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Into the Canyon
Into The Canyon
Havasu Falls
Havasu falls is located in Grand Canyon, Arizona. This gorgeous land is home to the Havasupai people, who have been the guardians of the land for over 800 years. It is a sacred place and the Havasupai people work to keep a balance between preserving the land and it’s beauty, while also allowing outsiders the opportunity to explore and enjoy the lands as well, and as such, it is one of the hardest camping permits to get (and can get quite pricy depending on the number of days you wish to spend there and the number of people in the group).
The lottery to get a camping permit opens around February 1st each year and sells out very quickly so the morning of the lottery opening, my husband and I were on our computers clicking refresh and hoping for the best. It worked out and we were so excited when we got our permit. Right click here to be taken to the permit reservation website.
This trip though is not for the faint of heart. It was quite a trek to get to the campground. In all, it was about a 12 mile hike through canyons and hills, while carrying camping gear including out tent, sleeping bags, food, and cooking supplies. By the time we had set up our camp, there was definitely blisters and chaffing (but that’s another story). If you don’t want to, or can’t do the 12 mile hike while lugging your load, you can pay extra to have the pack mules carry it for you, but we did not need (or want) the mules to do that for us.
We selected a date in October because we didn’t want to go in the heat of the Arizona summer. We spent 3 days and 2 nights sleeping under the stars, cooking our own food, swimming in the beautiful blue waters, and hiking all over. By the end of it though, we were quite exhausted and the thought of hiking 12 miles back to the jeep on blistered feet was enough to bring tears to my eyes, so I’m embarrassed to say, but we opted for the faster and more expensive way out: we took a helicopter. It was a much shorter trip (about 15 minutes), but it was amazing to see everything from above.
Below are some pictures from the trip. If you’re into hiking and exploring national parks and the like, definitely add this to your list of must-have experiences. Enjoy.
#LTIL
