How To Get Havasupai Falls Permits: Visit Havasu Falls In 2024

It requires some effort, patience, and persistence, but you can make plans now to visit Havasupai Falls in 2024.  

FEBRUARY UPDATE: Havasupai Permits Were Oversold AGAIN

The Havasupai Tribe oversold permits again in 2024, but it appears the situation is now resolved.

The first clue came on February 7th, days after permits went on sale to the public. Suddenly all permit holders got an email offering a “one-time only refund opportunity.” It immediately raised eyebrows, since the Tribe is notoriously strict about their rules. For a few days, people who got permits in the presale and general sale had the opportunity to forfeit them without penalty.

The second clue came in private messages from reps at the Havasupai Tribe’s Tourism Office. They admitted they were trying to figure out the extent of the issue, how many they’re oversold by, and whether permit holders will be impacted.

If you didn’t get an email about over-booking from the Tribe, your Havasupai reservation is still good. People with reservations at the lodge were notified in March about oversold rooms on certain dates. It’s unclear how many people were impacted by overbookings.

Changes for Havasupai Falls Permits in 2024

• The campground fee increases to $455 per permit.
• The Havasupai Lodge price increases to $2,277 (for 3 nights).
• A new presale for permits ran January 5th-18th.
• Public reservations opened February 1st.
• Mule reservations are $200 each way (to carry luggage, not people).

The Havasupai Tribe rolled out a presale for permits for the first time in 2024, to mixed results. It’s unclear how many presale permits were granted, and several people say the dates they were given were *not* the dates they registered for. We can’t tell for sure if the reservation system had a glitch, or if it was operator error. Here’s what we do know:

• The permit presale ran January 5-18.
• Each cost a nonrefundable $15.
• Those selected were notified January 25-26.
• Those selected were automatically charged $455 each for permits.
• After some concerns about the initial rollout, the Tribe allowed people to cancel their presale reservations.
• Surprisingly, the Tribe offered everyone a refund opportunity for 3-days in February.

The new presale immediately drew criticism. The Tribe’s reservation system forced people to choose three dates … *PLUS an entire month.

Of course, not everyone has that kind of flexibility with their vacation schedule, so it resulted in many people getting “selected” for a weekend they didn’t really want… because it fell within their preferred month. Those people will have to put their reservations up for sale on the Tribe’s transfer website for other hikers to purchase.

There are several things we don’t know:

• How many permits were granted in the presale?
• Did people “significantly” increase their chances by registering for the presale, as the Tribe claims?
• Will it return in 2025 with changes?

The bulk of the permits to visit Havasu Falls and the other amazing sites at Havasupai became available to the public February 1, which is traditionally the date the Tribe releases them.

Reservations became available for the following dates:

• Campground: February 1 – November 30
• Lodge: April 1 – November 30

Permit Problems

Predictably, the Havasupai Reservations website experienced a crush of visitors right at 8:00am (Arizona time). The site didn’t load for the first 2 hours, but started taking reservations around 10:00am.

This has happened every year since the Tribe switched from a phone reservation system to online. If you didn’t secure permits at first, try again.

Remember: you’ll likely have luck snagging transfer permits on the Tribe’s cancellation/transfer website in the days or weeks to come.

The Havasupai Falls permit system has evolved over the years, from a telephone call-in system to online reservations.  The server inevitably becomes overwhelmed, with people from around the world logging on to book permits at the same time.

The process can be a hassle, but ask anyone who’s been there: one look at Havasu Falls makes it worth all the effort!

Permit Limits for Havasupai Reservations

The Tribe limits the number of people on permits for both campground reservations and lodge reservations:

• 12 people max per trip leader for the campground.
• 12 people max per trip leader for the lodge.
• At the lodge, that means 3 rooms, with 4 people per room.

Buy Havasupai Falls Permit Cancellations or Transfers

Don’t despair if you didn’t succeed in trying to book a Havasupai reservation on February 1st.  

The Havasupai Tribe will post reservation cancellations throughout the year.

After the public reservations are given out in February (for all of 2024) there’s still hope, but it takes some diligence.

You should continue to check the cancellation list daily. People’s plans change, and they’re eager to off-load the expensive permits to someone who can purchase and use them!

➡️ CLICK: The Havasupai Falls Permit Cancellation List

You have to log onto the reservations site a few seconds before 8:00am every morning to see what’s available.

Cancellations are posted automatically right at 8:00am each day, all at once in a batch.

They go fast!  It’s rare to see stragglers left on there later in the day.

While most of the posted transfers are for the month ahead, you’ll also find dates available as far away as October and November.  So if your target dates for a Havasupai Falls permit are in September or October, it’s still worth logging on every morning to see what’s available!

The permit allows you to park at the Hualapai Hilltop lot for three nights.

It also includes a three-night stay in the Havasupai Falls Campground, which is 11-miles in from the trailhead in the parking lot. You’ll camp right alongside beautiful Havasu Creek.

The Havasupai Falls permits are good for three days and four nights.

You can start your hike (or flight) to Havasu Creek on any day of your reservation permit.  There are no partial permits or refunds for unused days.  You’ll pay for all three nights and four days even if you fly in on the helicopter and only spend a night in the Havasupai Lodge.

You must leave Havasupai Falls on or before the final day of your reservation.

The wristband you get at check-in must be worn at all times.

Personally, I’d visit Havasupai any time of year, but keep this general information in mind:

• It’s 100+ in the summer.
• It can snow in November, December, January, and February.
• Snowmelt has been known to flood Havasu Creek in the spring.
• Flash floods from monsoon storms can hit from July through September.

I wouldn’t let any of those factors dissuade me from visiting. They’re just important realities you should keep in mind when you try to book your Havasupai reservations.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the heat at Havasupai Falls in the summer.  

The hike in to Havasu Creek will be hot, so you’ll just have to start well before dawn.  The trail has shady spots along the canyon to cool off in.  

The summer of 2023 was relentlessly hot in Arizona. Temperatures at Supai topped 100 degrees many days in July.

The water temperature of Havasu Creek will be in the 70s all summer, which makes it perfect for cooling off in the heat!

One drawback of a visit to Havasupai Falls in the summer is the threat of monsoon flooding.   It tends to happen later in the summer (August and September).

An alert system is setup to warn the tribe if a storm in the region is triggering a flash flood that’s heading toward Supai and Havasupai Falls. It can take anywhere from one day to 10 days for the creek to clear after a flood like this one in March of 2023:

The fall months, much like the spring, bring more enjoyable weather for a visit to Havasupai Falls.  The extreme heat is gone.

However, the threat of storms remains.  Several times over the years, floods have hit Havasupai in September and October.

Still, most days will be ideal for hiking and swimming in Havasu Creek. Beaver Falls is a favorite swimming hole along the creek.

For me, personally, a winter visit to Havasupai Falls isn’t ideal.  The hike in might be nice, but once you’re there, the overnight temperatures will dip into the 20s, and the area sees snowfall every winter.

Plus, contrary to what other blogs say, Havasu Creek is not a constant 70 degrees.  The water temperature fluctuates from the 70s in the summer down into the 50s in the winter.

Still, some people enjoy bundling up and camping in the cold. Plus, the waterfalls along Havasu Creek remain stunning through the winter!

Tourism is, by far, the Havasupai Tribe’s #1 source of income.  Still, demand is so high for permits to Havasupai Falls that strict limits are put on visitors.

The Havasupai Tribe doesn’t release exact numbers, but public filings online with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other government agencies provide some insight.

The tribe grants roughly 100 permits per day, and welcomes around 30,000 visitors per year to Havasu Falls and the other beautiful waterfalls along Havasu Creek.

Because of the limits, you will never feel crowded, either on the hiking trails or at the waterfalls, like Beaver Falls (downstream three miles from the campground):

While many hikers who got permits to hike in 2020 were elated in 2023 to finally get the chance to visit Havasupai Falls, others lost interest or couldn’t find the time to reschedule post-pandemic.

Whatever the reason, a lot of people surrendered their permits in 2023, transferring them to other eager hikers. Permit transfers can only be done on the official Havasupai Tribe Reservation website.

The cost to buy one of the transferred Havasupai Falls permits was $395 (per person) in 2023.  So if the reservation was for two people, you paid $790.

The cost of a permit in 2024 is up to $455 (a $60 increase per person).

The Havasupai Tribe says the fiasco involving cancellations due to double-booking in the spring of 2023 is over.

Many people who got permits for 2020 waited years to visit, and excitedly planned their trips … only to have the tribe abruptly tell them they could no longer come and would have to rebook AGAIN. 

In a statement, the Havasupai Tourism Office says, as of now: “All confirmed campground reservations that were impacted by the oversold situation have been rescheduled to alternate dates in either 2023 or 2024.”

People impacted were told to pick new dates in 2023 or 2024.

It’s still not clear what happened, but the Tribe says: it was a one-time mess.

The Havasupai Tribe claims they hired a third-party company to handle reservations and rebookings during the pandemic.  They say the vendor, which remains unidentified, double-booked visitors for many days during February, March, April, and May of 2023.

It resulted in hundreds or maybe even more than a thousand people losing the dates they’d planned for.

Still, demand for Havasupai Falls permits is so high, a messy permit system for the post-pandemic reopening won’t have any impact on the number of people seeking permits now for 2024.

Tribal members with a Certificate of Indian Birth (CIB) can visit Havasupai Falls for free.

Still, you have to go through the same reservation process as everyone else, book your trip, and pay all the fees upfront.

Following your trip, you can submit for reimbursement by sending your information to:  support@havasupaireservations.com.

You may even get discounts on the helicopter ride and move to the front of the line if you present your CIB on site.

People who remember hiking to Havasupai Falls in the 1980s paid nominal camping fees.

In the late 2000s, the price was up to $35 for a permit, plus $17 per night for the campground, and another $5 environmental fee. It totaled under $60 for a trip to this paradise.

By the time the Havasupai Tribe reopened to tourists after the pandemic, prices for a permit climbed to $395 per person.

The figures documented by the Havasupai Tribe range.

The Tribe says annual revenue from tourism in 2016 was $3.5 million, when the cost of a Havasupai Falls permit was $85.  

With permit costs now at $455 in 2024, the Tribe stands to bring in more than $13 million annually. That number has not been officially documented publicly by the Tribe, so it’s just an estimate based on permit numbers and current Havasupai reservation fees.

The Havasupai Tribe went without any tourism revenue for three years during the pandemic, so they’re still working their way back from that major financial hit.

Aside from the pandemic closing Havasupai Falls for three years, floods continue to impact the area and cut into the Tribe’s finances.

In 2023 alone, a flood left piles of debris, damaged trails, and washed-out ladders and bridges. The annual cleanup and replacement costs add up.

The Tribe is constantly working to repair prior storm damage, and also mitigate future hazards to prevent catastrophic damage to the Village of Supai down the line.

Add to that: the escalating costs of dealing with garbage. Since there are no roads to the area, garbage left behind by tourists often has to be flown out of the campground in bulk.

As part of a long-term plan, the Havasupai Tribe outlined a number of steps toward assuring a future, which balances tourism demands, their financial needs, and maintaining the natural beauty of this very special place.

The planning documents posted by the Tribe say entrance fees, camping fees, and environmental fees are likely to go up further to cover:

• trash removal
• trail management
• environment protection activities
• hazard (flood) mitigation
• rescues and emergencies

Havasupai Falls reopened in 2023, with a few changes which will remain in place for visitors in 2024.

The New Check-in Procedure for the Havasupai Falls Hike

All Havasupai Falls permit holders have to check-in at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, on Route 66 near the town of Seligman, Arizona.  It’s an eclectic place full of Route 66 memorabilia and signage. The complex is home to a motel, an underground cavern, and a diner.

Walk through the Grand Canyon Caverns‘ main door, and follow the signs to the Havasupai Falls permit check-in area.   You’ll fill out some paperwork, and get your wristband, which truly feels like a “golden ticket!”

The trip leader on the permit has to check-in for all members of their group.  

They can do this the day before your hike … OR … the morning of your hike.

For summertime hikers, I’d suggest checking in the night prior, so you can begin your hike earlier to avoid the midday heat.

Check-in times can change. The window opened from 8:00am – 5:00pm, but the hours expanded to 6:00am – 7:00pm halfway through last season.

It might be worth a call to the Caverns to double-check times for your arrival.

While the new check-in location is at a motel in the area, I’d stay at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs, Arizona.  It’s an easy 10-minute drive to the check-in location at Grand Canyon Caverns.

➡️ Click to Book: Hualapai Lodge

The Lodge features large rooms, with plenty of space to pack all of your gear, or prepare it for a mule ride (if you’ve reserved one).

There’s a small market, plus a restaurant serving breakfast early each morning.  It’s a great place to get a final rest on a real bed, and maybe more importantly: a hot shower!

You can check this interactive map for other options in the area for your dates:

You’ll drive to a checkpoint on Indian Road 18, about an hour north of Peach Springs, AZ.  Everyone in the group will be required to show their paperwork and wristbands.  The checkpoint is about five miles before the Hualapai Hilltop parking lot.

It may or may not be staffed. Like many parts of the Havasupai Falls experience, the checkpoint is somewhat unpredictable.
If it’s staffed, the person may prevent you from driving through after 2:00pm.

The lot at the trailhead will likely be full, so chances are you’ll have to park along the road, which is perfectly fine.

Some people end up parking more than half-a-mile away from the Havasupai Falls Trailhead in the main lot.  If that’s the case when you arrive, drop all your big bags off in the lot, and then go park.  That way it doesn’t add an extra half-mile of walking with 35 pounds of gear on your back! The mules in the lot will watch them 😀

Your reservation paperwork will go in the window of your vehicle while it’s parked either in the Hualapai lot or along the road.

You can no longer camp at the Hualapai Hilltop.  For years, hikers drove up and slept in their cars overnight to get an early start on their hikes.  This is no longer allowed.

You can, however, spend the night at a hotel and drive up well before dawn to begin your hike (*if you checked in the day prior at Grand Canyon Caverns).  You’ll likely find the road checkpoint open and unstaffed before 8:00am.  If that’s the case, you can drive right through the cones to the lot.

You’ll find this panoramic view from the lot:

The cafe in Supai is open to tourists, though it closes randomly for maintenance.  They might pause guests from coming inside if it gets too crowded.

The market in Supai sells basic supplies. Its inventory is really meant for the locals in town.  Still, tourists can find tuna fish, drinks, and some other camping snacks inside.  We bought some sandwiches (Uncrustables) and drinks there for our hike out.

Photography is banned in the village of Supai, so I can’t show you what the little town square looks like.

The list is lengthy, and largely the result of poor behavior by tourists in the past.  As of 2024, these are among the banned items:

• Drones
• Inflatables/tubes
• Alcohol
• Dogs
• Campfires

Keep in mind: it’s quite a hike (about 2 miles) from the lodge to Havasu Falls and the other waterfalls along Havasu Creek.   

I wouldn’t want to finish my day at Beaver Falls or Mooney Falls, and then have to hike another two miles back up to the lodge.

With that said, I understand how others would appreciate a shower (and air conditioning during the summer).

Again, in 2024 prices for the Havasupai Lodge increased to $2,277 per room in 2024.

Each room at the Havasupai Lodge is limited to 4 people, so if you split the 3 nights between 4 people, it comes out to $190 a night.

One group leader can book 12 reservations, which would be a max of three rooms at the lodge.

You can hire a mule to carry your bags, but you have to reserve the mule when you pay for your permit.

The price to have a mule carry your bag from the Hualapai Hilltop to the Havasupai Falls Campground is $400 (round trip) in 2024. It’s the same price people paid last year.

The pack mules and horses have been part of Havasupai life for centuries, but their role in tourism is controversial.  The Havasupai Tribe says they’ve taken steps to improve the treatment of the pack mules and horses, and these limits are strictly enforced:

• 4 bags max per mule
• 32 pounds per bag max 

If you make a reservation and pay for a mule to carry your gear, keep this information in mind:

• Drop bags off by 10:00am at the Hualapai Hilltop Trailhead
• Drop bags off by 7:00am at the Havasupai Falls Campground on the way out (pictured below)

Prices are always subject to change for anything at Havasupai Falls, and the cost of a helicopter flight went up when the tribe reopened the falls to tourists post-pandemic.  

Here is the updated list of things to keep in mind for anyone wanting to fly to Havasupai Falls:

• Cost: $100 per person, each way
• You may pay an extra $50 for luggage
• Helicopter flies: Sundays / Mondays / Thursdays / Fridays
• Flights begin at 10:00am, and supposedly go until everyone who signed up has gone
• Credit cards accepted

 Again, you should always be prepared to hike in case the helicopter is down for maintenance, or it’s a holiday, or the helicopter is busy doing something else (like supply runs or a rescue).

Locals and construction workers always take priority, and go to the front of the line ahead of the tourists.

The reopening of Havasupai Falls resulted in a series of rescues, most of which happened at Beaver Falls in the summer of 2023.

Havasu Falls and Little Navajo Falls (which are between the village of Supai and at the start of the campground area) are the two safest waterfalls to visit along Havasu Creek. No additional hiking is needed to access either waterfall.

The Havasupai Tribe says cliff-diving is prohibited, but many hikers take the chance anyway. Many injuries are caused by rocks they didn’t realize are underwater. Hikers in 2023 suffered broken bones and head injuries when they landed unexpectedly on those hidden dangers.

Helicopter hoist rescues are really the only way to get an injured hiker out of this remote area, and the hiker is responsible for the cost.

While a lot of people refer to the area as “Havasu Falls,” Havasu is just one of several waterfalls along Havasu Creek which make up Havasupai Falls.  

Let’s tackle some of the frequently-asked-questions about the permit process.  Some of these I’ve answered above, but bear repeating:

Can you do a day hike to Havasu Falls?

No, it’s physically not possible to visit Havasu Falls in a day.  Even if you take the helicopter in, it drops you off at the Village of Supai, which is two miles from Havasu Falls.   You wouldn’t be able to hike down, spend time at the waterfall, and then hike up to the village to catch a helicopter back.

What’s the best time of year to hike to Havasu Falls?

I talked about my opinions above.  For me, mid-April through May is the best stretch to hike to Havasupai Falls, and also enjoy time camping and exploring the sites along Havasu Creek.

When do Havasupai Falls permits go on sale?

Traditionally February 1st of each year, the Havasupai Tribe opens up the reservation system for the entire year.

On February 1, 2024, the Havasupai Tribe plans to open the reservation system for the year.

How long does it take to hike to Havasu Falls?

It depends on the people in your group and how heavy your packs are.  Without a pack (if it goes by mule) you could cover the 11 miles in four hours.  Otherwise, for us with our 40-pound backpacks, it took closer to six hours.

Is there cell service at Havasupai Falls?

You’ll have a bar or two of service on the road just before the parking lot at the Hualapai Hilltop.  
From there, you’ll lose all service for almost all of the 11-mile hike from the trailhead to Havasu Falls and the campground.

It’s best to turn your phone on “airplane mode” so you don’t waste the battery searching for service as you hike in.

You’ll likely get some service right near Little Navajo Falls, after you pass through the Village of Supai. I got just enough of a signal to send an “I’m Alive!” text back home 😅 before we hiked down to Little Navajo.

Wrap: Is a Havasupai Falls Permit Worth It?

Undoubtedly in my mind, the answer is YES.

I waited for a decade for my permit, and it was worth it.  

Arizona is home to iconic hikes, from the Grand Canyon to the Page area, to the red rocks of Sedona.  I’ll even through Camelback Mountain in Phoenix onto the list.

But the Havasupai Falls are in a class by themselves. I kept thinking, “How is this in the desert southwest!?”

We ran into other hikers from Asia and Europe, who’d all worked hard to secure a permit, and universally had their expectations surpassed at Havasupai Falls.