This wanderlust destination provides sites unimaginable
Seeing a waterfall in the desert is quite a surprising and startling occasion. Thrill fills you. The sound of the flowing water confuses. The mist spraying off refreshes you. Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon provides this exact experience. Resting 1.5 miles outside of Supai, Arizona; this wanderlust destination provides its visitors with sites unimaginable.
In 2017 I was afforded the ability to visit Havasu Falls due to the diligence of five friends constantly refreshing their screens. Havasupai has become a top destination for travelers looking for something unique. The Havasupai Tribe has inhabited this area since around 1300 AD. Their name means. “People of the Blue-Green Water,” which does a great job of describing Havasu Falls.
Located 60 miles north of the closest major road and an additional 9 mile hike to the city, Supai is one of the most remote places in the United States. My adventure took me to the village of Supai in March. This afforded us mild weather for our entire visit. The summer temperatures can exceed 115 degrees, which leaves the falls as a refreshing respite from the heat.
Havasu Falls is located in Coconino County in the southwest corner of Grand Canyon National Park. If you are hiking into the canyon, you’ll begin at Hualapai Hilltop. The hike begins with a two mile descent to the canyon floor, which you’ll follow until arriving at the juncture of Havasu Creek. From there, you simply follow the creek until arriving at Supai and further past at Havasu Falls.
When we were at the falls in March, we arrived as the sun was setting in the canyon. In the base of the canyon in the winter, the temperature dropped nicely providing us with a chilly dip in the pool beneath the falls. The rich color of the water in Havasu creek is provided by the high calcium carbonate concentration in the water. (Fun fact, corals create an exoskeleton made of calcium carbonate!) The falls didn’t always appear as they do in this photo. It was formerly known as Bridal Veil Falls, when it consisted of numerous streams of water falling over the edge. Since 1910, the single flow pattern has predominated the path of the falls.
Formerly known as Bridal Veil Falls
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[…] wall. This isn't the first photo from my hike in Hualapai Canyon. In previous galleries we saw Havasu Falls, a landscape of Hualapai Canyon, and a Plateau Fence Lizard. One thing is certain; this canyon is […]