Exploring Havasupai: A Guide to the Heart of the Grand Canyon

by Greg Witt

Deep in the Grand Canyon lies a place of unmatched beauty; a place where blue-green water cascades over fern-clad cliffs into travertine pools, where great blue heron skim canyon streams, and where giant cottonwoods and graceful willows thrive in the shade of majestic sandstone cliffs. Havasupai is a paradise enveloped in one of the earth's most rugged and parched landscapes. The Havasupai Tribe has never advertised its canyon and has never endorsed a guidebook to prepare visitors for a journey into the Heart of the Grand Canyon — until now. Exploring Havasupai is the essential destination guide for those visiting the area. The guidebook is filled with insider tips, fascinating background, and essential information. It identifies many new hikes, mines, springs and historical sites never before revealed in a Grand Canyon or Havasupai guidebook. Details on canyon geology, weather patterns, and the unique flora and fauna add depth to a hiker's experience. Exploring Havasupai includes detailed maps, trail descriptions, stunning full-color photographs, and intriguing historical insights. This is the must-have guide for canyon visitors, whether arriving by helicopter, on horseback, or on foot.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Some weeks Greg Witt hikes more miles than he drives, which means he wears out his boots faster than he wears out his tires. He has crossed the Grand Canyon on foot a dozen times, and as a guide in the Swiss Alps each summer, hikes more than 700 miles and gaines nearly 100,000 vertical feet of elevationthe equivalent of climbing Everest 9 times. Witt is a Fellow with the Royal Geographical Society. His other titles include 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City and Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel. "

Reviews

[J.D. Steens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a guidebook. It’s a good one as the scenic nature of Havasu Canyon (a side canyon of the Grand Canyon) is spectacular. But my particular interest was in the Havasupai tribe (650 population) and the following stands out from the guidebook:

“Before their arrival in Havasu Canyon [hundreds of years before Columbus] the Havasupai were likely part of the Yuman-speaking Pai Indians, whose traditional lands included much of the lower Colorado River valley and adjacent areas in what is now southern California, western Arizona, and northern Baja California. The Pai are part of a larger Hokan group of people who are believed to have inhabited the area for 30,000 years.”

“By 1882, under pressure from mining and cattle interests the total area of the reservation was surveyed and established with just 518 acres less than a square mile, an area roughly defined by the present –day Suapi village….hundreds of square miles of traditional Havasupai homelands and range became public property, no longer usable by the Havasupai people. The Havasupai, who used to roam freely between the sheltered canyon and plateau expanses were now perennially confined to a small track of land….”

“In 1975…the Havasupai tribe was granted by U.S. Congress 185,000 acres of land adjacent and to the south of Grand Canyon National Park. The enactment of this legislation increased the size of the Havasupai tribal lands from less than 1 square mile to more than 276 square miles.”

“Today, the Havasupai are the only indigenous people who continue to live in the Grand Canyon.”

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion read of my 1st trek in & out two-night camping trip. Helpful to read in advance, and practical to prepare. Though Navajo Fall has changed since the publication, and more than one palm tree growing between Mooney and Beaver, most are still accurate to this day.

[Randy Reichenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know you can mail your pack in and out of the canyon? I now do because of this book.

I’d give it 5 stars if it had better maps and point of view pictures along the trails.

Also it could expand a little better about the Havasupai culture

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guidebook to Havasupai Canyon and the falls that can be accessed. Seems very thorough. We are planning a trip there in the next year or so, and I believe this will be very helpful.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

We will see how good of a guide it is when I get there in two weeks. I definitely learned a lot though! This book made me feel like I have already visited the place.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly informative. I particularly appreciated the photographer’s tips on where/when to get the best shots.

[Megan Nybo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this before our trip. Honestly it was a pretty well written travel guide. Not bad

[Tari Conway]

Very interesting book ~ feel like I have a grasp of what a trip down this Havasupai portion of the Grand Canyon would entail ~ and it sounds enticing ;)

[Kalyani Sahni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good guidebook if you are planning to hike Havasupai!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for a trip to Havasupai. Explains more trails than just the main trail in. Explains a brief history of the Havasupai. An interesting point I found in this book was that Supai, AZ is the only village left that still uses a mule/horse train to bring mail in and out of the canyon, so that means the mail gets a unique postal stamp that can only be gotten when sent from Supai. Go to the market and buy a post card, right next to the market is the post office. If you are heading to Havasu Canyon I recommend this book as well as I am the Grand Canyon by Stephen Hirst, you won't be disappointed.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear & precise on how to prepare for a trip to see the Havasupai Falls. Hopefully it's accurate since we're heading there in a few short days.

[Christy Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accurate and helpful; however, my experience with the locals certainly didn't mirror that of the author.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge help in planning my trip!