Havasu Canyon is a paradisiacal gorge where turquoise waters cascade into travertine pools and graceful willows and lofty cottonwoods provide shade and greenery in an extraordinary setting of towering red sandstone cliffs beneath a sapphire sky. It is a side branch of the Grand Canyon that was once the home of a prehistoric people but more recently it has been the occupied by the Havasupai for the past 800 years.

There are no roads to Supai Village so visitors arrive by horse or on foot. The trail begins at Hualapai Hilltop which is a parking area with no facilities. Some hikers stay overnight at Hualapai Hilltop because it is more comfortable to start the trek in the cool, early morning hours. The nearest towns are Peach Springs and Seligman which are both located on Highway 66 about 68 and 90 miles respectively from Hualapai Hilltop. From Highway 66, take Route 18 north for approximately 60 miles to the trailhead.

The path to Supai and the Havasu Canyon waterfalls is wide, well-used and somewhat dusty. Starting at Hualapai Hilltop, the first part descends the east side of Hualapai Canyon, dropping 1,000 feet quite steeply, switch backing through whitish rocks of Coconino sandstone then into the red Hermit shale layer near the valley floor. For 1.5 miles the trail has open views up and down the U-shaped canyon, and towards more distant cliffs in the north.

Seasonal rainfall, melting snow and percolating water are drained by Cataract Creek which rises on Bill Williams Mountain and crosses the Coconino Plateau. The creek wanders across the high plains for about 50 miles before dipping down into the steep sided Cataract Canyon. Except for flash floods, Cataract Creek is usually a mere trickle until it reaches Havasu Springs where an underground river gushes forth to form Havasu Creek.

With a steady flow rate of about 28,000 gallons per minute and a heavy concentration of suspended calcium carbonate, the river bed is rapidly lined with limestone that reflects the sunlight and gives the creek its striking blue-green color. The waters plunge over Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls (100ft.), Mooney Falls (200ft.) on the way to the Colorado River about ten miles away from Supai Village.

April to May and September to November are best for a visit to Havasu Canyon because the climate is moderate on the rim as well as on the canyon floor. The sparse vegetation and dry, rocky soil at the trailhead give no hint of the lush canyon home of the Havasupai at the bottom of Havasu Canyon, 10 miles away.

The trail drops steeply by a series of switchbacks into Hualapai Canyon for the first mile and then descends more gradually for a half mile to the bottom of the canyon. Its sheer, massive walls become narrow, blocking the sunlight and distorting the size of giant boulders along the path. Eventually the canyon widens and cottonwoods, willows, box elders, hackberry trees and wild grape vines diffuse the harsh sunlight of a mid-morning sun.

The path follows a small creek that joins the noisy Havasu Creek at the confluence of the Hualapai and Havasu Canyons. Cattails, maidenhair fern and watercress can be seen along the creek to the village of Supai past peach orchards, fig trees and cultivated fields of corn and alfalfa.

Just below Havasu Falls and 2 miles from Supai begins the extended campground, containing approximately 400 sites.

Tags: Havasu Creek, Havasu Falls, hiking to supai and havasu canyon