Getting there
The trailhead for the descent to Supai and the Havasu falls is called Hualapai Hilltop, essentially a remote parking lot at the end of Arizona Indian Road 18, 60 miles from the original Route 66, which arcs below the Grand Canyon between Kingman and Seligman.
To reach the trailhead from the west, go east some 70 miles from Kingman (90 minutes south of Las Vegas) on what is now Arizona Route 66 to Peach Springs. Be advised that road construction and heavy congestion can produce 45-minute delays going through the Hoover Dam area, along U.S. 93. Nearby U.S. 95 is also clogged with truck traffic.
From the east, travel west on I-40 and take exit No. 123 at Seligman and Route 66. Fueling vehicles in Kingman or Seligman is probably a wise idea.
After a 65-mile drive from the west or about 35 from the east, turn left onto Indian Road No. 18 and proceed 60.5 miles to the end of the road — Hualapai Hilltop.
The closest lodging to the trailhead is at Grand Canyon Cavern Motel, near Peach Springs; call 1-928-422-4565, or go online to: www.gccaverns.com. Another option is Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs; call 1-928-769-2230.
Havasu reservations
Visitors are required to pay a $20 per person entrance fee in Havasu Canyon (any American Indian with a tribal I.D. is exempt from this fee).
Reservations are required in order to visit and stay in the village of Supai and the canyon. For reservations at the Havasupai Lodge in Supai ($96 for four people), call 1-928-448-2111. Rooms have two queen beds and air conditioning, but lack TVs and telephones. Lodge reservations are taken more than a year in advance.
The main campground area, with toilets and drinking water, is laid out along the trail and Havasu Creek between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls. For reservations,
call 1-928-448-2121. Reservations here ($10 per person a day) are accepted beginning Jan. 8 for the rest of that year. Most years, reservations are full by mid-February for the peak season (end of March through June).
Round-trip saddle/pack horses cost $120, or $70 one-way. A Havasu Falls-only day tour by horse costs $60. Maximum person weight is 250 pounds. All are two-day trip minimum.
Helicopter rides in and out of the village by Airwest are also available, if arranged in advance, by calling 1-623-516-2790. Cost is $65 one-way and $120 round-trip.
More information is also available on the Havasupai Tribe Web site: www.havasupaitribe.com.
Food and other services
An unhurried atmosphere rules Supai. The hours at the village store are 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and the restaurant is open only from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (Also note: Most of Arizona is NOT on daylight-saving time.) Visitors should plan on extra time getting services in the village — many residents don't like to rush, and local standard time seems to be a few minutes or more behind that of the outside world.
Prices at the restaurant are as costly as amusement park food and on a cash-only basis. A gallon of milk in the store goes for $6.99. Some canned goods may be topped with a layer of dust, if they haven't been purchased by tourists the previous season. Most American Indian villagers pack their own food down to Supai.
Other recommendations
Among the Havasupai tribe's other advisories and recommendations:
People need to be wary of heat exhaustion during the summer.
Diving off the waterfalls is prohibited, and swimming is at your own risk.
Firearms and possession of alcohol and drugs are illegal on the Havasupai reservation.
Visitors are advised not to bring their dogs along.