A 24 Mile Backpacking Adventure to Turquoise Waterfalls
Visiting Havasupai in Arizona has been on my bucket list for over five years. For those that haven’t heard of Havasupai, it is a remote Native American reservation deep within the Grand Canyon that is famous for its unreal turquoise waterfalls and pools. Reaching it requires a strenuous 10-mile hike each direction, with most visitors spending several days backpacking through the canyon and camping near the falls.
Along the route, you pass through the small village of Supai, one of the most isolated communities in the United States and the last place in America where mail is still regularly delivered by mule train (yes, I had to send myself a postcard). Between the towering red canyon walls, bright blue-green water, waterfalls, and hidden swimming holes, Havasupai feels unlike anywhere else in the Southwest.
For the longest time, completing this intimidating adventure always felt far off in my future. But after moving to Nevada and finding myself tackling increasingly difficult hikes and scrambles, I finally felt ready to take it on.
I am NOT going to dive deeply into the logistics of getting to and from Havasupai. There are plenty of blogs online dedicated entirely to permits, reservations, packing lists, and travel planning. My focus (pun intended) is on the PHOTOGRAPHY side of Havasupai: the iconic locations, some lesser-known spots, and tips for capturing this incredible landscape.
That being said, there are MANY ways to experience Havasupai. I chose “almost” the hardest option: backpacking all of my gear 10 miles into the canyon, camping near the waterfalls, then making the journey back out. Well… almost. I opted to fly out by helicopter instead of hiking back those final 10 miles.
Other options include (prices based on April 2026):
- Using the pack mule service so you don’t have to carry your gear the full distance (I believe $400 total both ways)
- Taking the helicopter either into or out of the canyon ($300 one way, no reservation, first come first serve)
- Staying at the lodge in Supai instead of tent camping (3 nights is about $2400 for four, versus $450 for one to camp 3 nights)
While these options can become expensive quickly, they also make Havasupai far more accessible for a wider range of visitors.
When Should You Go (As a Photographer)
I went in April, as I prefer cooler weather. Also, water levels should generally be stronger in Spring versus Fall. This makes for the best photos, in my opinion.
Last, there is more TRAFFIC in summer/fall. I can confirm I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of people on my trip. Not NONE of course, but I was often first and along at waterfalls during Sunrise. This saves you time photoshopping people out of your images!
With that, let me share some of my favorite places to photograph throughout Havasupai, along with a few tips I learned during the journey.
Hilltop and Hiking to Campgrounds
Your journey begins at Hualapai Hilltop, where you leave your car behind and begin the descent into the canyon. From here, you have a few options: take the helicopter into Supai, hike while using the pack mule service for your gear, or backpack everything yourself the full 10 miles into the village. From Supai, it is another roughly 2 miles to reach the campgrounds. As a reminder, photography is not allowed within the village itself, so be respectful as you pass through.
The campground area ended up being one of my favorite surprises of the entire trip. Instead of one centralized open campground, the sites stretch for nearly a mile along the river beneath towering canyon walls. The bright turquoise water spreads into shallow streams and little channels throughout the canyon floor, connected by makeshift log bridges and sandy paths weaving between trees. It feels much more natural and immersive than a typical campground.
What makes the campground location especially amazing is that you are perfectly positioned between Havasu Falls upstream and the top of Mooney Falls downstream. You are essentially living directly within the heart of Havasupai’s most stunning scenery, which is something the lodge back in Supai simply can’t replicate.
View from Hilltop
Your journey starts up here, at the TOP of the Canyon. While I started my backpacking journey in the dark of morning, I did take this photo when I returned to Hilltop. Ironically, that was the first time I saw this view.
Stunning Trail
The 10 mile trail from Hilltop to Supai is absolutely beautiful, taking you down into the canyon as it gets more and more narrow. There are overhangs like this that made for a great panorama.
First Signs of Water
About 8 miles in, almost there, you will start to see the turqoise waters seeping out of the ground.
Village of Supai
Seeing this sign after hiking forEVER feels like a breath of fresh air. But, still a few miles to go!!!
Campground
This encompasses the entire vibe of the 1 mile campground. Every view, every tent, you have stunning turoise waters and the sound of small cascading waterfalls.
The Three Iconic Waterfalls
There is no question that Havasu, Mooney, and Beaver Falls are the bread and butter of Havasupai. They’re what you saw on social media, they are the main reason you came all the way out here.
What I love about these three as a series is they are all very distinct and unique. Havasu is a nice overall classic, falls with small terraces. Mooney has you going through caves and down a 200 foot cliff face and is very dramatic and intense. Last, Beaver is its own adventure and is a series of large cascades that feed the largest terraces in Havasupai.
Havasu Falls
Standing around 100 feet tall, the waterfall pours over a bright red cliff into an unreal turquoise pool below that feed into many small terraces. Unlike some of the taller or more aggressive waterfalls deeper in the canyon, Havasu Falls has a softer, more symmetrical appearance that almost feels too perfect to be real.
The famous terraces and turquoise pools of Havasupai are formed by water rich in dissolved limestone and minerals, primarily calcium carbonate. As the spring-fed water flows through the canyon, it deposits these minerals over time, slowly building up natural dams and layered rock formations called travertine. This process creates the smooth terraces, cascading pools, and curved ledges seen throughout waterfalls like Havasu and Beaver Falls. The same mineral content is also what gives the water its vivid blue-green color.
Since I camped at the end closer to Supai, I was just a 5 minute walk away from this stunning waterfall. I found myself treating it as my ‘hotel pool’, after a long day of hiking and exploring it was amazing to just unwind and relax in these refreshing pools of water.
Havasu Falls - Lower View
This showcases the beautiful small terraces that sit in front of Havasu. This lower view is where you can come to relax and rest your feet in cold water after a long day. While most people seem to photograph JUST the waterfall, I found the terraces themselves amazing to photograph with a long exposure (tripod).
Havasu Falls - Upper View
THIS is the view you always see people share. It is also the FIRST view you get as you hike in. You will hear the waterfall, you won't know where it is. You hike 'past' it but with a ridge in your way. Suddenly, this view opens up right before your eyes and takes your breath away. I came back to this spot at different times of days at least a dozen times. Sunrise, midday, sunset, clear skies, cloudy skies, partly cloudy. I wanted to capture it ALL.
Mooney Falls
Mooney Falls is the tallest waterfall in Havasupai at roughly 200 feet high, and reaching it is part of the adventure itself. To access the base, you descend through a tunnel carved directly into the canyon wall before navigating steep ladders and chains bolted into the rock face. The descent alone makes this waterfall unforgettable. Once below, the falls thunder into a mist-filled pool surrounded by lush vegetation and towering canyon walls. Compared to the more open feel of Havasu Falls, Mooney feels deeper, darker, and more dramatic. The sheer height and power of the waterfall make it one of the most awe-inspiring locations in the entire canyon.
I was a bit nervous at first, but luckily all my scrambling experience paid off, and going up and down the cliff wasn’t so bad. I ended up doing it twice and was very comfortable. But you really want to be slow and careful with your steps, there is serious risk of injury on this venture.
Mooney Falls - Cave View
One of my favorite photos of this waterfall, maybe even of the entire trip, was here on the trail that goes through two small caves. This is your first cave view, and I love how the cave frames the waterfall and gives you some insight into the intensity of the location.
Mooney Falls Base of Ladders
Your final obstacle from the 200 foot cliff is this large ladder. The hard part about the last 1/3 of the climb down is that it is WET and SLICK from the waterfall. It is very steep and that doesn't help. However, the ladder has grooves that your feet sit into and I found that to be very easy. I also thought their old style made for a great image.
Mooney Falls - Distant View
I actually caught this after returning from Beaver Falls. At just the right time of day, the sunlight casts down into this canyon and highlights the constant mist that this huge waterfall releases.
Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls feels completely different from the other major waterfalls in Havasupai. Instead of one massive vertical drop, Beaver is a series of smaller cascading terraces spread across multiple levels of bright turquoise pools. The water flows gently over moss-covered limestone ledges, creating dozens of little waterfalls and swimming areas throughout the canyon. Reaching Beaver Falls requires a longer hike beyond Mooney Falls, including several river crossings and ladders, which helps keep it feeling more remote and adventurous. The layered terraces and vibrant greenery give Beaver Falls an almost tropical appearance that feels wildly out of place within the Arizona desert.
Note that getting to Beaver requires passing by Mooney Falls, so you are going down that 200 foot wall. It is then a 3 mile trip (one way) to Beaver. It is a good idea to make Beaver Falls your main focus of a sunrise through mid-afternoon.
Beaver Falls - Hiking In
The 3 mile trail from Mooney to Beaver is truley special. You feel like you are experiencing many different biomes. The very narrow trail winds its way through the canyon as you see here.
Beaver Falls - Bighorn Sheep
Be mindful of Bighorn Sheep in this region. They are friendly as long as you are SMART. The tricky part is that in this region, the brush is very dense and the trail is very narrow. It is good to talk as you walk so that you don't accidentally sneak up on them.
Beaver Falls - Ladders
Towards the end, after multiple river crossings, you get to this sketchy ladder. It was my least favorite part, especially going down, but it seemed to be sturdy enough.
Beaver Falls
Finally, you make it to Beaver Falls! If you leave early and have time, this is when you can leisurly explore. As a photographer, you will have fun exploring viewsof Beaver Falls from the different layers. You can effectively view them from 3 or 4 elevations, as the cliffs behind me in this photo are terraced. You can also work down to the falls directly, walking in the terraces.
The Hidden Gems
Beyond the three main waterfalls, some of my favorite moments in Havasupai actually came from the lesser-known spots hidden deeper within the canyon - three in total. These places often require a bit more exploration, less obvious trails, and a willingness to wander away from the main crowds. In return, they can feel far more personal and adventurous.
One of the biggest surprises for me was Fifty Foot Falls. The waterfall itself is beautiful, tucked into a lush section of canyon with vibrant water and greenery, but honestly the journey getting there was just as memorable. The route felt more like an adventure trail than an actual maintained path, at times leading directly through a narrow flowing stream that essentially became the trail. Surrounded by dense vegetation, canyon walls, and flowing water, it almost stopped feeling like Arizona entirely. There were moments where it genuinely felt like I had wandered into another country or a hidden rainforest oasis buried inside the desert.
Hidden Falls lived up to its name. There is no major marked trail leading directly to it, and finding your way there feels like part of the experience. What made it especially memorable for me was the complete solitude. While the main waterfalls can become fairly busy during peak hours, Hidden Falls felt completely disconnected from everything else happening in the canyon. Just the sound of water, canyon walls, and total silence.
Then there was Little Navajo Falls, which ended up being a bonus waterfall I found while looking for Fifty Foot Falls. Instead of one dramatic vertical waterfall, the area is filled with beautiful turquoise terraces and smaller cascades spread across open sections of canyon. The wider views, layered pools, and softer flow of water made it a fantastic contrast to the more towering waterfalls deeper along the route.
Fifty Foot Falls - The 'Trail'
This is the spot that many get lost at. There is a sign pointing 'this way' and if you go right, you will find yourself at Little Navajo Falls. However, there is a small NOOK where this is your view, and THIS straight ahead is your trail through this fast moving water.
Fifty Foot Falls - Nearly There
Having had no clue what Fifty Foot Falls actually looked like, I actually thought this might have been it! It was so lush and green like a rainforest here, with water just pouring over the mossy rocks.
Fifty Foot Falls
But no, they are MUCH larger than I thought. This wall of falls stretches even further. However, you have to get over waist deep and I was not equipped in that moment to traverse it with my expensive camera gear. I was ok getting waist deep for this shot that really showcases the falls. However, I did get to witness (and photograph) some folks jumping off from the top!
Hidden Falls
You can almost see this fall from the trail above, but it is special to find your way down to it. I happened to do this at sunrise as the day was cloudy at first, and had the region completely to myself.
Little Navajo
Right between Fifty Foot Falls and Hidden Falls sit this 'little' guy. I didn't get the best light to capture it in. That is the challenge at Havasupai, being in such a narrow canyon. I definitely recommend a tripod for blurring the waters AND to bracket your images to preserve the shadows and highlights.
What About ‘The Confluence’
For the truly ambitious, the trail past Beaver Falls continues another roughly 2 miles to “The Confluence,” where the bright turquoise waters of Havasu Creek merge directly into the muddy Colorado River deep within the Grand Canyon. The contrast between the two rivers is said to be surreal, with the vivid blue-green water suddenly disappearing into the massive brown current of the Colorado. The route becomes significantly more rugged beyond Beaver Falls, with more river crossings, boulder scrambling, and exposed sections, but they say the payoff is experiencing one of the most unique meeting points of landscapes and colors anywhere in the Southwest.
I personally did not make it to The Confluence. I had seen photos and didn’t find it to be that persuasive to add an additional four miles onto a day that was already 6-7 miles. My four day trip was already over 24 miles, I was content!
I will say there is sort of a confluence JUST past Beaver Falls as well. If you go just ¼ mile further to where the river hits a T, I found it to be reminiscent of The Confluence.
Another Bucket List Item Complete
Well, that wraps up another amazing and iconic trip for me! I have to say, it was everything I expected it to be and my trip went pretty much exactly as planned with no major hiccups. It all comes down to lots of planning. Do NOT underestimate the planning. Be sure to find some blogs about items to bring for backpacking. While there are some things you can find in the Village of Supai, you are mostly on your own.
I hope you enjoyed these photos! Comment below if you’ve been to Havasupai - I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite waterfall.
