If you go to Havasu

Getting there

The trailhead for the descent to Supai and the Havasu falls is called Hualapai Hilltop, essentially a remote parking lot at the end of Arizona Indian Road 18, 60 miles from the original Route 66, which arcs below the Grand Canyon between Kingman and Seligman.

To reach the trailhead from the west, go east some 70 miles from Kingman (90 minutes south of Las Vegas) on what is now Arizona Route 66 to Peach Springs. Be advised that road construction and heavy congestion can produce 45-minute delays going through the Hoover Dam area, along U.S. 93. Nearby U.S. 95 is also clogged with truck traffic.

From the east, travel west on I-40 and take exit No. 123 at Seligman and Route 66. Fueling vehicles in Kingman or Seligman is probably a wise idea.

After a 65-mile drive from the west or about 35 from the east, turn left onto Indian Road No. 18 and proceed 60.5 miles to the end of the road — Hualapai Hilltop.

The closest lodging to the trailhead is at Grand Canyon Cavern Motel, near Peach Springs; call 1-928-422-4565, or go online to: www.gccaverns.com. Another option is Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs; call 1-928-769-2230.

Havasu reservations

Visitors are required to pay a $20 per person entrance fee in Havasu Canyon (any American Indian with a tribal I.D. is exempt from this fee).

Reservations are required in order to visit and stay in the village of Supai and the canyon. For reservations at the Havasupai Lodge in Supai ($96 for four people), call 1-928-448-2111. Rooms have two queen beds and air conditioning, but lack TVs and telephones. Lodge reservations are taken more than a year in advance.

The main campground area, with toilets and drinking water, is laid out along the trail and Havasu Creek between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls. For reservations,

call 1-928-448-2121. Reservations here ($10 per person a day) are accepted beginning Jan. 8 for the rest of that year. Most years, reservations are full by mid-February for the peak season (end of March through June).

Round-trip saddle/pack horses cost $120, or $70 one-way. A Havasu Falls-only day tour by horse costs $60. Maximum person weight is 250 pounds. All are two-day trip minimum.

Helicopter rides in and out of the village by Airwest are also available, if arranged in advance, by calling 1-623-516-2790. Cost is $65 one-way and $120 round-trip.

More information is also available on the Havasupai Tribe Web site: www.havasupaitribe.com.