Arizona’s Havasupai Falls Is Reopening to Tourists for First Time in 3 Years

Arizona's Havasupai Falls will reopen to tourists in February, welcoming back visitors after a nearly 3-year-long closure.

The northern Arizona falls, which sit on the Havasupai reservation, will reopen on Feb. 1 for current permit holders, according to the Havasupai Tribe. The falls have remained shut to tourists since they first closed in 2020 to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Currently, only travelers who were impacted by the COVID-19-related closure will be allowed to make a reservation for 2023, according to the tribe’s official tourism Facebook page. Reservations for 2024 will then open in February 2024.

The opening also comes months after the area experienced severe flooding, which destroyed several bridges and trails, but the tribe said it was ready to welcome visitors.

“With limited access to meaningful healthcare, closing the reservation was the best way to keep our community safe and healthy. We have remained closed to tourists since that time,” the tribe wrote in a notice, adding, “While you may see downed trees on the trails where the flood crashed through, you will also see flourishing flora and fauna and new waterfall flows. This is truly a great time to visit and please know that we are eager to welcome tourists back to our beautiful Reservation starting February 1, 2023 for current permit holders.”

Travelers who don’t already have a permit and who want to go this year can try to purchase a reservation off a transfer list. To do so, people must open an account on the official website and can check for openings each day at 8 a.m. local time.

The falls, which feature red rocks and a blue-green pool, are one of the most beautiful in the world. While the floods in October changed the water flow over the falls, the tribe posted earlier this month that the gorgeous turquoise-colored pool “is still as blue as ever.”