Disclaimer: I, myself, have never made a reservation at the Havasupai Lodge but I have done my research and consulted with several people who have... so take that for what it's worth! Still a lot of great information here for those looking to book!
Twice per year, tens of thousands of people from all around the world anxiously await their chance at obtaining a permit from the Havasupai Native American tribe to visit their iconic blue-green waterfalls just outside of Grand Canyon National Park on the Havasupai Reservation in Supai, Arizona. Since the tribe limits the amount of visitors allowed on-site each day, permits are a hot commodity in the backpacking (and now Instagram) community. If you are reading this, chances are, you probably know all of that already... but what if I told you that you don't have to camp in the elements to enjoy this desert paradise?
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| The sign near the town limits of Supai, Arizona |
The Havasupai Lodge is open year-round (generally... but it does go through renovations from time-to-time so please visit their website or call first to be sure!) and boasts 24 four-person-occupancy rooms, each with two queen beds, air conditioning, and a private bathroom. There are no televisions or other modern amenities in the rooms but that's because you probably won't be spending much time in your room anyway!
The lodge begins taking reservations for the following calendar year (January through December) annually on June 1st at 8am local time. Reservations must be made by phone (at 928-448-2111 or 928-448-2201) and a deposit is required at the time of booking but can be cancelled for a refund, given at least two weeks prior notice. The fees paid with your lodge stay also cover the required permit needed to explore the trails and waterfalls of Havasupai. Visit the Havasupai Lodge website or call for their current fees.
If you want to score a reservation at the lodge, I have a few tips that will surely help you out!
1. Plan Ahead. Pick out dates (always have a first choice, second choice, and back up choice), talk to those who will be traveling with you, and have a game plan.
2. Be flexible. The more flexible your dates are, the better. Generally speaking, holiday weekends book faster than non-holiday week days so keep that in mind when planning your dates!
3. Recruit help. As I mentioned earlier, you have to physically call the lodge in order to book your reservation. June 1st can get kind of crazy for their phone lines and you may have trouble getting through. The more people you have on your team helping you call, the better. I have heard of people finding luck with auto-dialer apps on their mobile phones but even more so, calling from a landline. I have no idea why landlines work better for getting through but several people have said the same thing about landlines so definitely worth a try!
4. Be prepared. If you're booking on June 1st, set a reminder alarm close to 8am so you know when to start calling. Have your credit card information ready for the deposit and your dates (and backup dates!) ready to go.
5. Don't give up! If at first you don't succeed, keep trying! Keep calling, even if it takes you weeks. Remember how I said you can cancel your lodge reservations? Well that means that other people can too. Does it happen often? I don't know the answer to that but it does happen which means at any given time throughout the year, the lodge may have an opening that could be yours!
In any case, you could always try your shot at scoring campground permits... who doesn't love sleeping under the stars anyway?
Have you stayed in the lodge? Are you planning to? Give me your thoughts in the comments!
-Shannon
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