From the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Trail Guide:

Havasupai Indian Lands

One of the most popular hikes in the Grand Canyon is the delightful 8-mile trek to the modern Havasupai village called Supai; it’s situated in a virtual canyon paradise, which has been described with almost as many colorful adjectives as the Grand Canyon itself. At one time a dozen trails led down to the aquamarine waters of Havasu Canyon, but today there are only two trails hikers are allowed to use: the popular Hualapai Trail, the main means of access for hikers and mule riders from Hualapai Hilltop to Supai; and the seldom-used Topocoba Trail, which at one time was followed by early postmen carrying mail from Grand Canyon Village to Supai.

The reason for this seeming shortage of trails is simple enough: Many of the old trails and routes to Supai cross the Havasupai’s ancestral lands, and there are many areas within these ancestral lands officially referred as the Havasupai’s Traditional Use Lands that the Havasupai revere as sacred. Justifiably, the Havasupai don’t want non-Indian visitors in these sacred areas, which they refuse to identify to outsiders for fear the areas will be treated as less than sacred and, perhaps, vandalized and pillaged in the process. If their historic encounters with and broken promises from the white man are any indication, their fears are very real. And until the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Havasupai Tribe and the National Park Service Regarding the Havasupai Traditional Use Lands is signed by both the chairman of the Havasupai Tribal Council and the superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, hiker use is limited to the Hualapai Trail and the Topocoba Trail. Permission must be obtained from the Havasupai Tribe to hike either of these trails. Permission to use the Topocoba Trail must also be obtained from the BRO at Grand Canyon National Park. Direct your inquiries concerning these trails, and other areas you might wish to hike, to: Wayne Sinyella, Chairman, Havasupai Tribal Council, P.O. Box 10, Supai, AZ 86435; (602) 448-2961. Just remember in your requests that it’s the Havasupais’ land you wish to visit, and you’ll receive a courteous and friendly reply.

Hualapai Trail

To reach the trailhead for the Hualapai Trail at Hualapai Hilltop, drive 35 miles west of Seligman or 7 miles east of Peach Springs on U.S. 66 to the Supai turnoff. A 62-mile-long paved road heads across the Blue Mountains, Aubrey Cliffs, and Coconino Plateau to Hualapai Hilltop. There are no services on this road!

The 8-mile Hualapai Trail is well worn and easy to follow. From Hualapai Hilltop it switchbacks through the Coconino Sandstone and drops approximately 1,100 vertical feet to the floor of Hualapai Canyon in just over a mile hiking. It stays in the bed of this canyon all the way to its confluence with Havasu Canyon 5 ½ miles farther, in the process descending narrow clefts of Esplanade and Supai sandstone. There is no perennial water along this stretch, and the first you’ll encounter is that trickling out of Havasu Springs near this confluence.

From this point on, the character of the trail changes from that of dry, sometimes sparsely shaded desert canyon hiking to a lush riparian sprouting up out of the middle of an awesome drainage that begins in Williams, AZ, 80 miles due south- finally emptying into Colorado River. Cataract Canyon and its tributary canyons drain some 3,000 square miles of the Coconino Plateau; in the process, this runoff continues to provide the lifeblood of existence for the Havasupai people, as well as an occasional threat to hikers and river runners if they happen to be playing near the mouth of Havasu Canyon during one of its seasonal flash floods.

It’s 1 ½ miles from Havasu Canyon to the village of Supai, which is located in a verdant, U-shaped canyon surrounded by impressive cliffs of Supai Sandstone. Directly east from the village are two towering spires of rock, which the traditional Havasupai know and revere as wigleeva; one is male, the other is female, and together they watch over the Havasupai people and their crops.

Once in Supai, all hikers must check in with the Havasupai Tourist Enterprise to secure their permits. (It’s strongly recommended that you book reservations at least 6 months in advance by contacting Havasupai Tourist Enterprise, Supai, AZ 86435; (602) 448-2121. If you haven’t, and you’ve hiked all the way to Supai anyway and find both campgrounds and the two tribal lodges full, you’ll have to hike all the way back out.) A $10 entrance fee is charged for each hiker entering Supai, along with a $9-a-head daily camping fee; this money is used by the Havasupai to support the tribal government and to maintain the campgrounds and trails.

ACCOMMODATIONS IN SUPAI: There are two lodges, the Supai Lodge and Schoolhouse Canyon Lodge; rates vary. A village café also operated by the Havasupai offers a menu of Indian fry bread, burritos, and other hot meals. Mail can be sent out of Supai via packtrain every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And horses can be rented to ride into and out of Supai from Hualapai Hilltop, or carry the packs of weary party members. For further information on accommodations and services offered, contact the Havasupai Tourist Enterprise.

CAMPGROUNDS: The Navajo Campground is located 1 ½ miles below-or north of- Supai, near Navajo Falls; it’s a total of 9 ½ miles from Hualapai Hilltop, while the Havasu Campground is yet another half mile beyond. A freshwater spring is located on the west side of Havasu Creek, midway between Havasu and Mooney falls, and is well marked. There are three waterfalls in the vicinity of the campgrounds; south to north, they’re Navajo, Havasu, and Mooney. Of the three Mooney is without a doubt the most spectacular. It’s located just below Havasu Campground and is reached by descending a steep stairway etched into the travertine and protected by a chainlink guardrail.

Day Hikes: No overnight hiking is allowed below Mooney Falls. However, the hike to Beaver Falls (another 3 miles downstream from Mooney) and the hike to the Colorado enough, though some attention must be paid each of the numerous times the trail is crosses Havasu Creek. Some route-finding ability is also necessary when the trail winds around the travertine cliffs on the east side of Havasu Creek above Beaver Falls. If you keep your eyes open for footprints on these craggy sections, and for the cairns that mark all of the creek crossings, you shouldn’t have any problems staying oriented.

WARNING: Don’t drink the water out of Havasu Creek.