Supai Closed Until 2009 Due to Dam Break, Flood

If you were hoping to visit Havasupai Falls this year, you’re unfortunately out of luck. The trail to Supai Village and beyond to the falls is closed to tourists until 2009 due to the flood last week that prompted the evacuation of 400 people.

No one was injured in the flood, thankfully, as officials and helicopters worked through the night to lift residents and tourists to safety. But the trail was damaged extensively – so much so that the resident Havasupai tribe will need the rest of the year to clean it up. The trail, mostly mud and rock, was washed away completely in some spots.

Supai is home to the Havasupai Indian Reservation – and is a truly magical place. I had the chance to visit in 2003 and believe it to be one of the most beautiful places on the face of the Earth. An 8-mile hike into the Grand Canyon from Hualapai Hilltop, the village is a modest place with a small inn, restaurant, and supply shop. Here is where you purchase camping permits (and get a bite to eat). Another two miles down the trail lies the main attraction – the waterfalls.

The first falls you see are the majestic Havasu Falls. The blue-green aquamarine of the water is stunning against the red rock walls – and after a rocky hike in the intense Arizona heat, it looks like Heaven. A large travertine pool (which is currently dry due to the flood) provides plenty of space for swimming beneath the falls and there’s a small beach to lounge on and revel in the majesty of the place.

Campsites are available all along Havasu Creek, which is a tributary of the Colorado River. The most coveted spots lie along the banks – we were lucky to find one with a rope swing that swung out over the crystal clear water (and that we used rather extensively).

Further down the trail is Mooney Falls – the tallest of Havasupai’s falls. To reach the pool beneath Mooney, you have to navigate your way down the side of the canyon through a steep tunneled path. Fixed chains help you down (and back up) and are necessary as the trail gets very slippery in spots due to spray from the falls. We made the mistake of trying to get our dog down this part of the trail and had to turn around after we almost lost him off the side. That was a scary moment – needless to say he spent the rest of that day at the campsite.

Past Mooney Falls, the trail to Beaver Falls gets a little tricky in spots with a steep (and slightly scary) descent on old wooden ladders, a short rope climb, and lots of big rocks. While parts of the trail require careful attention, all in all it’s a moderate difficulty level – nothing that can’t be handled by taking it slow. Your reward is arriving at Beaver and watching the thundering water rush by. There’s nothing like the sight, sound and power of a Grand Canyon waterfall.

On the way out, you can mail a postcard from Supai Village that will bear a stamp saying it was carried by mule out of the Grand Canyon. Supai is the only place in the country that still sends and receives mail via mule. You, too, can be carried out (by horseback) if you find yourself too exhausted to hike out. We actually ended up saddling our backpacks to a mule for the return trek up the steep and winding switchbacks. It was well worth the $40. The trip itself… worth much, much more.

I’ve been meaning to make it back to Havasupai ever since that incredible week in 2003. There’s really no where else like it in the world. Here’s to hoping the Havasupai Tribe gets the trail and waterfalls back in shape soon. And if you’ve never been there, add it to your list for next year. It’s a must see, to say the least.