai

I talked three of my friends into exploring Havasupai in April of 2024 with me — although it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing. In general, we are all of similar activity levels and our passion for outdoor recreation runs deep. I was nervous that no one really knew each other very well, me being the common denominator, and let’s be honest…sometimes all female trips can go entirely up in flames. But I should have known better, not only because I love and respect all of these women as incredible individuals, but because we all have something in us that innately calls to nature. When you are willingly stripped down to the fundamentals of life, no less in a place as beautiful as this, odds are you are going to bond over your shared experience, and bond quickly.

Planning was relatively straight forward because I was able to pass on my adjusted packing list based off my first hand experience from the year prior. We started a group chat to keep our plans and packing organized, but wouldn’t be able to connect in person until touching down in Arizona. With everyone entirely committed — flights booked, gear purchased, and time off of work secured — all we had left to do was wait.

Read my blog on packing for Havasu here!

Arizona Bound

The time leading up to the trip did that thing where it crawls by really slowly until before you know it, it’s time to go — and so we were all on our way to the same destination from different spaces across the states. We flew into Phoenix within a few hours of each other, a few days before our entry date so that we would be able to adapt should there be any delayed flights, lost baggage, or issues with our rental car while still being able to pick up our permits within the allotted timeframe.

I did have a few hiccups with my airport experience (delayed baggage, delayed return flight, and I accidentally misplaced my sleeping bag which was my carry on for a few stressful minutes) and I was honestly so glad for our buffer time.

I recommend getting to town on the early side if you aren’t local, regardless of whether you fly into Vegas or Phoenix, as there as there is a lot of opportunity to explore beautiful spaces on your way to the reservation. Maddie has some good friends who live in Flagstaff and had so graciously offered to let us stay with them for two nights leading up to the backpacking trip. All six of us grabbed dinner in town on our arrival night with Maddie’s friends as our tour guides. On our second day, we took a trip to Sedona where we went for a beautiful (yet leisurely) hike, did some shopping, and ate delicious mexican cuisine. We ended the night by cooking a meal for our hosts, and cozying up on the couch as we were introduced to some of the best skits of I Think You Should Leave. On our third day we got some delicious coffee in Flagstaff, stopped by REI for a few last minute items, packed up our packs, and loaded the car of all of our belongings. It was time to make the drive north to pick up our permits.

A few hours later, the permits were secured and we had backtracked to our motel in Seligman along historic Route 66. While there are closer stays, the accommodations in Seligman are more affordable than the alternative hotel in Peach Springs. There is also a lot more to do; we popped into some of the quirky gift shops, dined at one of the restaurants, and explored the strange little town. Everyone went to bed early that night — I remember eagerly waiting for sleep to claim me so the best part of our trip could begin.

Paige, Jess, Maddie, and Kayli (left to right) about to embark on our backpacking adventure

Exploring Havasupai

Day One

I woke up bleary eyed but could instantly feel everyone’s excited energy building as we stacked our packs in the car for a dark and uneventful hour and a half drive to the trailhead. We cleared the Tribe’s checkpoint, dawn finally casting its glow on our surroundings, and lucked out with a great parking spot near the trailhead. Maddie, Kayli, Paige and I piled out of the car to finalize layers, take a little stretch, and put on our backpacks. With our packs adjusted nice and snug to our bodies, we made our way to the hilltop for our first views of the expansive terrain.

You might think that experiencing things the second time around would feel anticlimactic, but my enthusiasm continued to climb with everyone else’s. The only thing better than knowing the true gravity of the alluring spaces we would soon occupy, was knowing I was going to see the reactions of my friends witnessing that same rugged beauty for their first time. After the initial awe, we took some photos at the overlook and begun our switchbacking decent to the bottom of the canyon’s gravelly topography.

Hiking into the Grand Canyon — vibes were immaculate

We hiked a steady pace enjoying the subtle changes in landscape and doing our best to avoid cacti as we navigated the undulating, sandy offshoots in favor of the highly frictional gravel. The canyon walls were creeping higher and I was grateful for the protection it provided from the morning sun. As we made our way further into the trail we began to see hikers on their way out of the canyon, and had to occasionally pull off trail to allow mules to pass.

Eventually, we broke into a clearing where we were greeted with mature trees, the soft sputterings of a nearby creek, and a sign to indicate our path. We trekked along the hard packed mud of the winding river bank for a little while, no longer forced to walk in a single formation. Not much time passed before we were making our way through the Tribe’s Village, some of the local pups joining us on our quest to the falls. I knew as we approached the final foot bridge that we were only minutes from paradise. And believe me when I tell you there is no reward quite like seeing Havasu Falls after having trekked 10 miles through the desert with 30-45 pounds on your back.

Despite the temptation to drop our heavy packs and enjoy the falls, we trekked on to the official start of the campground. Sites can be found all throughout the next mile and features vary quite a bit. Some are tucked alongside the canyon walls offering privacy from the elements and other hikers, others are butted up against the creek itself and in close proximity to other sites. We found one resembling the former that was plenty big enough for our group of three tents and a hammock. It was about halfway through the campground so it had good access (yet was not too close) to the restrooms and natural spring. Maddie and Kayli waited at this spot while Paige and I explored through to the end just in case we were able to find something even better. Despite our early start that morning, it was very slim pickings so we returned to our initial campsite.

We took our time getting settled at camp, securing our packs and food from critters, and exchanging our sweaty clothes for swim suits and water shoes before returning to Havasu Falls. In the early spring, the cottonwood trees that line Havasu Creek begin to shed their seeds. Small plumes of cotton float and twirl from the push and pull of turbulent air, glistening in the sun — the view is enamoring. We unwound from our day by taking a dip, soaking up some sun, and enjoying our books just outside of the range of the misting spray.

Eventually we were ready for dinner so we walked back through a bustling camp. Some of the tribe dogs from earlier were wandering around, looking for attention and scraps. When we finished dinner, we left our base once more to get our first arial glimpses of Mooney Falls. We hung out at the overlook for a while, fully immersed in the surreal atmosphere — the soft rumblings of the fall were the backdrop to our conversations, and comfortable silences in-between. This waterfall was so beautiful and grand from above, and it only added to the excitement of knowing the very next day we would make the exhilarating climb down to see it from an entirely new perspective. We made our way back to camp and snuggled down in our respective arrangements as the stars began winking into the Arizona sky.

“Home base,” our campsite along the canyon wall — **note: campfires are prohibited** — yes, there can be some exceptions (when there is a lot of debris from flooding and the temps are safe to do so) but this will be made very clear by staff, if allowed; we did not have any fires during our stay.

Paige, Jess, and Kayli in front of Mooney Falls after our morning descent

Day Two

I awoke once more to the sound of my alarm clock, breathing in fresh desert air in the dusky morning light. Slowly, I layered up against the chill and pulled myself from my tent to join the others. We took turns with the communal jet boils, making our coffee and tea — priorities, of course — then warming our breakfasts. With our bellies warm and full, we packed our day bags, changed our clothes, and set off on our next adventure: hiking to Beaver Falls.

We padded along the sandy path, soaking up all the quiet details of surrounding campgrounds. Some campers were still happily tucked away in their tents and hammocks, some enjoying a slow morning, while others readied themselves for excursions of their own. After a few minutes we arrived back at the overlook of Mooney Falls. Seeing the cascading blue waters in the even morning light was like laying eyes on it for the first time all over again.

From here, the toe path narrows and drops off into different clusters of zig-zagging steps, smoothed from all of the foot traffic over the years. We took turns ducking into the first cave. Maddie went first, followed by Kayli and then it was my turn. I was quickly consumed by a darkness so stark and quiet, and so at odds with the vibrant desert that surrounds it. I navigated through the damp, small space until the tunnel abruptly spat me back out halfway down the rock face and considerably closer to the crashing falls. Mooney’s chilling mist clung to my skin and clothes as we continued down, traversing the catwalk and descending the final cave in another cloying wave of darkness. I broke back out into the daylight, the rumblings building to a crescendo and was face to face with the most daunting section of this climb — the chains.

I don’t think anything can truly prepare you for the chains and ladders. Logic tells us that this equipment is firmly secure and has allowed thousands of people safe transport to the desert ground. But the sight of the jagged rocks laying beneath, combined with the feel of the slick, rusted chains and water logged wood were enough to set my heart racing both times. I maintained three points of contact the whole way down, some handholds further apart than even I would have liked. We took our time and left a conservative amount of space between us all. It definitely was not as nerve wracking the second go-around since I knew what to expect, but I was still glad to feel my feet land on solid ground.

The whipping breeze and spray build in intensity at the base of the canyon wall, but the ethereal landscape of my new surroundings had me completely unbothered. The water droplets from the falls capture the light and ricochet all of nature’s colors. The magnified lush greens against the backdrop of harsh reds and languid blues is truly stunning.

Spinning around, I looked up to see Paige on her final descent and absorbed the true magnitude of the wall we had all just scaled which elicited a burst of accomplishment and excitement. We waded through the water to a more comfortable distance and captured some images on my camera.

I could feel a childhood-like sense of awe and adventure flourishing in my soul as we resumed hiking — crossing creeks, climbing more ladders, and weaving through tall brush. We made sure to point out all of the flowering cacti and lizards we spotted along the way. After a few miles, we had arrived at Beaver Falls. We changed into our swimsuits and started to explore the different layers of the gradiented cyan and pastel waters.

We spent hours relaxing in the sun, kicked back in our chairs. We read our books, chatted about life, did some people watching, took more photos, and munched on snacks. We were having so much fun that we decided not to hike on to the confluence. Eventually it was time to change out of our suits and make the hike back to Mooney Falls.

It had been a little too cool to enjoy the waters of this fall in the early morning, but it had since warmed up so we changed back into our suits and had a blast jumping into the deep pool of the falls. After a while, we ascended the chains, ladders, and tunnels and made our way back to base camp for a big meal. We played card games and reminisced on what had already been a brain chemistry altering 36 hours in the backcountry.

Day Three

We took our last full day easy — a recovery day, if you will. We hiked around to explore some of the smaller, hidden falls of Havsupai between Havasu Falls and the village. Paige and I returned to the village in search of souvenirs, but aside from a few stickers there isn’t much there. We met back up with Maddie and Kayli and indulged in some of the absolutely delicious fry bread.

That night we enjoyed dinner at the overlook of Mooney Falls. I could feel my emotions roiling with the looming knowledge that our time in this little nirvana was reaching an end. It is the marker of an unforgettable trip to feel the nostalgia setting in before the memory has even finished forming.

I all of a sudden felt spurred to capture more images. I wanted to take some longer exposure photos of the falls in low light settings, so with blue hour in full swing I raced around the campsite in the hopes of preserving as much of that memory as possible.

Paige and I returned to camp where we all organized our belongings, and the crawled into our tents for one final night’s sleep.

Day Four

We woke up well before the sun to finish packing up camp, and set off on our hike out of the canyon. Guided by our headlamps, we retraced the same steps we had taken several days ago, feeling like an entirely different person now armored with the sweet memories of Havasupai.

We preferred the early start so that we would still be blanketed in shade by the time we reached the final and most grueling section of the trail. Several hours later we made it back to the car, loaded up, and drove back to Phoenix for a hot shower and some delicious sushi. We spent one last night together in the comfort of a hotel, laughing at silly memories before catching our flights back home the next day.

Feel free to drop any questions below — I may create a blog about the logistics behind hiking Havasupai in addition to my existing complete packing guide if there is enough interest!

Thank you so much if you have read this far, I hope you’ve enjoyed! I truly could not have imagined how incredible this experience would be — from the silly, trendy videos to overcoming fears together and everything in between. I am eternally grateful for the memories we have created and will forever share amongst the four of us.

I hope you get the chance to explore this destination in all its magic and beauty.

Backpacking: Hiking the Grand Canyon to Havasupai