Havasupai Falls: Everything You Need to Know From Abbi Hearne + Brianna Madia:
Our Packing List for Three Nights in Havasu
NOTE: We are using affiliate links in this post (meaning, if you click a link and make a purchase, we will receive a percentage of that sale.) ALL PROCEEDS BRI + ABBI MAKE FROM THIS BLOG POST WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THE HAVASUAPI TRIBE.
EDITING TO ADD: Basecamp Outdoors, based in Las Vegas, has a lot of these items available for rent, as well as a Havasupai Rental Package! I just learned about this and am stoked because this is a great, sustainable, and much less expensive way to get all the gear you need for Havasu if you’re newer to backpacking, or you aren’t sure if you need/want all this gear!
About Havasu Falls
Havasu Falls is located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation deep in the Grand Canyon (on the border of Grand Canyon National Park) and requires a permit to access. There is a small village in the reservation near the falls and they manage the campground, hiking trails, permits, etc. The permits are extremely high-demand and they usually sell out within a few minutes of becoming available every February! You must have a permit to camp and visit the falls, they do not allow day hikers into the canyon. The permits are for three nights at the Suapi Campground, which is located between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls. It’s an 11 mile hike from the trailhead down into the canyon, and then you camp in the same campground all three nights and do day hikes from there.
In my opinion, this is a very approachable “first” or beginner backpacking trip due to a few factors. Firstly, it’s very easy to follow the trail and route-find. There are signs at every turn and the trail is very established. You also only set up camp once, and then do three days of day-hiking and exploring the area before packing up to leave. There are restrooms provided in the campground, the campground isn’t too crowded but you’re certainly not completely alone, and it would be relatively easy to contact rescue teams should there be an emergency. All in all, I think this is a very adventurous experience, but it’s still quite “civilized” for a wilderness backpacking trip. That being said, we do not reccomend doing this trip if you are not capable of hiking and carrying your own gear, or paying for the helicopter transport if not. There is an option for using pack animals to carry your gear, but in our opinion and experience, the conditions are unethical and abusive (more on this below). The helicopter ride in and out is an option, but only when available after fulfilling the needs of the tribe, so you shouldn’t bank on it.
The bottom line is, this area is extremely beautiful and remote. You should treat it as such. Do not commit to this trip if you aren’t wiling to spend time and energy working on the fitness and capabilities needed to carry your gear on your back 22 miles in and out of the Grand Canyon. You should also be aware that you are on this tribe’s land, and you should recreate responsibly and respectfully to their desires. It’s incredible that they allow us visitors to come enjoy their sacred creeks and waterfalls, and I would hope all visitors keep that in mind with all of their actions and interactions with tribe members!
NOTE: The Havasuapi Tribe is suffering greatly due to COVID-19, please consider donating to this GoFundMe to support them during this time. They have taken a massive hit to their income (based on tourism and permit purchases), if you hope to visit these falls in the future please consider donating now. We have used affiliate links in this post, and all proceeds will be donated to the Havasupai Tribe via GoFundMe.
Abbi Hearne + Brianna Madia’s Packing List for Backpacking to Havasuapi Falls:
Osprey 65L Women’s Backpack + Osprey 85L Women’s Backpack: The size and type of backpack you prefer will vary greatly person-to-person, but we both love our Osprey packs! Bri carried an 85L and Abbi carried a 65L, mainly because that’s what we already owned. We divided/shared some of the packing. For instance, Bri carried the bear canister with all the food and Abbi carried the tent. One of the best things about Bri’s pack is that the brain (the top compartment) can detach and become a day pack, which was super handy for all the day hikes we did! If I (Abbi) was in the market a new backpacking pack, this feature would be a hard sell for me. It was SO helpful and the day pack was great quality.
Alpine Start Instant Coffee: My all time favorite instant coffee! Make it with hot or cold water. It’s so convenient and tastes like real coffee.
Dehydrated Meals: We just picked out a few of these at REI on our way to the trailhead! We brought three dinner meals and one extra for a nice lunch. For breakfast, we brought a couple of dehydrated meals and and did bars the other mornings.
Snacks/Lunches: We mainly did bars (like Clif Bars) and random snacks for lunch, like dolmas from Trader Joes, Beef Jerkey, trail mixes, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
Goal Zero Recharger: Helpful for charging our phones. We kept them in Airplane Mode the whole time to conserve battery but since they were our primary cameras, we still liked having the extra charge!
GoPro Max: A great waterproof camera option. I brought my DSLR camera, but Bri used this and loved it!
RockTape Blister Kit: After the long hike in and the days spent walking in water, you’ll be glad you have this!
Wilderness Wipes: A great way to “clean up” after a long day of hiking and swimming.
Sea-to-Summit Packable Day Pack: My pack didn’t convert to a day pack like Bri’s, so I brought this little packable day pack for our hikes! It easily held my water bladder, camera, towel, snacks, etc.
Collapsible Water Cube: There is a freshwater spring in the campground, so you don’t have to pack in all of your water or bring a filter! But it’s helpful to have this to fill up and keep at camp for dishes, meals, and drinking water.
Pack Towel: A quick-drying towel for all the swimming and day hikes!
Bear-Proof Canister: This is required in the campground food storage. There aren’t bears, but the squirrels and rodents are VERY creative and persistent. We watched them jump up to hanging packs, climb down tie-lines, and even chew through tents. You’ll be glad you have this.
Long Spoon for Dehydrated Meals: For eating out of the dehydrated meal bags so you don’t have to worry about packing/washing dishes.
Black Diamond Headlamp: For getting around at night!
Jetboil Cooking Stove + Fuel: We used a jetboil for all of our meals and coffee. Just boil water and pour it into the dehydrated meal bag so all you have to “wash” is your utensil!
HydroFlask Waterbottle: I used a water bladder but Bri carried in two hydroflasks for the big hike and for her day hikes. We shared one for water around camp/at night.
REI Quarter Dome Tent: This tent has traveled all over the world with Callen and I for over 8 years, we love it. Such a simple design and very easy to set up!
Nemo Inflatable Pillow: Packs up small and is a huge comfort boost!
Women’s Down Sleeping Bag: I’ve had this sleeping bag for almost 8 years and it’s still going strong.
Sea-to-Summit Sleeping Bag Liner: This is my secret to keeping a fresh sleeping bag — bag liners add heat, are way more comfy than just the bag, and it’s easily washable so your bag stays cleaner longer.
Sleeping Pad: Packs small, easy to inflate, and very comfortable!
Chaco Sandals: Bri and I couldn’t have done this trip without our Chacos! Bri hiked the whole way in hers (with socks) and I wore mine for all of the day hiking in and out of the water, and for the hike out. I wore some lightweight trail shoes for the hike in, but am not recommending them because they were extremely uncomfortable and I got a lot of blisters!
For clothing, we each brought hiking pants (these are mine, highly reccomend!), a pair of leggings, shorts (these and these are great), sweat-wicking shirts for hiking (I’ve worn this on glaciers and desert towers and everything in between), sunglasses, a hat, a light puffy for nights, two swim suits each (no longer available, but this is a good option), and socks for night time.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions! We will be doing another post with our exact itinerary day-to-day as well as answering some FAQ’s soon!