PHOENIX — Arizonans and tourists hoping to venture out to the Havasupai waterfalls are going to have to wait until at least 2022 -- and possibly longer -- for a chance to take the trip.
The Havasupai Tribal Council voted last week to extend its suspension on tourism until at least February 1, 2022, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism has been suspended since March 2020. A reopening date has not been announced.
The Tribal Council also said it would not accept any more reservations for the 2021 or 2022 seasons.
“In order to continue to protect the health and welfare of the Havasupai people and Supai Village residents, the Council finds it necessary to extend the suspension of its tourism operation until next year,” said Chairwoman Eva Kissoon in a written statement.
Those who had reservations booked during the suspension were allowed to reschedule their trips for a future date. Those who did not reschedule were automatically rescheduled for the same date in 2022, including campground, lodge, and pack mule reservations.
In order to visit the waterfalls, the Havasupai Tribe sells campground permits, which often sell out within days -- sometimes hours -- of them going on sale.
To get to the Village of Supai, it's an eight-mile hike down into the canyon, and another two-mile hike to the campgrounds. From there, each of the waterfalls is between three and 11 miles from the village.
The Havasupai Trailhead is roughly 260 miles -- a Google-estimated 4 1/2 hour drive -- north of Phoenix.
