Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls is accessible only via a roughly 10-mile hike from Hualapai Hilltop—the nearest road—or by helicopter through the Havasupai Reservation. All visitors must obtain a permit and reservation from the Havasupai Tribe in advance, and the tribe strictly limits the number of people allowed in.

The vivid blue-green color comes from high concentrations of dissolved calcium carbonate and magnesium naturally present in Havasu Creek. These minerals also deposit travertine, forming the striking natural pools and terraced cascades that make the falls one of the most photographed waterfalls in the American West.

Visiting requires fees paid to the Havasupai Tribe, including an entrance fee, a camping or lodging fee, and environmental fees, with total costs typically exceeding $300 per person for a standard multi-night stay. The reservation system opens on a limited basis and routinely sells out within hours due to overwhelming demand.

Havasu Falls is located on Havasu Creek within the Havasupai Indian Reservation, in a side canyon of the Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona. The nearby village of Supai is one of the most remote communities in the contiguous United States and is the only place in the country where mail is still routinely delivered by mule train.