Havasupai Falls & Mooney Falls at the Grand Canyon

The best Hike in Arizona 

 If heaven looked like this, I wouldn't be afraid of death. I took this trip 3 years in a row. Why? See picture at bottom. This trip involves an 11-mile hike down the switchbacks of the Grand Canyon (A dirt trail zig zagging back and forth to minimize some the steep descent). Making your way through a small section of the bottom of the canyon eventually has you arriving at a small Indian village of the Supai Tribe. Here's a short summarization of my trips: 

Descending the switchbacks from the parking area is a steep decline but once reaching the bottom, it becomes a nature hike. Bring binoculars as you should experience a wide array of wildlife such as mountain lions, bobcat, eagles and perhaps even a pack of wild horses. After the initial 5 or so miles of dry but beautiful landscape, you will approach a small creek lined by trees which will get progressively thicker until it will seem like a different world altogether. 8 miles of hiking from the top you will finally walk into the Havasupai Indian reservation. Everything in this town had to be packed in by mule or helicopter piece by piece. This town has no road in and no road out for motorized vehicles. Soon you'll realize why the natives love their little piece of paradise so much. Next we hike through soft dirt along the same meandering vegetation-lined creek as it becomes increasingly more green and beautiful. The creek itself will start to take on a noticeable transformation and seems to develop a concrete-looking "liner". This is the result of deposits made by the spring water carrying soft stone out of the earth. This hard substance is the same kind of material our travertine floors are composed of. The stone, or lime deposits fossilize leaves, old fallen tree limbs and anything else that happens to be in the water, even animals and fish. The crystal clear water, the creeks backdrop of travertine and the sky's blue reflection look like something you might see at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The trip seems to get shorter as you get caught up in its scenery. 

 I would never have believed how beautiful and diverse this trip can be had I not experienced it for myself. Mere words cannot describe the "Most beautiful place on earth”. This was our second year hiking to Havasupai Falls and I brought one of my buddies, Eric, to whom I talked about this adventure for a year since  the last trip.  I told him, "You won’t believe it when you see it Eric! You WILL think it looks fake, perhaps even man made." The main event and the best part of this trip is when you crest the top of the falls. From the top, where the dusty trail ends and sensory overload begins, is the part of the trip where I promise you will say to yourself, "Holy Cow!", "Wow!" and "OMG!" 

Eric and I finally reached the aforementioned point and I made sure I was right there when he reached it. There we stood at the end of the dusty trail looking down on Havasupai Falls, after a few moments of silence Eric said "That’s not real! It's got to be man made... it just has to be!"   

We hiked down the rather steep trail alongside the falls through the sprays of water and passed the cave behind the bottom of the waterfall.  We continued along the bank of the 12-foot wide hot spring pool attached to the main body of cold water at the base of the falls along the edge of the water to a point directly across the waterfall to the many descending pools of cascading water. Each pool looks like a private bubbling jacuzzi with a negative edge spillway. We stopped to rest and soaked our sore dogs (feet) in the bubbling blue pools of cold water while admiring the rainbow in the spray from the water fall. After some small talk and resting up a bit,  we put on our shoes, said good bye to the falls and made our way through the canopy of trees to find a desirable camping location. We setup camp and hung our food in the trees to keep them out of reach of critters as there are Havalina and other animals that would love a free dinner. On this trip the animals got into one of our backpacks which resulted in us having to hike all the way back into town to restock some of the food supplies. our camping spot was perfect!  We could see and hear the babbling creek from our camp and yet it was far enough to avoid the hiking traffic. This camping spot will be our home and meeting spot for the next 6 days. A refreshing bath with biodegradable soap was invigorating, providing a second wind to do a little exploring with the few hours of remaining daylight we had left.  

The morning was unbelievable. We awoke after a good night’s sleep to a beautiful blue sky over a Green paradise, the aroma of bacon in the pan and golden rays of sunshine broadcasting an array of colors along the high canyon walls. After freshening up in the small spring coming out of the canyon wall, we prepared for a day of exploration. We learned from the last trip that when you have several people in your group, the best way to find all the good stuff is to explore different areas separately on the first day and then report back to enjoy it together  the second day. Walking through sunny trails of knee-deep vines blanketed in colorful flowers and interesting plant life is another great  experience for the senses. Do not forget to top off the 'ole canteen from one of the many springs designated for drinking before you go.  

The second day we hiked half a mile to Mooney falls, wow another great water fall. This one is bigger than Havasupai Falls with a beautiful pool at the base where the travertine lined stream split and curves around a big sunny grass area sort of resembling the 9th tee at the Sawgrass golf course, breathtaking. Unfortunately as we peered over the top of the falls and through the falls spray we spotted a young couple making love right in the middle of the grass at the base of the falls. I assume this was some kind of nature inspired fantasy they were acting out, don't really blame them. We were quickly noticed, their fantasy came to an abrupt end and they quickly disappeared in the dense brush. After giving the embarrassed couple a chance to hide, we carefully ascended, holding on to ropes spikes and ladders through a series of small cave switchback resembling lava tubes to the bottom of Mooney Falls. On the way down we noticed a cave in the side if the canyon walls and thought it would be interesting to explore it. By climbing a still existing ladder and spikes that once held ladders we made it up the side of the canyon and into the mine shaft. There were beautiful crystals protruding from crevices in walls and what appeared to be ancient Indian scribbling. The vantage point was great for photos but we thought it better to leave everything at the bottom to climb unencumbered and possibly getting snagged on the way up, what a shame! So beautiful, from there we saw a pack of wild horses running, again no camera! After getting back down to safety we continued a bit farther did some swimming and returned to camp in time for dinner and some good guitar playing with bad singing by yours truly around the ole sterno can.(no fires aloud)  

 The next few days seemed like minutes and soon it was time to pack up our trash and go. The hike back was just as fun and less strenuous without all that food. The memories of those trips will last a lifetime, I wish everyone could experience the beauty of the Havasupai area and its people.  

Someone once said to me, "Don't you wish Heaven could be whatever you want it to be?" If I had my wish, my heaven would be Havasupai.  

   The best time to go is in late spring and early fall  

  First of all you want to pack light with dry foods and wear good shoes. I lost my toenails all three times on the hikes so good comfortable hiking shoes will only make the trip more enjoyable. bring a small tent, sleeping bag and toiletries. (they have Porta Johns at the camp site and in town but none in between) There is a few other modes of transportation besides hiking and those choices are mule or helicopter. 2 year advance reservations required.  

 The trail carves through a narrow canyon as you make your way to the village. Please carefully listen for and Watch out for the mule pack trains that frequent the trail during tourist season and DO NOT wear headphones. When a train comes by, please move as far as possible to the uphill side of the trail. Hikers standing close to or standing on both sides of the trail makes it extremely difficult for packers to ensure your safety. DO NOT reach out to touch the pack horses as not all horses are tame.  

 The trail can be hot, dry, and dusty. Remember to carry plenty of water with you - at least 2 liters of water or more if necessary. Children are advised not to hike in the canyon without a chaperone at anytime. 

As you near the village, you will hear and see the creek water. Please follow that downstream and make sure you cross the bridge to connect to the trail leading to the village. Please stay to your right all the way! 

Hikers are encouraged to start early to avoid the midday heat during the summer. Never hike in the middle of the day to avoid serious ailments such as dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Carry plenty of water!   

Hotels.com

Trip planning and Strenuous level from 1 to 10 

Planning factor 10  Strenuous level 5-10 depending on mode of transportation.