How to Get a Havasupai Falls Permit
Ten miles down a side canyon of the Grand Canyon to a campground strung between two waterfalls, on land that belongs to the Havasupai Tribe and is booked through nobody but them.
Check Havasupai Falls permit availability$455 per person for 3 nights
Permit Cost
4 days / 3 nights (fixed)
Duration
10 miles
Distance
strenuous
Difficulty
About Havasupai Falls
Havasupai is a tribal permit, not a federal one. Every booking is sold by the Havasupai Tribe at havasupaireservations.com, every booking is a fixed 4 days / 3 nights, and campground permits are priced per person - $455 for 2026, including all permits, fees and taxes. A single campground booking can hold up to 12 people. The hike is 8 miles from Hualapai Hilltop at 5,200 feet down to Supai Village at 3,205 feet, then another 2 miles to the campground. There is no shade and no water for the first 8 miles. The 2026 season went on sale February 1 at 8:00 a.m. Arizona time. There is no lottery and no transfer board. Reselling or transferring a booking is prohibited outright, and the Tribe enforces it with cancellation and a permanent ban. Cancellations go back through the Tribe: at least 90 days out you get 50% back, and inside 90 days nothing is refundable, which is what puts dates back into circulation through the season. Watching the Tribe's public booking calendar for those returning dates is the only route in after opening day.
This is not a national park permit and it does not behave like one. The Havasupai Tribe is a federally recognised sovereign nation and it sells every permit itself, through its own booking system, under its own rules. There is no lottery, no Recreation.gov, no transfer board, and reselling a booking is prohibited outright. Every visit is a fixed four-day, three-night block, and the Tribe's booking terms are the only rules that apply.
The Experience
The first eight miles are dry, exposed switchbacks and gravel wash with no shade and no water, and then you walk into Supai Village and the creek is suddenly there - the same improbable turquoise in every photo you have seen, running through red rock. Two more miles and you are at the campground, pitched somewhere between Havasu Falls and the top of Mooney. The water sits at about 70 degrees all year, which is the reason people come back.
The trail starts at Hualapai Hilltop at 5,200 feet, at the end of Indian Road 18. It drops through switchbacks into the wash and follows it 8 miles to Supai Village at 3,205 feet, where the lodge, the tourist office and the only supplies are. The campground is another 2 miles down the main trail, past Havasu Falls.
The campground itself is an open stretch along Havasu Creek with no assigned sites - the Tribe's description is to pitch anywhere in the designated area. Mooney Falls is at the far end, reached by a chain-and-ladder descent through a travertine tunnel. Beaver Falls is further down; Fiftyfoot and Little Navajo are upstream toward the village.
Walking out is the same 10 miles in reverse with roughly 2,000 feet of climbing back to Hilltop, which is why almost everyone starts before dawn.
What to Expect
Fixed 4 days / 3 nights - there is no other length of stay
8 miles from Hualapai Hilltop to Supai Village, then 2 more to the campground
5,200 feet at the trailhead down to 3,205 feet at the village
No shade and no water for the first 8 miles
Open camping along Havasu Creek - the Tribe's own instruction is to pitch anywhere in the designated area
Creek water sits around 70°F year-round
No public medical facilities in Supai Village and no organised rescue teams
No reliable WiFi or cell reception anywhere, including the campground
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Permit Requirements
Permits are required for all visitors, and every visit must be booked before arrival
A booking is only valid if the original purchaser or one of the two named Potential Alternate Trip Leaders is present at check-in with photo ID
Alternate trip leaders cannot be named or changed after booking
Reselling or transferring a booking, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited - penalties include cancellation without refund and a permanent ban
Children 6 and under are free with a valid permit holder; 7 and older need a paid permit
Pets, service animals and privately owned horses are not allowed anywhere on the reservation
Everything you carry in must come back out, including partly used fuel canisters and gear
Cancellations 90+ days before your start date get a 50% refund; inside 90 days nothing is refundable
The Havasupai Tribal Court has sole jurisdiction over anything arising from a booking or permit
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Enough water for 8 waterless miles each way, plus a filter - there is drinking water in Supai Village and a spring at the campground, and the Tribe says to treat everything else
- •Sun protection for a fully exposed desert trail: long sleeves, long pants, sun hat
- •Tent or hammock and a sleeping pad
- •A bear canister or odour-proof containers - there are no bears, but the Tribe warns that rodents will chew through a pack or tent to reach food
- •Headlamp, ideally with a red beam, for pre-dawn starts and camp at night
- •Government-issued photo ID and the licence plate number of the vehicle you are parking at Hilltop
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles for the switchbacks
- •A duffel to protect your pack if you use the $400 round-trip pack mule service
- •Battery pack or solar charger - there is no electricity at the campground
- •Water shoes for the creek crossings below Mooney
- •Freeze-dried meals you can rehydrate cold, so you can leave the stove behind
Hazards & Safety
Heat. Peak season temperatures well over 100°F on a trail with no shade and no water for 8 miles
Flash flooding during the July-September monsoon. The Tribe's instruction is to get to high ground immediately, and never to hike past the top of Mooney Falls or into narrow canyon in rain
No public medical facilities in Supai Village and no trained emergency rescue teams; evacuation can take hours or days and is at your own cost
The Mooney Falls descent is chains, ladders and wet travertine
Rodents in the campground that will destroy gear to reach food
No cell service to call for help from most of the reservation
Best Time to Visit
The Tribe's own line is that the canyon is worth seeing at any time of year, and that cooler months are better for hiking while warmer months are better for being in the water - as long as you hike in and out early in the day. Peak season is May to September, when Supai can pass 100°F and also drop into the 50s at night. Shoulder months are cold and can snow. July through September is monsoon season, with a real flash-flood risk.
Pro Tips
Set up your havasupaireservations.com account and save payment details before the on-sale date. You add one permit at a time and re-check the dates on every add, so fumbling the process costs you the whole trip.
Name your one or two alternate trip leaders when you book. They cannot be added or changed later, and without one of you at check-in the booking is void.
Cancellations are the whole game after opening day. The 90-day refund line is when most of them happen, so that is when dates come back.
Fill the tank before Indian Road 18. The nearest gas is 70-90 miles from the trailhead and the Tribe's own advice is fuel for 200 miles.
Pack food in rodent-proof containers even though there are no bears. The Tribe warns that critters will chew through packs and tents.
Start both hiking days before sunrise in summer. Eight shadeless miles in afternoon heat is how people end up needing a helicopter they have to pay for.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Havasupai Falls permit?
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Havasupai Falls permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Havasupai Falls?
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The Tribe's own line is that the canyon is worth seeing at any time of year, and that cooler months are better for hiking while warmer months are better for being in the water - as long as you hike in and out early in the day. Peak season is May to September, when Supai can pass 100°F and also drop into the 50s at night. Shoulder months are cold and can snow. July through September is monsoon season, with a real flash-flood risk.
How difficult is Havasupai Falls?
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Hikers who can carry a three-night pack 10 miles in desert heat and get themselves back out. The trail is obvious; the difficulty is heat, distance and the fact that nobody is coming to help quickly.
What gear do I need for Havasupai Falls?
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Essential gear includes: Enough water for 8 waterless miles each way, plus a filter - there is drinking water in Supai Village and a spring at the campground, and the Tribe says to treat everything else, Sun protection for a fully exposed desert trail: long sleeves, long pants, sun hat, Tent or hammock and a sleeping pad, A bear canister or odour-proof containers - there are no bears, but the Tribe warns that rodents will chew through a pack or tent to reach food, Headlamp, ideally with a red beam, for pre-dawn starts and camp at night. Additional specialized gear may be required based on conditions.
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