How to Get a Havasu Falls Permit: My Step-by-Step Guide
I’ve successfully gotten two Havasu Falls permits over the years, and I’m sharing exactly how you can secure a permit for yourself and make your trip a reality.
I’ve been to Havasu Falls (formally known as Havasupai Falls) twice now, so I know how difficult it can be to get a Havasu Falls permit.
While it may not be as tough as Taylor Swift tickets, Havasu Falls permits sell out immediately for the entire year, so you need to do your research on how to get a permit ahead of time. That way when they go on sale, you’re ready to go and will have the best chance of success.
So in this post, I’m going to walk you through step-by-step instructions for everything you need to do to get ready to score a Havasu Falls permit in 2025.
Read these other Havasu Falls Posts:
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Three Ways to Get a Havasu Falls Permit
You MUST obtain a permit before your trip. The permit process helps to preserve the natural beauty of Havasupai Reservation and provides the Havasu Tribe with an income. The Tribe will check your permit along the road to the Hilltop trailhead, so don’t think you’ll be able to sneak onto the trail.
There are three different ways to obtain a permit or reservation for Havasu Falls.
Your first step, regardless of how you try to get a reservation is to make an online account at HavasupaiReservations.com.
I’ll go into more details on each of these ways of obtaining a Havasu Falls permit below.
1. Presale Reservation Entry
New in 2024, the Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office created a presale reservation system.
The Presale Reservation Entry grants you the opportunity to enter a Havasu Falls permit lottery, prior to the general on-sale. You enter the dates you want and then permits are randomly granted to a limited number of people who enter. Purchasing a presale entry does not guarantee a Havasu Falls Permit.
Basically, you’ll be competing with a smaller pool of permit-seekers instead of the wider general public.
Here are a few things to know about the Havasu Falls Presale Reservation System. This information here is for 2024, since they haven’t released the specifics yet for 2025.
2. General On-Sale
If you don’t get a permit during the presale, you’re next opportunity to get a permit is during the general on-sale which takes place on February 1st at 8 AM Arizona Time. This is personally how how I’ve gotten both of my permits for Havasu Falls.
Before the sale, you’ll want to make sure you’ve created an online account at HavasupaiReservations.com.
Your will need to be online and ready the minute the sale starts. Treat the process as if you were trying to get tickets for a popular concert. On February 1st, log into your account before 8 am Arizona time and refresh your browser the second it turns to 8am.
Getting a Havasu camping permit is very competitive, and permits will sell out quickly. To increase your chances, follow these tips:
Hopefully, you luck out here and get the dates you want. If permits sell out before you are able to get one, the final way you can try to get a permit is via a cancellation.
3. Getting a permit through a cancellation
If you don’t score a Havasu Falls permit before they sell out for the year, you may still be in luck. The online Havasupai Reservation System has a Cancellation/Transfers Page where you can purchase canceled trips. Not only is this a great option if you aren’t able to get a permit when they go on sale, it’s also perfect for those of who (like me) who have trouble planning that far ahead.
Log in to your account on the Havsupai Reservations site and go to your Dashboard. You’ll see a button that says Cancellations/Transfers List. Click that.
This list is updated daily at 8am Arizona Time, so be online every morning for your best chance at getting a permit. Right now I’m looking at the cancellation list for the upcoming month, and there are TONS of cancelled permits available for almost every day. I’m sure late spring, summer, and early fall it’s a bit tough, but if you can be flexible, you will likely be able to get a permit this way.
Ideally you want to find a date that works for you and is for the number of people in your group. If you find the right date, but the permit is for more people than you need, you can sell those extra spots on the official transfer system for a 10% fee after you purchase the canceled trip.
Once the extra spot that you cancel is snatched up by someone else, the fee for that extra spot will be refunded into your account.
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Havasu Falls Permit Frequently Asked Questions
You can have up to 12 people on your Havasu Falls camping reservation. However, there is only ONE reservation holder/trip leader on each reservation, and that person MUST be present with a valid photo ID at the time of check-in. When you make your reservation, you can desginate an Potential Aternate Trip Leader (PATL) if you think you may have to bail. ALL visitors in your group must make an online account and agree to the Reservation Rules and Regulations prior to arrival.
All permits to Havasupai are for 4 days and 3 nights, which is the perfect amount of time to explore all of the waterfalls. However, If you don’t want to be out there for 3 nights, you are allowed to start your hike after the first day of your permit, but you must exit the trail on the last day of your permit.
Yes, you can transfer your permit for no cost if you are transferring it to someone on your Potential Alternate Trip Leader list (which can include up to ten names). Your PATL will not be able to check in for the reservation until you’ve officially transferred your permit to them through the official transfer system, so make sure you actually do that before the trip. For a 10% service charge, you can also transfer all or part of your permit reservation via the official Transfer System at HavasupaiReservations.com.
Permits are not refundable or changeable but can be transferred to someone on your PATL list if you can’t make your trip dates. You can ‘sell’ your permit via the official transfer system located on the Havasupai Reservations website for a 10% fee. The Havsuapi Tribe does not offer refunds or exchanges under any other circumstances.
In 2024, a permit for 3 nights was $455 per person. 2025 rates are TBA.
Native American discounts are honored at check-in with a valid reservation and identification.
No. Per the official Havasupai Tribe website, all visits to Havasupai and Havasu Falls require a reservation made PRIOR to arrival.
No day hiking from Hualapai Hilltop is allowed and even if it was, I assure you the waterfalls are much too far to hike there and back in one day.
Pack mule reservations
If you would like your gear carried in by a pack mule, you can add your name to a waitlist after you’ve secured your campground reservation. You’ll be notified if the Havasupai Tribe has approved your Pack Mule request. All mule requests must be made BEFORE your trip.
Here’s a rundown of pack mule reservations. You should double check this information on the Havasupai Reservation system to make sure it’s current.
Personally, I recommend packing lightweight backpacking gear and backpacking food like you would for any other backpacking trip and carrying your own gear. If you’ve never been backpacking before, check out my Backpacking 101 Guide.
Don’t bring coolers, float toys (which aren’t permitted), or other excessive gear that is going to be uncomfortable for you to carry yourself. That way you’ll save money and won’t be waiting on your bags.
And while I didn’t observe this personally, people have emailed me saying the mules they saw on the trail looked undernourished.
Picking up your Havasu Falls Permit
Once you’ve successfully gotten your Havasu Falls permit through the online system, here is what you’ll need to do in order to pick up your permit to be able to hike to the Havasu Falls campground.
1. Everyone in your group needs to make their own online account
While only one name is on the camping reservation, all members of the group must make an account at havasupaireservations.com to confirm that they have read and understood the Havasupai Rules and Laws.
A summary of these Havasu Falls Camping Rules and Laws includes:
- NO cliff jumping
- NO rock climbing
- NO littering
- NO amplified music
- NO feeding animals
- NO fishing
- NO kayaks, standup paddleboards, pool floats, or other watercraft
- NO alcohol/drugs/smoking (including marijuana)
- NO fires (aside from gas cooking canisters)
- NO drones
- NO nudity or inappropriate clothing
- NO photos allowed in the village or of Havasupai tribes members
You can read the complete list of rules here (under “Permits”). There are fines ranging from $200 to $5000 if you get caught doing any of these things or even jail time. Please be a kind, respectful visitor and don’t break these rules. It’s disrespectful of the Tribe and their sacred land and has potential to ruin things for other visitors too.
2. Bring these documents
Everyone in your group will need to bring the following printed documents:
3. Pick up your permit wristbands before driving to the Trailhead
You will need to pick up your official permit and wristbands for your entire group at a hotel that’s 90 miles from the trailhead BEFORE you head to the trailhead or start your hike down.
Check-in for all permit reservations takes place at Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, located at mile marker 115 near Seligman. The trip leader must be present and check-in for all members of your group.
The trip leader will be given a wristband for each person in the group, as well as bag tags, and an entrance form that the trip leader will need to fill out before driving to the trailhead.
Check-in hours vary by the season (you can double check current hours on the Havasupai Campground Reservations website). You can pick up your permit the day before or the day off your hike.
I highly recommend checking in the day before your reservation starts so you can get an early start on your first day. This is especially the case if you plan to use the pack mules since bags must be dropped off at the trailhead no later than 10am.
Before you start driving to the trailhead, the trip leader should give everyone in the group their wristbands and bag tags.
I recommend filling up with gas before you drive to the trailhead so you have a full tank. There are no services between Peach Springs and Hilltop.
4. Stop at checkpoint on the way to the trailhead
After all of your group members have their wristbands, you can drive to the trailhead. Make sure everyone has their documents handy as you will be asked to show them at the Havasupai Reservation boundary checkpoint which is on the road to the trailhead.
If anyone in your group doesn’t have their wristband or paperwork at this checkpoint, you will be turned around and not allowed to drive to the trailhead for your hike.
Once you are passed this check-point, keep your wristband on at all times, and you’ll be good to go!
