Encounter the People
Havasupai Tourism
Havasu Falls
The Grand Canyon is considered one of the seven great natural wonders of the world, which is why it attracts so many tourists yearly. What tourists may not realize is that, in 1975, 95,000 acres of Grand Canyon National Park land was granted back to the Havasupai people for permanent tribal use (Hirst). Supai Village is the traditional area occupied by the Havasupai between April and September/October, when crops are gown in the fertile bed of Havasu Creek. The Plateau upon which Grand Canyon National Park is situated is where Havasupai families would live during the winter months, hunting until it was time to move back into the canyon (Schwartz).
Supai Village is home to over 450 residents, three renowned waterfalls, two new waterfalls, huge cottonwoods, exotic fruit and nut trees, and a group of people who have inhabited, hunted, and traded on the land for centuries. The hike to the village is surrounded by beautiful red walls that open and protect the village where the Havasupai live. Tourism is the Havasupai’s main source of income and employment within the canyon. When planning a visit to Supai Village, reservations must be made. Otherwise, visitors’ fees for any remaining rooms that may exist will be doubled.
Hiking above Supai Village
Photo by Brian Erickson
Havasupai Lodge
Photo by Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss
Camping below Supai Village
Photo by Brian Erickson
Beaver Falls area
Photo by Brian Erickson
Supai Village is an 8-mile hike or pack ride from the top of the Grand Canyon, and the Havasupai campground is 10 miles from Hualapai hilltop. Descending the canyon from Hualapai hilltop you pass through a switchback trail down the canyon wall that leads you to the riverbed. Eventually you will emerge out of the riverbed and witness Cottonwoods and the smell of water in front of you. Stay to your left; do not travel to the open area to your right. The trail on the left leads into the Cottonwoods and slowly merges right where you will soon cross a bridge over the water. Over the last incline you will see the village, stay to the path on your right which will lead you into the center part of the village where you can pay your fees at the tourist office if you haven’t already done so.
From the center of town you walk between the school and the café, follow the path to your right and take a left after the last house on your left. Walking to the camp ground you will stay to the trail on your left, after the village you will pass through the “New” Navajo Falls to your left, immediately following is Rock Falls. These two new waterfalls were formed from the 2008 flood and are a new addition to Mother Nature’s display of beauty and harshness. Next is Havasu Falls, which is most famous for its blue-green water and is one of many perfect representations of the Havasupai people. “Havasu” denotes green/blue in the Havasupai language, and “pai” means “people,” resulting in the translation “people of the blue green water”. Havasu Falls and the campground are approximately 2 miles from the village, and Mooney Falls is .5 miles downstream from the campground. Finally, Beaver Falls is about 4.5 miles from the campground where Havasu Creek soon meets up with the Colorado River.
The Havasupai Tribe asks that visitors stick to the main trail. These trails are maintained for tourist use and climbing off the trail can be dangerous.
Please visit the Havasupai Tribe Web site for contact information, the tourist office at 928-448-2121 or email at or the Lodge at 928-448-2111 or email at .
Additional Information
Websites:
Havasupai Tribe Web site ( http://www.havasupai-nsn.gov )
Readings:
- Hirst, Stephen. I am the Grand Canyon: The Story of the Havasupai People. Grand Canyon, AZ: Grand Canyon Association, 2006; originally published as: Life in a Narrow Place: The Havasupai of the Grand Canyon. New York: D. McKay, 1976.
- Schwartz, Douglas W. "Havasupai," in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 10, Alfonso Ortiz, ed. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1983, 13-24.