Havasu Falls

For hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years the Havsupai tribe have lived in the village of Supai, hidden deep within a side canyon of the Grand Canyon. Havasu Creek is born from huge springs and runs down the level sandy floor of the canyon through the fields and village. Just below Supai it cascades down Navajo Falls, then winds through a series of beautiful pools alongside a campground. Then it abruptly drops over Havasu Falls.

This free-leaping falls is about a hundred feet high. It drops into a deep pool rimmed with smaller pools and concentric rings of shallow basins. The contrast of the blue-green water at the base of the falls with the red rock of the cliffs is truly amazing.

Visiting Havasupai and the famous waterfalls is quite an adventure. To begin with, it is a long drive through very empty country on historic Route 66, from the interstate highway at Williams to the brink of the canyon. There is no road down into the canyon, just a trail. Mail is delivered by daily mule train -- the last U.S. post office to rely on pack trains. Visitors can hike down, or ride a mule, or fly in by helicopter.

The trail starts steeply down a cliff, alternately blasted into the sandstone and built up on stone walls. Then it wanders down a rocky draw with interesting rocks and desert vegetation. Eventually it meets a larger canyon coming in from the right, with a cold clear stream flowing down it. After another mile the canyon widens and one comes to the village of Supai, a scattering of small houses in the irrigated fields and pastures. There is a small store, a snack bar, and a motel. The whole area is Indian land and all visitors must pay a daily fee at the tribal office.

The Havasupai are sometimes called "the people of the blue-green waters". The lime-rich water of the creek is indeed a striking color, especially in the deep pools below the falls. Water that carries a heavy load of carbonates (lime) tends to deposit rims of rocky material, know as travertine, all around the edges. The quiet stretches of Havasu Creek between the falls are heavily encursted with travertine, creating an amazing series of small swimming holes. Summer weather here can be very hot, but the spring-fed creek is always cool. There is a campground right alongside the stream. A sign at the top of the falls says "Jumping from this point is prohibited. Violators will be fined $500.00" -- it could easily add "if they live".

The trail continues down the canyon below Havasu Falls, to Mooney Falls and eventually to the Colorado River.