How to Obtain a Havasupai Permit

After reading a million articles of obtaining the Havasupai permit, I felt like I was ready to finally take on this challenge. I knew I could see this magnificent waterfall with my determination. I did make a few mistakes, but that is why I am writing this post so you can learn from them. Even with my mistakes, I was able to get the permit and travel to Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls a few months ago. Everything about Havasupai was challenging, but I loved how difficult this whole process was. Those experiences are usually the best adventures of life. And once you reach your hiking destination, it makes all the painful times worth every second. I have provided notes to help you obtain the permit in 2019, and I wish you the best of luck 🙂

About the Havasupai Falls Permit 2020

The Havasu Falls Permits are one of the most sought-after permits in the United States. The reason being is because the beautiful turquoise waterfall Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation went viral on social media. Now everyone around the world is trying to see this beautiful oasis.

Even though the Havasupai hike is long and complicated (10-mile hike one way), people can’t seem to get enough of Havasu Falls. Every year obtaining a Havasu Falls Hike Permit is getting more difficult and more expensive.

When to Obtain a Havasupai Permit 2020

The 2019 Havasu Falls permit goes on sale February 1st, 2020 at 8:00 AM Arizona United States Time.  Starting January 8th, you will need to sign up for an account (anytime), and you can no longer reserve a permit without an account. You can sign up right here. Keep on refreshing if it doesn’t work.

Note: Make sure to regularly check the official Havasupai Tribe website for updates. A few months before February, I noticed they changed the process and the pricing. I also saw that the sign-up date had changed as well. If I wasn’t regularly checking, I would have probably missed the opportunity on obtaining the permit.

Pricing for the Havasupai Permits 2020

1. $100 per person per weekday night
2. $125 per person per weekend night (Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights)
3. These prices include all necessary permits, fees, and taxes.
4. All campground reservations will be for 3 nights / 4 days.

Other Things to Note on The Reservations

• There are no refunds and they are non-transferable,
• The whole Price is due at the time of the Reservation,
• You can only use one credit card to pay it all,
• When you create your account, add your credit card information so when February 1st comes around, all you have to do is pick the date you want.
• Only one person’s name can be on the reservation. If you show us without the person that holds the reservation, the group will not be allowed at Havasupai. They do check IDs at the entrance.
• When you get to Havasupai trailhead they WILL check your ID. They checked mine.
• Make Sure your dates are Flexible. If you are flying into Arizona, I recommend getting the permit first then buying your plane tickets after. 

How I Obtained the Havasupai Falls Permit

Alright, so I’m going to go into extreme detail on how I obtained this popular permit. It wasn’t easy, and now that I look back on it, I could have done things a bit better. But, lucky for you, you can learn from my heart pumping experience (Yes my heart was racing the WHOLE morning). So here are the steps I did to prepare to get the permit:

1. I checked the Havasupai website regularly.
2. I took off of work on February 1st (the date reservations open).
3. I had my credit card ready. Please note that you now can make an account and input your credit card information before February first.
4. I was online one hour before the opening time of 8 am Arizona time.  It is essential to ensure you can access the permit reservation site. I also reread the website to make sure nothing changed.
5. I uploaded the Arizona time to my phone.

Well even with all those full proof steps, things did not go as planned. The minute that 8 am hit, the website did not change. What I mean by this, is that at 8 a.m. I continued to hit refresh on my computer, and nothing had changed or populated. I began to get nervous, so I started calling all the numbers listed in the list above. All the lines were busy. Even after thirty minutes of refreshing my computer screen, nothing was working!

I was starting to lose hope when I had an epiphany. So I quickly grabbed my phone and went to the Havasupai Reservations website and boom the screen looked different. It now had an orange/yellow button that stated: “Make A Campground Reservation”.

I quickly clicked on the button and found the month of March and noticed that my Friday date was not available. But, March 8th was open, so I quickly reserved a spot. When I put in all my information and clicked “confirm”, the website was getting an error. I reread everything to make sure it was all correct, but since my heart was racing, I was a bit frantic. I wanted to be quick because the website saves your spot only for a few minutes. Everything seemed correct, but I had sadly run out of time.

Consequently, I had to start the process all over again. I was hoping that nobody had gone and picked March 8th. When I returned to the “pick your date” screen, March 8th was NOT available! My heart dropped, I couldn’t believe after all this I had failed.

But, I wasn’t going to give up so easily. I refreshed and refreshed and voila! The date reappeared all over again, and I input all my information once more. I ran over to my purse and grabbed another credit card and used the new card instead. Finally, I clicked confirm and boom! I got the permit!!!!!

The entire hour was so stressful but 100% worth it. I followed up with a text to my husband informing him of my crazy morning. I also did a happy, celebratory dance 🙂

All of the permits sold out after a few hours of booking my permit. With that being said, be sure to be on the website when they indicate reservations will be open. Otherwise, you may not get the opportunity to see the Falls.

Havasu Falls Permit Alternatives

If you got unlucky and couldn’t obtain the permit, then you might still be in luck. There are tours that include permits, food, and backpacking equipment. It is more expensive, but it is a good alternative >Click Here For More Information

Another alternative is to keep on checking back on the website throughout the year to see if anyone canceled.

Conclusion on the Havasupai Falls Reservations 2020

• Make an account and read all the rules beforehand,
• Input your credit card information into the account before February 1st,
• Keep checking back throughout the year to see if there are any updates on the website,
• Make sure to have multiple computers, tablets, and/or phones just in case one fails.
• I also recommend being a lot more flexible than I was. Get the Havasupai Permit FIRST then buy the plane ticket afterward.  
• Spending at least three nights is now a requirement. This will give you plenty amount of time to enjoy the waterfall.

It was stressful and expensive, but now that I have experienced Havasu Falls,  everything was worth it. Good luck in February and please contact me if you have any questions.

Make sure to check out some of my other posts about our trip to Arizona:

• Read all About Mooney Falls
• Ultimate Guide to Havasu Falls Hike
• Plateau Point Hike – The Grand Canyon National Park

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