Havasu Falls - Tell me about it

[Anonymous]

If you've bene to Havasu Falls, how strenuous was the hike? Do you need a guide to get there? Is it safe for the type of person who gets lost easily and is clumsy on occasion?

It's so beautiful - I really want to go, but know very little about how to get there.

[Anonymous]

I've never been but it sounds spectacular and very challenging physically.
Says carry a gallon of water! Food etc.
https://www.visitarizona.com/like-a-lvocal/a-guide-to-visiting-havasu-falls-the-right-way/

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of helpful YouTube videos with info. I haven’t been, but it’s on my bucket list. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d probably take the helicopter in and out. I love hiking, but I know my limits.

I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone getting lost. Running out of water, heat exhaustion, and underestimating the difficulty are much more likely.

[Anonymous]

I haven't done it myself, but I do have friends who went about 4 or 5 years ago. It's something that is on my bucket list, but it's not something I'm prioritizing because I don't like roughing it or backpacking.

Although I love hiking - and I have no issues doing long, strenuous day hikes - I don't know how much I really want to do this. If I was able to snag one of the reservations at the hotel - which is incredibly expensive and requires like a min. stay of 3 or 4 nights for nearly $2000 - maybe but I just don't know if I want to see it THAT bad. Plus 3 nights there seems like too much for me.

You can't just hike to it and back the same day.

Otherwise you can camp and I hate camping. Overall, the falls look absolutely beautiful but I do not like roughing it. Plus carrying all that equipment on that long hike seems miserable. You cannot count on that helicopter as it's meant for the locals.

[Anonymous]

We went right before the pandemic. I was almost 60 and the kids of mine that went were 17 and 11. The hike is no joke but since I’m writing this, clearly we made it. And it is so worth it. It is unbelievably beautiful.

Getting passes is another issue. Only a limited number are issued each year and they are usually sold out within 2 hours of going on sale. And they are pricey - it was $100 per day per person with a minimum of three days the year we went. And it’s not refundable. So if weather is bad, if it gets closed due to flooding, if you get sick or break your leg, you forfeit your spot unless you can make a trade on their approved site.

Since you’re either carrying your gear in or getting a mule that has weight limits on gear, you have to make sure you have really lightweight everything. There is no food that you can count on so you need to take it all in with you. There are fry bread stands but you never really know when they will be open. When we were there, they were completely closed one day - the day that Beyoncé was there with her husband and daughter to film music for the Lion King.

Camping is primitive with no fires. There are no showers, you can’t bring soap, the toilets are composting toilets and you have to pack out all of your trash. There is a spring and IME, most can drink from it but my youngest kid couldn’t Which we didn’t know until she tried it. This is only to say that you need water purifying system. The water is freezing even in the hottest part of the summer, which is when we went. There are scorpions, tarantulas and mountain lions.

If there is one thing I would have done different is that I would have tried to time it when there was a crescent moon. We were there during a full moon and missed out on seeing the Milky Way.

I highly recommend it.