Day 1

Travel to Grand Canyon via the Navajo reservation, skirting the Painted Desert. As you travel Highway 89 north of Flagstaff, you’ll pass archaeological treasures, such as Wupatki National Monument, and historic sites, including Cameron Trading Post, a good place for lunch.

On your way to the East Entrance Station, stop for views of the Little Colorado River, an important Hopi pilgrimage route. Spend an hour or two enjoying the panoramas at Desert View and the 70-foot-tall Watchtower. The striking murals and paintings inside are a symbolic history of Southwestern native cultures.

Along Desert View Drive, several overlooks offer dramatic canyon views. Historians believe that somewhere near Moran or Lipan Points, Hopi guides led Spanish conquistadors to the edge of the canyon in 1540.

On the way to Grand Canyon Village, stop at the Tusayan Ruins and Museum, timing your visit for a tour or ranger program. The Cohonina Anasazi occupied this masonry pueblo 800 years ago. The adjacent museum has displays of prehistoric, historic, and contemporary native cultures.

Spend the night at one of the lodges or campgrounds in the village. If you dine at El Tovar, note the large paintings depicting Arizona Indian tribes, part of the hotel’s original 1905 decor.

Day 2

After an early breakfast, visit Hopi House, designed by Mary Colter to resemble the pueblo of Old Oraibi. The gallery upstairs has museum-quality pottery, jewelry, carvings, and Navajo rugs. If your timing is right, you may be able to watch a rug weaver at work. But try to tear yourself away by late morning, because it’s a three-hour drive from Grand Canyon Village to Peach Springs on the Hualapai reservation.

En route, you can stop for lunch in the historic Route 66 towns of Williams or Seligman. (If this is your first visit to Grand Canyon, however, you’ll probably want to schedule an extra night or two at the South Rim before continuing your trip.) When you arrive at Peach Springs, check for tour possibilities at the Hualapai Lodge or Office of Tourism. The Hualapai (People of the Tall Pines), historically known for their vast trade network, have translated those entrepreneurial skills into tour operations, with rafting, four-wheel-drive, helicopter, and bus tours available, many of them centered around Grand Canyon West.

You may not have time for the two-hour drive to Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk, but if your vehicle has good clearance, you can take Diamond Creek Road down to the Colorado River. Spend the night at Hualapai Lodge.

Days 3–4

Get an early start for the 65-mile, dirt-road drive from Peach Springs to Hualapai Hilltop, the launch point for the 8.5-mile hike into Havasu Canyon, about 3–4 hours. You can also get to Supai Village by horse, mule, or helicopter, giving you more time (and energy) to explore Havasu Canyon and its magical creek and waterfalls.

The three most dramatic waterfalls—Navajo, Havasu, and Mooney Falls—are within four miles of the village. If you’re a strong hiker, you may be able to reach Beaver Falls, a series of small cascades three miles further down Havasu Creek, with the Colorado River another three miles beyond.

The Havasupai (People of the Blue-Green Water) live on this small reservation and rely heavily on tourism. Historically, they roamed the length of Grand Canyon in search of game and plants, forging many of the trails used today for hiking. If you spend two nights at the lodge or campground, you’ll have more time to explore and swim, though it’s possible to make this an overnight trip, especially if you travel by mule.

Day 5

Leave this paradise for the hike back to the rim. You might want to explore more of the Hualapai reservation before heading home, or be content to end your journey with visions of blue-green water still flowing through your mind.

© Kathleen Bryant from Moon Grand Canyon, 4th Edition