How to Get a Havasu Falls Permit: My Step-by-Step Guide

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:

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.

Presale Reservation Process – This is a presale reservation process that works kind of like a lottery.
General on-Sale – If you are unsuccessful in the presale reservation process, you will need to try to get a permit when they go on sale to the public on February 1st. This is similar to a Ticketmaster sale where you’ll need to have an account and be online right when they go on sale since these will sell out for the year within a few hours. These are offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
Permit via Cancellation – If you are also unsuccessful in the general on-sale, permits that have been canceled become available through the Havasupai online system.

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.

Man standing on ledge above turquoise blue waters surrounded by red rock cliffs in Havasu Canyon in Arizona — The milky turquoise blue waters of Havasu Creek are a unique characteristic of Havasupai

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.

Presale Dates: In 2024, the presale period opened on January 5th (8 a.m. Arizona time) and closed on January 18th (5 p.m. Arizona time). They have not announced the dates yet for 2025.
Presale Cost: The cost for a presale ticket is $15 and is non-refundable.
Reservation Dates: You can select three reservation start dates as well as a reservation start month.
How it Works: A limited number of pre-sale reservations will be granted via a randomized lottery.
Presale Notifications: Entrants are notified whether they got a permit or not via email.
Payment: If you are successful, you will be charged the full reservation fee at that time. If you are unsuccessful, you will not be charged beyond the $15 entry fee.
Leftover Permits: The remaining permits become available to the general public on a first-come-first-serve basis on February 1 at 8 a.m. Arizona time.

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:

Create your online account before February 1st. You don’t want to waste precious time creating your account the day reservations open.
Be somewhere you have a fast connection. Make sure you have strong internet. Don’t try to do this from some remote campsite where you only have 3G on your phone.
Have flexible dates. Mid-summer is when everyone is on summer vacation, so it’s also going to be the most competitive time. If you can go mid-week in March or late November, then you’ll have a better chance of getting a permit.
Remember that Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings time. Double-check what that means for your time zone. It would be a bummer to log in an hour late!
Create your Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL) list in advance. The PATLs ithat you designate are the only people you can transfer your permit to at no cost if you can’t make your trip. If you don’t designate a PATL, you risk forfeiting the trip for everyone in your group. You can choose up to 10 Potential Alternate Trip Leaders.
Check out quickly. Once you have the permits in your cart, have your credit card information on hand and breeze through the check out process as quickly as you can.

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.

Kristen Bor holding a selfie stick while crossing Havasu Creek

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.

Havasu Falls Permit Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can be on my Havasu Falls reservation?

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.

How many days can I get a Havasu Falls permit for?

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.

Can Havasu Falls permits be transferred?

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.

Are Havasu Falls permits refundable?

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.

How much do Havasu Falls permits cost?

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.

Can I go to Havasu Falls without a permit?

No. Per the official Havasupai Tribe website, all visits to Havasupai and Havasu Falls require a reservation made PRIOR to arrival.

Can I day hike to Havasu Falls if I can’t get a permit?

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.

Person standing at the base of Mooney Falls

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.

Cost: Pack mules cost $400 round-trip and can carry up to 4 bags with a maximum weight of 32 pounds per bag and a maximum size of 36 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 19 inches tall.
Baggage allowances: Ice chests/coolers are NOT permitted. All baggage must be soft-sided with nothing hanging off the outside. If you don’t have a backpacking pack, I saw several people using blue IKEA bags to haul their stuff
Bags Going from Hilltop to Campground: You must pick up your pack mule tags no later than 9am from the permit pickup location (more on that below). Then you must drop your bags off at Hilltop Trailhead no later than 10am. If you are late, you will have to carry your bag yourself. The Tribe website says you should expect your bags to arrive around 5pm, but I saw people still waiting for their bags at 6pm and having to set up camp in the dark. So you’ll need to be patient.
Getting your bags to the campground: You still must carry your gear from the dropoff point to the campground and back, which includes a bridge and a steep hill by Havasu Falls. There are wheelbarrows you can borrow, but we saw many people struggling with too much gear. This is another reason to pack light.
Bags Going from Campground to Hilltop: For going from the campground back to Hilltop, you must drop your bag off by 6am. If you miss the cut-off you can carry your bag yourself or pay a $300 late fee. The Tribe says most bags arrive by 12pm, but I saw people waiting for several hours in the parking lot waiting for their bags.

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:

Printout of Proof of Account page – When you’re logged into the Havasupai reservations website, hover on “account” in the top right corner and click proof of account. Print this. A screenshot on your phone will also work.
Printout of the campground reservation – The trip leader can access this from the Dashboard page. Print 2 copies of this. Leave one on your vehicle dashboard at the trailhead. Bring the other one with you on the hike.
Photo ID – You will need this to check in
Photo of your license plate – You will need this to check in
Health insurance card – The Tribe asks you to bring this in case of an emergency

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.

Grand Canyon Caverns Inn checkin for Havasupai backpacking reservations — Grand Canyon Caverns Inn is the check-in location where you will pick up your permit & wristbands

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!