The Adventure to Beaver Falls from Mooney Falls

The Adventure to Beaver Falls from Mooney Falls

the hike to beaver falls from mooney falls

My favorite part of Supai, Arizona is the number of jaw-dropping views you can hike to in just a few hours right from the town or campground. You can hike to five different waterfalls and if you’re up for it, all the way to the Colorado River. We only had one night here and although they don’t recommend hiking to all the falls in one day, I knew I had to! Beaver Falls is the furthest away, but after reading so much about it I couldn’t miss it.  Beaver Falls is magical, just like everyone said, but I really wish someone would have told me there isn’t really a clear path there, in fact, there are 4 known ways to get there! It’s a bit of work, but so worth it!

Follow the pink ribbon to beaver falls

About 20 minutes into our hike someone said just make sure you follow the pink ribbon. We thought, “Ok that makes sense, how helpful!” Immediately after, we saw a pink ribbon but didn’t see another for 30 minutes, so not as helpful as we were hoping for.  We saw 3 the whole way there and back so it’s more of a piece of mind once you’ve walked for a while and think, “Wait, am I going the right way?” hike to beaver falls supai arizona

What to bring to beaver falls?

  • Backpack
  • Swimsuit
  • Chacos/Water shoes
  • Water and Snacks
  • Sunglasses
  • Change of clothes if you plan to swim
  • Camera
  • Sunscreen/Hat
  • Dry bag

hike to beaver falls supai arizona

When should we go to beaver falls?

We talked with someone at Mooney Falls who said Beaver Falls was packed with people (over 100) when they went around noon. By the time we got there, it was 3:15 PM and there were only two people there. I personally loved seeing it without the crowd, but keep in mind the sun shines on Beaver Falls between 11 and 2 and then around 3 it’s all shaded so it will be a bit colder to swim!

How long does it take to get to Beaver Falls?

A famous question that is hard to get a clear answer for. It doesn’t matter if you read 100 blogs or ask people who have just finished the hike-they all say something different. What I have gathered is most people say it takes 2 hours (4 miles) each way. But once again it all depends which way you take there. We left for Beaver Falls at 1:50 and arrived at 3:15. Once again, there is no obvious path so just ask people when you see them and always stay on the right side of the river to get there the fastest. If you want more of a challenge and have hours to spare, stay to the left of the river for a more challenging hike including more river crossings, bridges, and more ladders.beaver falls supai arizona Don’t get caught up in not knowing where you’re going, though. Follow the river. You can’t get lost if you do, you might just make more crossings than you planned to.  If I were you just enjoy the scenery and don’t rush it if you don’t have to. There are so many stunning falls and other views along the way.
beaver falls supai arizonaAnother thing that will vary depending on what way you go is the number of river crossings you make. We made six river crossings on the way there. Some people we ran into said they only made four and others said over ten. hike to beaver falls supai arizona

Trail through the grapeVines

I loved the whole adventure to Beaver Falls but this part was my favorite! I never thought I’d want a break from that gorgeous blue river, but I loved the few minutes we stepped away and walked through the grapevines. It was such a unique experience!beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizona This area is such a contrast to everything else you’ve seen on this trail so far.hike to beaver falls supai arizonaRight after the trail through the grapevines, you’ll cross over this “bridge”.hike to beaver falls supai arizonaAnd just like that your back in the desert…hike to beaver falls supai arizona

FALSE BEAVER FALLS

Because the river is so pretty and has many falls you may think you’ve arrived once you hit this point, but this is just a bonus set of mini falls on your way to the real Beaver Falls. You are about halfway to Beaver Falls when you see these.hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaJust another tip about the river crossings. The water height ranges from calf level to thigh level depending on your height. Also, be prepared to get wet up to your waist at some points of this hike. The first two crossings we did were pretty shallow but the closer we got to Beaver Falls the deeper the water was!hike to beaver falls supai arizona

The many ladders on the way to beaver falls

Once again when it comes to numbers it’s hard to give an exact one because everyone says something different! We climbed eight on the way to Beaver Falls, but others told us there were only four and someone else said at least 12. It all depends on what route you take. But just so you know, these are much more stable than the ladders you used to get down to Mooney Falls.
hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaI can’t say it enough, this hike was so unique! There were so many different landscapes- from the water crossings to bridges and ladders to unique paths like this one below. hike to beaver falls supai arizona

More False Beaver Falls

After the trail pictured above you start to think, “I must be there” because then you come to these, but nope, just more pretty falls-you have another 20 minutes until Beaver Falls…but these are gorgeous as well!hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaIf you choose to stay on the left for the more adventurous trek then you’ll come across a few of these bridges. We stayed to the right as much as we could and saw them but never had to cross one.hike to beaver falls supai arizona

GIANT PALM TREE

When you arrive at the giant palm tree this is a good landmark to note you are almost there. You are about 10-15 minutes from the top of Beaver Falls.hike to beaver falls supai arizonaJust a few more ladders before you’re there.hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaA few minutes later you’ll come to a large cliff where you’ll look down and start to see Beaver Falls!hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizona

ARRIVING AT BEAVER FALLS

To be honest, if it wasn’t for the sign someone could have told me we were already there an hour before and from above I wouldn’t have known the difference!
hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaDefinitely take in the views from above but then walk down another five minutes and go down one more ladder to see them from another angle. hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaWhen you are right in front of them, you realize these falls are much more beautiful than the ones you saw before! You can even climb up the falls to the limestone terraces!
beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaPerks of having the whole place to yourselves…hike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonahike to beaver falls supai arizonaThere are a few picnic tables down by the falls. Not the worst view to enjoy a snack, lunch or dinner, right?! Pictured are the only two other people there when we arrived.beaver falls supai arizona

The hike back from beaver falls to Mooney Falls

The way back was about 15 minutes faster since we knew what we were doing. Take a moment to capture the big palm tree from the view up above. It’s so pretty!  I want this as a wallpaper in my house! I love all the different colors in one picture.
beaver falls supai arizonaBeaver Falls is one of my favorite hikes I have ever done, although it was a bit frustrating not knowing if we were going the right way, it made it that much better when we arrived!
hike to beaver falls supai arizonaPlanning a trip to Havasu Falls or just want to learn more about the area!? Check out my other posts including The Descent to Mooney Falls from Havasupai Campground and Hiking the Havasu Falls Trail to Havasu Falls Campground.