HAVASUPAI WATERFALLS

FAQ'S

COMMON QUESTIONS FROM OUR GUESTS

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE HIKE INTO HAVASUPAI CAMPGROUND?

 

The trail begins at Hilltop parking lot overlooking a vast canyon. You will immediately descend down the canyon through 1.5 miles of switchbacks. The next 6.5 miles are relatively flat hiking between the stunning canyon walls and dry riverbeds until you reach the Supai Village. Here you will check-in with our guide, rest, grab a bite to eat then continue your journey for an additional 2 miles to the campgrounds. The 10 mile hike from Hilltop to the campground is considered a moderate hike. An average hiker will take 2.5-3.5 hours to make it to the village, and an additional hour plus to get to the campground. The hike can take longer or shorter depending on your physical condition or how many pictures you take along the way. The terrain is a mixture of river rocks, sand plus soft and hard dirt trails. See this Map for a detailed Google view of the hike to the Village.

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE IN MY PACK?

Whether you’re carrying your pack in yourself, or choosing to have your pack transported by BG Wild in the helicopter sling for an additional fee, you’ll want to make sure you are packed appropriately for the trip. Here’s what you’ll want to include in your pack:

Must haves:

  • Flashlight
  • ID and cash (~$100+) for lunch/souvenirs in village, as well as tip to your guide(s) and the option to purchase a last minute pack transportation out of the canyon.
  • Comfortable hiking pack (If using our pack transportation services, you need to wrap your hiking pack in a large heavy duty black trash bag and label it “BG Wild” upon arrival to Hilltop. Make sure smaller items are tightly secured to your hiking pack)
  • 2 Liter Camelback bladder or large water bottle for the hike down (There is fresh water to refill at the campground and at the village but water is not available at hilltop or along the trail down – Prepare to fill your water bladder/bottle before you get to the trail head).
  • Tent (Disregard this if you are choosing to use one of our 2 person tents for $75 – This will help you save a lot of weight in your pack)
  • Sleeping bag and sleeping pad (Disregard this if you are choosing to use one of our sleeping bag+pad packages for $25 – This will help you save a lot of space in your pack)
  • Good hiking boots or shoes (Well broken-in footwear will help limit the blisters)
  • Clothes (Please look into the Havasupai Weather before your trip):
    • Clean socks, underwear and shirt each day
    • Shorts or pants for hiking (Plan to reuse shorts and pants several times)
    • Layers for the evenings
Optional:
  • Hat/sunglasses/bandana
  • Towel
  • Camera
  • Water shoes or sandals
  • Bathing suit
  • Biodegradable soap and shampoo (Must be biodegradable to use in the river)

Things we provide on our Traditional Trips:

  • Stoves/cooking equipment, cooking oil and seasoning
  • Forks, knives, bowls, plates, drinking cups, napkins and paper towels
  • Coffee, tea and Gatorade
  • First Aid kit, Citronella candles, bug spray and sunscreen
  • BG Wild Swag Bag: Hat, t-shirt, sunglasses, sunscreen, wet wipes, chapstick, BG Wild banner (For Photos).
Things we provide on our Comfort and Luxury Trips:
  • All items provided in the Traditional Trips above, plus the items below:
  • Meals:
    • Luxury Trip: Dinner on Thursday, Breakfast and Dinner on Friday, Breakfast and Dinner on Saturday, Breakfast to go on Sunday morning.
    • Comfort Trip: Dinner on Friday, Breakfast and Dinner on Saturday, Breakfast to go on Sunday morning
  • Snacks (You will want to bring your own snacks for the hike into the canyon)
  • Massage therapists (Luxury trips only)
  • Yoga instructors (Luxury trips only)
  • Group photo

Remember that if we transport your pack(s), there is a charge per pack and each pack can be no heavier than 45lbs. Please weigh your pack before-hand and book in advance accordingly on the website. All packs will be transported by helicopter sling from Hilltop to the Village and then we will have it packed from The Village to Camp.

 

HOW CAN I ARRANGE TO RIDE THE HAVASUPAI HELICOPTER?

 

You must make your reservation and pay the day of, either at Hilltop if riding the helicopter down or at the village if riding the helicopter back up to Hilltop. Airwest Helicopters is the official provider of helicopter transportation to and from the village. As of January 2017, they are charging $85 each way and permit one 45lb pack per person that can be carried on the passenger’s lap for the duration of the 10 minute helicopter ride. Please be prepared that they may elect to change their prices anytime and they do not accept advanced reservations, however, if you arrive and sign-up from 10am to 1pm on a Monday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday, they guaranty you a spot regardless of how long the line is. In the event of severe weather the helicopter may not be available for transportation. We have no control over the weather.

WHERE DO I PARK?

The Hilltop parking lot is directly in front of the trailhead into the canyon. Sometimes the immediate parking lot fills up, and people have to park along the road leading into the parking lot. You may have to walk a ways, but there will be parking available. We recommend carpooling if you can! We’ve never had an issue with parking lot safety, but please be sure to secure your belongings before heading into the canyon.

WHAT IF I'M FLYING IN FROM OUT OF STATE?

We recommend flying into the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. On the way to the canyon you’ll want to make sure that you arrive in Phoenix with enough time to ensure that you can make it to the trailhead before 10am on the morning of the hike (If you purchase one of our vehicle transportation tickets then you will want to follow the instructions provided with that ticket – Vehicle Transportation is only available for our comfort and Luxury Trips).
Depending on the helicopter line, trail conditions and traffic on the way out of the canyon, you could arrive back in Phoenix after 6PM on Sunday, so please plan your return flight accordingly. We recommend scheduling either a red-eye on Sunday evening or an early flight on Monday morning.
We offer tent rentals, sleeping bag rentals, pack transportation, and vehicle transportation to the trailhead and back for your convenience. Please select these optional add-on’s at the time of registration.

WHAT IF I CHOOSE TO BE TRANSPORTED FROM PHOENIX?

 

This option is for Comfort and Luxury trips only – We can transport you from Phoenix to the Hilltop and back for an additional fee of $100 per person. We will notify you of the pick up location as your trip draws closer. We will depart Phoenix at roughly 3:30am on the morning of the hike as the drive takes approximately 5 hours.

 

WHERE WILL I MEET UP WITH THE BG WILD GROUP ON THE DAY OF THE HIKE?

Traditional Trips:
You will meet with your guide in the Village, in-front of the Tourist Office. We recognize that everyone has their own hiking speed so we recommend that you get to hilltop early to prepare your gear and your body (with a plan for your drinking water and snacks according to the packing instructions in the tab above) and follow the parking and hiking instructions in the tabs above to ensure that you have plenty of time to hike to the village. Enjoy the gorgeous hike at your leisure! Once you arrive in the village (located 2 miles before the campground) you will meet your guide at the Tourist Office where they will give you a camp wristband and direct you the rest of the way to the campground, or to the local diner if you wish to grab a meal and some Indian Fry Bread. Our “Base Camp” is set up in the campgrounds area near the Fresh Water Spring. If you have opted to use one of our tents, it will be set up for you upon arrival and the guide in the Village will be able to direct you to the tent.

Comfort and Luxury Trips:
One of our guides will arrive at Hilltop between 8:30AM and 10AM (Depending on traffic and our gear/customer transportation needs). Once at hilltop, the guide will contact all guests through text and will also make a circle through the parking lot at hilltop to sweep for any of our guest’s bags that were incorrectly left at the trailhead for transportation into the canyon. After the sweep through the parking lot, the guide will take all gear to the helicopter pad to be flown into the village by sling (This bag transportation must be purchased on our website.)
A little after 10am, the guide and any guests gathered at Hilltop will begin the 10-mile hike down. We recognize that everyone has their own hiking speed so it is not expected that everyone must stick together. Enjoy the gorgeous hike at your leisure! Once you arrive in the village (located 2 miles before the campground) another one of our guides will greet you in-front of the Tourist Office with a camp wristband and direct you the rest of the way to the campground, or to the local diner if you wish to grab a meal and some Indian Fry Bread. Our “Base Camp” is set up in the campgrounds area near the Fresh Water Spring where we will share meals together, but you are free to set up your tent wherever you like. If you have opted to use one of our tents, it will be set up for you upon arrival and the guide in the Village will be able to direct you to the tent.

WILL YOU PROVIDE MEALS FOR MY DIETARY NEEDS?

For the Luxury and Comfort trips (The Traditional trips do not include snacks or meals), we are more than happy to accommodate dietary needs (Within reason). Please indicate what your needs are at the time of checkout or send an e-mail to [email protected].

 

CAN I BRING ALCOHOL?

No, all of Supai and the Havasu Canyon is a dry reservation – This includes the falls, campground, the village and hilltop.

WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?

The water at the falls remain the same refreshing temperature year-round. If you plan on swimming, you may want to plan your trip around warm weather!

  • March – April: Low 40 degrees; High 75 degrees
  • May: Low 50 degrees; High 86 degrees
  • September: Low 56 degrees; High 89 degrees
  • October: Low 46 degrees; High 78 degrees

Please keep in mind that these are just averages (See here for a 10 day forecast), and while we keep our fingers crossed for excellent weather, we cannot guarantee it! Unfortunately, we are not able to offer refunds for inclement weather unless the entire trip is cancelled due to severe flooding (extremely rare).

WHAT KINDS OF AMENITIES ARE PROVIDED IN THE HAVASUPAI CAMPGROUND?

The campground has several wood-chip filled compost toilet facilities, but no showers or electrical outlets. There is a natural spring from which we will fill our water bottles located near the Base Camp. We will have picnic tables, inflatable couches, hammocks, dishwashing and hand washing areas set-up around Base Camp.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
Please send us an Email at [email protected]

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