Swim in the Pools of Grand Canyon Waterfalls
The small Native American village of Supai, Arizona sits along the Havasupai River just four miles from the raging Colorado and eight miles below the canyon’s rim. The seat of the Indian reservation bearing its name, Supai is the only incorporated township actually within the Grand Canyon, and with the exception of a pricey helicopter ride, the only way to the village is by foot. Because the U.S. Postal Service uses mules to cart mail service into the village, the rim parking lot has the distinct odor of horse dung. A series of switchbacks takes the trekker into the upper canyon landscape of sage and cacti, but soon the narrow walls and sheer red cliffs come into view. Water trickles out of the ground here and shares the trail while flowing to the Havasupai. Any moment the whistle command of a cowboy can be heard, along with a barking dog, and soon the rustle and rattle of a couple dozen mules with corrugated mail containers strapped to their backs, hurry past toward the rim collect the daily male. The cowboys are a stereotypical misnomer is that even though they are in standard western attire, they are full blooded American Indian. Two cowboys flank the mule pack and minutes later, another pack demands right-of-way, and then another.
When the canyon breaks along the Havasupai River, lush trees and vegetation reflect in the passing current. The village sits within fenced pastureland and includes a clinic, school, church, café and motel. For a fee, the trekker can descend below the town and visit three amazing waterfalls. The more picturesque and photographed falls, the Supai, breaks at the brink, sending two streams into a swimmable pool below. As the river recuperates meandering toward the next drop, tent sites are designated beneath shady trees. The trail extends past a couple more falls and cascades before ending at torrential Colorado.
Getting to the Supai Rim
The nostalgic Route 66 leaves Interstate 40 west near Kingman and east near Williams and darts northward through once vibrant western towns. Between Peach Springs and Grand Canyon Caverns, an undesignated highway takes the visitor through the heart of the Havasupai Nation across a high desert of sage and cedar. The road to nowhere stops abruptly at the rim parking lot.
Amenities
Camping and motel accommodations in Supai will definitely require reservations. The café and grocery costs are somewhat pricey but when considering all involved getting the goods to the market and the financial needs of a community without industry, basically unchanged for decades, the price of ketchup is understandable. Similar to tribal casinos, all revenue generated on the reservation is managed by the tribal council, therefore The Havasu Lodge and the Havasu Campground can be contacted through their respective websites.
The cities of Kingman, Williams, and Flagstaff all offer a full selection of dining and lodging experiences.
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