Havasu Falls, on the Havasupai Reservation just outside Grand Canyon National Park, is known around the world for its blue-green waters and stunning landscape.
If visiting the waterfall — which is 8 miles below the rim of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, is on your bucket list — you’ll have to wait a while to see it.
The Havasupai Nation has been on lockdown since its Tribal Council temporarily suspended tourism in March 2020. That suspension, which has been extended four times, has now been extended again.
“The Tribal Council has continued to consult with health experts and has ultimately decided that we will continue the suspension of tourism until June 1, 2022,” Chairman Thomas Siyuja, Sr., said in a statement, Indian Country Today reports. “There are still so many unknowns with the new COVID-19 variants that for the health and safety of our tribal community, it is in the best interest to remain closed to tourists.”
The Havasupai Tribal Council went on to note in a statement that the move “is done out of an abundance of caution for the protection and survival of tribal members.”
A Picturesque Location
Havasu Falls is the most-famous and most-visited waterfall along the Havasu Creek running through Havasu Canyon. That canyon is the home of the Havasupai Indian Tribe, which administers the land.
A trip to see the waterfall isn’t easy. First, visitors must apply for and receive a permit from the tribe.
Next, visitors must drive from Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park to Hualapai Hilltop, which takes about 4 hours. From there, they must hike 8 miles down the canyon to the lodge and tourist office, then hike another 2 miles to the campground.
“The trek to Havasu Falls is — to state it simply — difficult,” Visit Arizona explains. “Depending on your fitness level, the hike can be extremely strenuous, beginning (and ending) with switchbacks that change in elevation by 1,800 feet in the first 2 miles. The difficulty is compounded by heat in the summer.”
If you love waterfalls and hiking, the trek is worth the effort. On the way to the campground, you’ll pass three waterfalls: Fifty Foot, Lower Navajo, and Havasu Falls.
Moving Forward
The trip to see Havasu Falls is very popular. In fact, the Tribal Council notes that bookings for reservations typically sell out soon after they are opened for the season.
If you already have reservations to access Havasu Falls but those reservations are affected by the tourism suspension, don’t worry. The Tribal Council explains that you can rebook your trip for the same dates in 2023.
All reservations for dates after May 31, 2022, are not impacted “at this time,” the Tribal Council notes.
More information about booking and rebooking reservations can be found here.
Know Before You Go
The Tribal Council explains that it is actively involved in vaccination efforts to protect the community and tribal members in Supai Village and, as a result, the Havasupai Reservation and Supai Village remain on lockdown and are closed to all tourists. “Please do not travel to the Havasupai Reservation or Supai Village,” the Tribal Council notes.
“The Tribe looks forward to welcoming tourists back to Havasupai when it is safe to do so,” the Tribal Council continues.
If you’d like to learn more about Havasu Falls, be sure to read Visiting Arizona’s Havasu Falls: What To Know Before You Go. Be sure to also visit our Grand Canyon National Park and Arizona coverage.
