8 Things to Know Before Booking a Trip to Havasu Falls
Considering a trip to Havasu Falls? It can be an amazing trip I think everyone would enjoy visiting at least once. While it is a 10 mile hike in the desert it is worth the effort. Not only are there 5 large waterfalls to visit, but the canyons, Havasu creek, the locals, reservation dogs, and more make it a memorable experience. The waterfalls are a part of the Havasupai reservation and Havasupai actually translates roughly to “The people of the blue-green waters.” The striking color of the water against the red rock of Arizona is part of what the area is so famous for.
Deciding if this is the trip for you
You’ve seen all the lovely waterfall photos and are thinking you’d love to see it in person! These falls are found in the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai Reservation. Visiting requires hiking into the canyon with reservations made in advance. Getting from the parking area to the campground involves backpacking or hiking down while a mule (you reserved ahead of time) carries your things. If you choose to you may be able to book a tour with some companies or get a helicopter ride (with Airwest Helicopters) on some days instead. Whatever your method of transportation for a trip to Havasu Falls there is still a good amount of hiking to be done while visiting.
A trip to Havasu Falls begins with hiking into the village (with or without your gear on your back) for 8 miles from where you park your car on top of the canyon to the Tourism Office. It is then another 2 mile hike from there to Havasu Falls and the campground. If you take the helicopter it lands at the village; if you have mules bring your gear it will be dropped off at the campground entrance.
Havasu creek is the name of the water that creates these 5 major waterfalls and runs into the Colorado River further down. The campground runs along Havasu creek and hanging out at the campsites is just as beautiful as the waterfalls. Hiking to the each waterfall (which I believe is a must!) can add many miles walked to a day. On our trip to Havasu Falls we easily did 12-18 miles each day. From the campground it is a 1 mile hike to Mooney Falls and a 3 mile hike to Beaver Falls, Fifty Foot Falls and New Navajo Falls are along the hike from Havasu Falls to the Village.
Booking campsites opens February 1!
So, you’ve decided that a trip to Havasu falls backpacking through the desert to see these waterfalls is worth it, and I believe it is! Then it’s time to look into booking a campsite. The Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office books visitors in lodging or for camping from February 1st through November 30th. A reservation is required to visit, no day hiking is allowed!
Lodging begins booking June 1 the year before your reservation, while the campground begins booking February 1 at 8:00 am the year of and popular dates sell out quickly. In the past you had to call to get reservations and hope to get through (it took us 40-60 hours constantly calling to make reservations!). Today there is a website for booking that you need to have an account on, it receives high volume and can be difficult to get through. They have asked not to receive calls to keep phone lines open for emergencies so I believe you have to use the website and email support@havasupaireservations.com with questions to book your trip to Havasu Falls.
As of October 2018 a trip to Havasu Falls can only be exactly a 4 days / 3 night reservation, you can extend it only if you make multiple back to back reservations (if the space is available) and it can’t be shortened. Current costs per person are: 1 night = $140.56, 2 nights = $171.12, 3 nights = $201.67. Weekends, Holidays, and Spring Break dates have an additional $18.34 per night charge. These prices have increased since my 2017 visit. The reservation cannot be transferred or refunded once booked so be sure the name listed on the booking will make it on the trip.
Deciding how long to visit
Depending on what you want to be able to do when you visit will determine how long you might like to staywhile on your trip to Havasu Falls. Our group visited for 4 days and 3 nights and I wish I stayed longer! Here’s an idea of what you can do with 4 days.
- DAY 1: Hike into Havasupai Village, check in, hike to the campground and set up, visit Havasu Falls
- DAY 2: Hike to Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls
- DAY 3: Visit the village, Havasu Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, and New Navajo Falls
- DAY 4: Hike out of the canyon (or spend some time and hike out late but then you may have a long drive after!)
This is based on the itinerary I had when on a trip to Havasu Falls and wanting to see all the waterfalls. You can have a more relaxing stay near the campground or there are many other opportunities to hike as well, some of the more popular being hiking the Mesa Wall to Beaver Falls and hiking to the Colorado River (16 miles).
Deciding when to visit
When you can visit on a trip to Havasu Falls will depend on availability and, of course, your schedule. You’ll want to take into consideration the potential weather as well. There are no refunds because of weather and during monsoon season there is intense rain. Flooding during the rain can wash out the campground area and turn the water a muddy color. If conditions are not safe you will not be permitted to camp during your reserved dates.
- Monsoon (rainy) season in Arizona begin June 15, peak is from mid-July to mid-August, and ends on September 30.
- Spring temperatures rise from a high of 78–95 nearing summer, lows rise from 54–70
- Summer temperatures average a high of 100–105, lows from 75–80
- In the fall temperatures drop from a high of 90–70 nearing winter, lows fall from 70–50
What you’ll need to pack
There are a number of things that are important to bring on a trip to Havasu Falls and you could easily pack more than you need. At the end of the day the most comforting thing was knowing we were prepared but we paid for it in the weight of our bags. Remember to keep your trail snacks accessible and a map handy for the hike in (although I never actually needed the map). You’ll need less clothing than you think; you can wash clothing with a little bit of soap and water in a dry bag, hanging it to dry on some string. For food you will want to be sure to portion it all out for each meal and snack, you want to have enough but not weigh yourself down. It is nice to treat yourself to a favorite candy or brownie, and the calories will help with all the exercise you’re getting. Carrying heavy weight items like fresh fruit and veggies is not ideal so stick to foods that don’t take up so much space. (There are stores and food available in the village and sometimes at the campground entrance at high prices if you prefer)
For a short trip to Havasu Falls you don’t need much for toiletries and packing smaller sizes is best (there are no showers). Once you reach the campground you may want to tie up your food to keep rodents from getting to it so odor proof bags, a Ursack, or a rat bag can be useful along with some rope. To protect electronics it’s nice to have a dry bag when near the water. A light weight day pack can be useful to carry your things in when you hike from the campground and leave your backpacking bag behind. A note for those who don’t always read directions (like me, woops); microfiber quick dry towels often need to be washed before use or they can bleed ink on your clothing.
As a photographer I had extra weight from my lenses, camera, tripod, and even some fun dresses to take photos with but I suggest packing only what you truly need while on a trip to Havasu Falls for the lightest weight possible.
- Map, cash, ID
- Backpacking bag
- 3L water bladder
- Light weight backpacking tent (can share 2 person tent)
- Sleeping bag and pad, pillow or pillow case (can stuff clothing into)
- Backpacking stove, fuel, lighter, spork, collapsible measuring cup, and pot
- MRE’s or other instant cook foods, trail mix, beef jerky, crackers & peanut butter, dried fruit, protein bars, light candy treats (that don’t melt)
- Water filtration like a sawyer mini or tablets
- Light weight day pack for hiking after you reach camp
- First aid kit – keep it to the essentials like bandaids, wrap, disinfectant, pain killers, any prescriptions
- Small dry shampoo, deodorant, comb, soap, sun screen, wet wipes, bug spray if you’d like (environemntally friendly brands and rinse far from the water to not create algae blooms)
- Quick dry clothing, hiking boots, water shoes, bathing suit and small towel, hat, sunglasses
- Cell phone, extra battery charges, camera, large memory card
- Head light, other small lights
- Dry bag, poncho, puffer jacket
- Rope, multi-tool, duct tape, compass, whistle (not always used but can be handy)
- Deck of cards, frisbee (for fun)
- Optional: odor proof bags, Ursack, or rat bags
No drone use is permitted, no alcohol allowed.
Getting to the trailhead/parking area
Depending on where you are coming from you will most likely fly into Phoenix or Las Vegas for your trip to Havasu Falls. If you’re lucky maybe you can get a flight into the smaller Flagstaff airport. From there you will have to drive. If you put Havasupai Trailhead into your GPS (on google maps) it will get you to the parking area. It is at the end of Indian Road 18 off Route 66. One option during your trip is to also visit the Grand Canyon, it is a bit over a 3.5 hour drive from one to the other (the southern rim, not northern). Don’t forget to fill your gas tanks! There is no gas on Indian Road 18, if you do forget, you may be able to find someone in the parking lot selling it occasionally (we had a friend have to do this).
To get the most of your trip to Havasu Falls it is best to spend the night before your reservation begins sleeping in your car in the parking area. It can be cold at night, so bundle up. Getting up early the next morning to hike in first thing will give you the most time for your visit and avoid some of the hottest sun. Once you get to the village you need to check in at the tourism office it’s hours are not listed online, however, they are not open at all times and do take breaks so you’ll have to be sure to catch them.
Planning hike in and out
Wake up in the parking area to begin your trip to Havasu Falls from your car early in the morning, 5:00–6:00 am I’d suggest, or earlier if its summer, and get ready to begin your hike. It is cooler in the morning which is why it’s best to start dressed in layers. Take your last chance to use a bathroom by the trailhead. Then the hike begins with about 1 mile of switchbacks heading into the canyon floor where it seems to level out for most of the next 7 miles. Following this trail back out when you leave you realize it’s really all slightly uphill on the way back, even the areas you may have thought were flat. It’s a long hike and everyone should take care to take the breaks they need and drink plenty of water. You’ll pass other hikers and mule trains with luggage going in and out along the way.
When you first see Havasu creek and the famous blue-green water you’ll know you’re getting close to the village. In the village there are several places to stop and rest that sell frozen Gatorades, food, and other supplies. Be sure to pick up anything you’re missing while you are here. There are small signs to guide you to the tourism office where you need to check in. Afterwards you can continue on your trip to Havasu Falls by following the trail down past the first two waterfalls New Navajo Falls and Fifty Foot Falls. You can decide to stop now and visit or continue on past Havasu Falls to the campground entrance and find your spot. I would recommend not taking the first campsite you see but wandering around (maybe without your bag ;)) to find one you love.
While you are there
You made it! Now you have a limited amount of time and so much to see. Decide what kind of experience you want and have fun. For my friends and I we wanted to explore and see all 5 major waterfalls, we saw other families hang out at the two major waterfalls closest to the camp all day, and some other groups pick the less popular waterfalls, New Navajo Falls and Fifty Foot Falls, to spend an entire day at. Whatever your preference it will be an amazing trip to Havasu Falls.
If you plan on swimming, I have to say the water was colder than I expected, although we did visit in mid-May. If you get sick of the food you brought the locals sell some freshly made food at the campground entrance until theres none left or you can find more food for purchase in the village 2 miles from the campground. The camp dogs are most often in the village, at Havasu falls, and in the campground, with a little encouragement the dogs adopt campers to stay and visit with during their trip to Havasu Falls.
The campgrounds is 1 mile long with Havasu Falls at one end and Mooney Falls at the other down a bunch of sketchy stairs, metal chains, and ladders. The trails for Beaver Falls begin from Mooney and the hike is 3 miles one way. Rangers will turn you back after a certain time to make sure everyone is back to the campground before dark. New Navajo Falls and Fifty Foot Falls are along the trail between Havasu Falls and the village.
The hike from Mooney to Beaver was especially unique. Although the waterfalls are the big draw for a trip to Havasu Falls the hikes themselves are otherworldly. You cross the creek 3 times on the way to Beaver Falls, you end up above it at times, cross through a sudden field of green in the red rock canyon, and climb short ladders. There are tons of places to grab a picnic table and just relax. I wish I had more time to spend on this trail and at Beaver Falls. At the falls you could walk around and swim in all the tiers of the falls.
These are the main trails and most popular on a trip to Havasu Falls, there are several others including hiking on the Mesa Wall to Beaver Falls where you’ll have to be careful getting off the trail as it requires you climb down a rope. You can’t jump into the water from the rope, it isn’t deep enough! (A ranger shared a story about someone who did this before and had to wait overnight in a storm before it was safe for a helicopter to fly into the canyon to get them to a hospital.) The Arizona river is also a 16 mile hike if you’re into some serious hiking.
Havasu offers so much and is such a unique place, please carry in carry out <3 and keep it beautiful.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
While in San Diego in May 2017 Alexis and I decided to visit Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for some beautiful coastal scenery and to take a few photos of ourselves as well. It took us a while to find our way there, one of the roads had been closed and we had to drive in a large circle to get to the park but it was worth it! Upon first arriving it was a very cloudy day but the sky cleared up and made for some beautiful photos.
Torrey Pines for me was just one of those places; where it’s hard to stop taking photos because everything is breathtakingly beautiful and creates a space for this feeling of calm, peace, and contentment. I wish we had spent more time here but we had to get to Balboa Park and see the dinosaurs before the Museum of Natural History closed so we did about 1.5 miles in 1-1.5 hours.
Torrey Pines is named so for the endangered Torrey Pines that are common throughout this protected landscape. We found an endless amount of lizards running around in the area during our visit.
I used a trigger release and my trip to take photos of Alexis and I anticipating a beautiful location (you can kind of see me clicking the release in some photos).
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
12600 N Torrey Pines Rd,
La Jolla, CA (near San Diego)
Trail Map
2,000 acres
No dogs, smoking, food, or drones allowed
Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Bryce Canyon in a Day
On Saturday we woke up in Zion National Park and packed up our campsite to head to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Bryce Canyon National Park. We had a tight schedule to keep and lots of driving to do. Antelope Canyon is back in Arizona and there is a time change so we planned accordingly and get to leave a little later.
Antelope Canyon
To visit Antelope Canyon you have to schedule a tour ahead of time, especially if you want one of the prime times. Antelope Canyon is made up of two parts upper Antelope Canyon and lower. Upper is where you may get to see the famous light beams. Most website will forewarn you it is a very popular tourist destination, crowded, and you will be moved through fairly quickly by your guides. We used Adventurous Antelope Canyon tours, getting a good guide has less to do with the company per say than it does with luck and we got lucky. Our guide was not there to rush us, even when pushed to by others, they all help set camera settings but he also showed us his favorite angles for photos and took our pictures for us. Lower Antelope Canyon is said to be less crowded, as are many of the other slot canyons in the area, if that is the experience you are look for go to a different canyon. That said Antelope Canyon is as beautiful as the famous photos we’ve all seen.
A side note, I did NOT do one of the photography tours. They do not allow guests who do not have professional cameras and I was visiting with my fiance. Those on the photography tour were given more time and the area was cleared to help them get the shots but once they set up the guides counted down from 30 I believe or lower and they only had those seconds to shoot before moving on.
We did briefly catch a light beam on the way out. The guides take you through slowly on the way through and let you take photos, on the way out you are supposed to experience the canyon without taking photos, which also helps move you out of the way of others. These are the only photos I got where you can kid of see the light beam, the photographers were stopped in this area and shooting.
Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell are very close to Antelope Canyon so we did the short hike to Horseshoe Bend afterwards before deciding to drive to Bryce Canyon (back in Utah and with a time change again).
Horseshoe Bend is a very crowded location and out in the hot sun, they warn you to bring water and you should! It is such a strange formation and way for the water to have moved we took some time exploring here but not too long since we had more driving and a time change ahead of us.
Along the way we saw a small dinosaur museum off the highway and decided to stop. It was full of an assortment of dinosaur foot prints from Utah, some fossils, native artifacts, and a rock collection.
We made it to Bryce Canyon around 4:30 pm and checked out Sunrise point and then Sunset point. We tried the short hike Navajo loop there only to find half of it was closed from rock fall and have to turn around.
These strange sandstone formations are called the hoodoos, they were created by and are changed each year from the spires freezing and then thawing. Melting snow gets into the cracks in the spires and freezes at night, when water freezes it expands which enlarges then cracks making them wider.
After this we headed back towards California with San Diego as our next destination. In California we did much more relaxing and visiting friends but I will have a few more photos!
Just to note, I would never recommend spending so little time at all these locations and so much time traveling in one day but sometimes a road trip calls for it! I can’t wait to get back and get to spend more time in this part of the country.
A Day in Zion National Park hiking Angels Fall Landing
For our second day in Zion National Park we tried to wake up early and start Angels Fall Landing in the morning, but it was a cold morning and we slept in a bit. Heading out we followed a path with beautiful views to the second bus stop on the shuttle. We picked up the shuttle and headed back to the fourth stop from the previous day. We had turned left to go toward Emerald Pools and today we were turning right to head towards Angels Fall landing. Angels Fall Landing is about a 5 mile hike round trip, it is not a loop, you hike up and back down the same trail.
We got stopped early in our hike by a ranger who was mapping out the area and waited a few minutes to continue up.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Angel’s Fall Landing its a scary hike, you need to have good balance and not be too afraid of heights (you’ll see why below). At least hundreds of people a day if not more hike the trail. The beginning is just switch backs up the mountain and fairly easy. It is paved though so it’s harder on your calves!
Eventually you hit this area closer to the end of the “easy” part with shorter switchbacks that are a bit steeper and the sandstone has been made to look like bricks. Once you reach the top of this area you are at the beginning of the real nerve wracking and challenging part of this hike.
There are signs along the way warning you not to do this trail if your balance is off, you are scared of heights, have the right shoes, and so on. They also let you know that 7 people have died in the last 9 years on this trail, 15 since the trail opened. Until this year (2017) it had been 5 years since a death. The trail has had a reputation as one of the deadliest in the world but each year people flock to the trail. They do really try warn you off with the signs and warnings on the bus rides. The trail is on sandstone with cliffs on one or both sides of you the rest of the way up. There are people passing you in both directions and you often have to pause to let others pass, even while holding on to chains or in the way of others. Over the years they’ve added more chains and carved the stone more to help with footing.
The “hump” looking edge of that mountain is part of the trail (after we’d already done some of the trail). From what I had seen before taking this trail I was pleasantly surprised that there was often only a cliff on one side of you, I had expect cliffs on both sides of you the entire way. I’ll admit I have a mild fear of heights so when planning out this hike I knew I might turn around at some point.
Towards the peak of the trail where you would turn around and head back there are cliffs on both sides of you. Right before this point I stopped to rest under a random tree here and psych myself up for doing the end of the trail. Being so close and seeing the trail was a bit wider than I’d expected I pushed myself through to the end.
It’s at this point that my boyfriend proposed. He had clearly been trying to decide where to propose all day, so thinking this was a big accomplishment and a beautiful location he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
This hike is both not as hard as you imagine and just as hard. If you plan on doing it have the right gear, a healthy dose of fear but not too much, and good balance. The hardest part is often just the sheer number of people on the trail, be courteous and I suggest start the trail early before it gets too hot!
A Late Afternoon in Zion National Park
When heading to Zion National Park we didn’t have camping reservations but we were lucky enough to have friends also going. They left Vegas before us and waited in line forever to get a campsite which we were lucky to join. The National Park campgrounds fill up fast!
We left Vegas a bit later in the day and got to Zion in time to visit the Visitor’s Center, set up camp, and do one of the shorter trails.
We took the shuttle down to the fourth stop where the trail to Emerald Pools began, you can also get off at the 3rd stop but that trail to lower Emerald Pools was closed due to rock fall. This version of the trail is about 3 miles if you do lower, middle, and upper Emerald Pools.
On our way up the trail we had beautiful views of the Virgin River and the canyon. The Virgin river is very small but it has carved it’s way through the entire canyon and still removes tons of debris each year. We ran into our friends Rachel and Chad who we were camping with on their way down from the trail and said hello but continued on.
A bit further along we ran into a woman who quickly shushed us and directed us to look up off the trail a bit. There we could see a mule deer. Mule deer are very common at Zion and not too afraid of humans. On the bus we had seen them next to the edge of the road as well. Continuing on the trail we visited lowers pools, then middle, then upper and hiked back down the same trail.
Zion has a highway running through it and it’s gates are open all night because of this. After our hike we decided to check out the small town we had passed on the way in. Outside the park you will find a bunch of cute stores for souvenirs, a grocery store for food to cook over the fire, restaurants, and hotels. It’s a really cute area and made it even more fun to stay here since there was a variety of things to do at night.
A Day at Havasu Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, and New Navajo Falls
For our last full day at the Havasupai Reservation we decided not to plan out our day but let it take us where it would. There are many other trails in the area but we wanted more time to enjoy our stay without rushing to try to see everything. In the morning Rachel, Myle, and I set out to explore the two falls we had seen while hiking into the campground.
First we had breakfast with the group at our campsite. The Havasu Creek ran on both sides of our site and we had beautiful views. A small wooden plank lead us across the Creek on one side and on the other we had a picnic table in the water.
Fifty Foot Falls
Then we hiked up, a bit later than was ideal given the sun and heat, toward the first falls we had seen on our hike in, passing Havasu Falls along the way. In many photos you can see the stunning travertine formations all along Havasu Creek.
A major storm a few years ago changed the waterfalls. Two old waterfalls dried and two new waterfalls were made. This includes Fifty Foot Falls and New Navajo Falls (the first you pass on your way down or last you pass on your way out).
New Navajo Falls
After spending a chunk of time photographing and enjoying Fifty Foot Falls we moved on to New Navajo Falls. These falls appear split in two, the middle doesn’t have any water flowing over the travertine formations any longer.
Here I decided to experiment with a quick conceptual photo. We ended up timing our visit to this falls with a group who was watching their friend propose at the same location. My friend Myle was kind enough to model for me and then I also jumped in a took a few with myself as the model.
Havasu Falls and the Sweat Lodge
On the way back towards the campsite we found the guys hanging out by Havasu Falls. We took a quick group photo but were missing Rachel. She had wandered off by herself towards the village and ended up metting back up with us at Havasu Falls. She had been invited to a spiritual ceremony by one of the locals. We all decided to check it out and headed back up towards the Reservation.
Here Roland Manakaja explained a bit about the reservation and the sweat lodge ceremony to us. They invited us each in groups to sit in the sweat lodge for 10-20 minutes; they don’t keep track of time. During this time you are supposed to sweat out all sickness, they sing healing songs in their native tongue. They only sing four refrains, too many is considered asking too much. They also told stories and explained their stories of coming to this location, being invited by god to kill the first buffalo and how to use it well, loosing the animal tongues, and such. They ended by singing more songs of harvest and the sun and moon. Traditionally they would repeat this experience four days in a row, they now usually do it four times in a row the same day. We all took a turn once, thanked them, and headed back to camp for dinner.
10/25: Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway
Continuing our trip in Shenandoah National Park Alexis and I got up and packed up our campsite at Loft Mountain Campground and headed out to hike to Doyles River Falls. We didn't do the full loop here just there and back, I believe it was bout 3-3.5 miles round trip.
The trail on the way to the waterfalls is almost all downhill which means on the way back it is almost all up hill. It is a pretty trail, especially in the fall when we went. At one point on the trail there is a stone wall with water coming through. There is also a small bridge near where you meet Browns Gap Fire Road. (see the map here)
Coming from this direction (having parked in the closest lot to Loft Mountain Campground) we reached the smaller of the two Doyles River Falls first which is seen above and below. This is a serene and small falls and of course I climbed right across rocks and stepped in the water to take the photo from different angles for my favorite.
The second falls is two steps to it. I had a lot of fun photographing the top pieces alone and playing with
After our hike we finished the last piece of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and continued on to check out some of Blue Ridge Parkway and the over looks there.
10/23-24 Shenandoah National Park
Back in October Alexis and I set out on a road trip down to a music festival in Florida. Along the way we decided to check out Shenandoah National Park and do some camping and hiking. Shenandoah National Park is along the Appalachian Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a unique National Park as it is a very long and narrow park that centers around a scenic drive with many overlooks, campgrounds, and hiking trails along the way. We left Sunday October 23 in the morning and took the 8 hour drive from Boston to the top of Skyline Drive. For the first day our plan was to drive the first hour and a half on Skyline drive enjoying many of the scenic overlooks, and setting up camp at Big Meadows campground just after sunset. Since we knew we would spend most of the day driving we planned all hiking trails from that point in the park on.
We made it to Shenandoah National Park around 3:00pm and entered at the Front Royal (North) Entrance Station on Skyline Drive. Once in the park we stopped at the first overlook Signal Knob Overlook at 2085ft.
We proceeded along Skyline drive stopping at overlooks periodically along the way that we were interested in or had seen recommendations for. Next we stopped at Compton Gap at 2415ft, then Hogwallow Flats Overlook at 2665ft, then Range View Overlook at 2810ft. Range View was one of my favorite stops and I would not miss this one! The rolling mountains to be seen from this view are gorgeous.
We continue on to Hogback Overlook at 3384 ft and next we stopped at Elkwallow for a bathroom break. At this point we were running a little late for having stopped so often and skipped the next few stops to make sure we got closer to our campground for sunset. Lastly, we stopped at Jewell Hollow Overlook around 6pm, made it to Timber Hollow Overlook for the beginning of sunset and Spitler Knoll Overlook for the end of sunset.
We camped in Big Meadows campground and got set up around 7-7:30pm. We immediately started a fire and cooked for ourselves. We didn't stay up too late, that high up in elevation, around 3,500 ft here, it was cold and windy at night. The first night we had a hard time sleeping with the strong wind and our tent not tied down well enough. Sometime during the night our neighbors had given up on the campsite and left early. In the morning we discovered some early visitors.
We took the morning to pack up our things and eat some breakfast. Then we went by the Byrd Visitor Center so I could stamp my National Parks passport, checked out of the campground, and went across the street to the Dark Hallow Falls Parking area. From here we combined the Rose River Loop Trail with the Dark Hallow Falls trail for a 5.4 mile hike. Dark Hallow Falls trail is a very steep trail while Rose River Loop is moderate. I should mention all of the hikes I had chosen for this trip had waterfalls on them, I'm a bit of a waterfall fanatic and there were many trails to chose from with waterfalls. Also a note as a photographer I carried my heavy tripod for this trail and had no ND filter, I have since upgraded to a light weight tripod for this kind of work and highly recommend both items!
The first cascade, a bit off the beaten path, along this little river drew my attention, I spent a lot of time here getting familiar with taking photos of the cascading water and playing with my angle and timing.
The text cascade gave had a better opportunity for a successful composition. With the path behind it invisible but creating negative space and less clutter in the image, I had the ability to play with focus and scale - showing the strength and height of the trees to the delicate fall of water.
As we approached the first water fall, Dark Hallow Falls which falls about 70 feet, we saw this little caterpillar on the sign for the falls. I would caution hikers not to just touch any furry caterpillar you see as some are actually poisonous.
At the point in the trail where you begin on Rose River Loop Trail you cross a bridge on your right and follow the with the river on your left. Along the way there are many small cascades, I made the hike longer by my constant stops, I tried to get very good at taking photos quickly and left my camera attached to the tripod.
After a while the hike moves away from the little river and more into the wooded trail. Once you reach Rose River Falls the trail afterwards completely departs from the little river.
Along the way we came upon a cemetery a bit off trail, the sign caught our curiosity and we took a short detour to the cemetery. To our surprise some of the tombstones are more recent and it appears the Cave family still has use of the location.
Once back at Dark Hallow Falls we found someone kind enough to take a photo of us and headed back up hill towards our car.
We got a surprise visitor along the way!
This little baby black bear decided to cross the river and our path right in front of us, luckily it's mother was not around and we continue back to our car afterwards.
After our hike we drove to our next campground making a few overlook stops along the way. We stopped at an on that's name isn't marked on my map, The Point Overlook, and Hensley Hollow Overlook.
We spent the afternoon hanging out and eating at the Loft Mountain campground. We were then in for another cold and windy night so we went be bed very early. I'll cover our last day in Shenandoah in another blog post.
I may go back and re-edit some of these images but it's been so long since I took them I just wanted to post!
8/4: Mount Lafayette
I know I know this post is more than a month after I actually took the photos! I've been a bit slow editing them, since I took 1,000... given the amount I took I'm sure you won't be surprised that this post will be longer than most! I thought about making it more than one post, but it's been so long I just want to share!
Picking up from where I left off last time in Acadia, Wednesday 8/3 Alexis, Rachel, Behr and I left Acadia and drove the 5 hours to our campsite in New Hampshire. We grabbed some groceries for grilling and checked into our campsite. We stayed at Lost River Campground, which allows dogs, and it has a small river running along one side and a brook on the other that meet at the end of the campgrounds. It's a very pretty location and several of the campsites are very private and on the water. We spent the day setting up camp, exploring the camp ground, eating, and hanging out by the fire.
The next morning we got up fairly early, ate, and got ready for the day. We made sure to pack lots of water for us and Behr. We each carried a Camelbak with 70L and water bottles. I had 4 large water bottles in my bag as well! We were headed to a parking lot at Franconia State Park to do the 8.9 mile loop that crosses part of the Appalachian Trail and you summit three peaks including Mount Lafayette, the highest peak outside of the Presidential's in New Hampshire at 5,254 feet. The loop is considered very difficult with rock stair cases the entire way up and down and has an elevation gain of 3,900 feet.
We set out for the parking lot at the base of the Mount Lafayette loup and began our hike around 11 am. There is lots of information to be found online about hiking the 8.9 mile loop. We began from the parking lot, 0.2 miles to Falling Waters Trail 2.9 miles (past 3 small waterfalls on Dry Brook) to the first summit, Little Haystack Mountain on the Franconia Ridge piece of the Appalachian Trail. Then summit Mount Lincoln on the way to Mount Lafayette 1.7 miles later. Descending 1.1 miles down Greenleaf Trail to the AMC hut to stop and take a break and finally 3 miles back on Old Bridle Path to the parking lot. Map shown below.
All of this we knew ahead of time. Despite the warnings that the hike is for experienced hikers we committed ourselves to making the full loop. It was am amazing hike and most defiantly is more suited to those who hike regularly. We are all in decent shape and hike mild and shorter hikes fairly often but could have used a bit more experience for this. Before this trip Behr's longest hike was probably 4 miles and didn't have much elevation gain so we weren't sure how he would do. Surprisingly, while very tired, he made it the whole way on his own! The whole hike took us about 8 hours and I wouldn't recommend starting later than we did unless you are an experienced hiker and know what you're doing. I should probably note I obviously took a lot of photos so that made the hike take longer than it might for someone just hiking. We got lucky and it was a beautiful day, if the weather turns bad when are on the ridge, 1.7 miles of the hike that is above the tree line, you are exposed so I would recommend turning back!
Back to the beginning of our hike and some photos. We began from the parking lot right off 93 and walked the 0.2 miles on Old Bridle path that connected us to Falling Waters Trail. This was the last chance to use a bathroom until you reached the AMC hut 5.7 miles later. We quickly made it to Falling Waters Trail with Dry Brook winding along the path, and the path cross over several times.
The many exposed roots and rock stairs cases along the way added natural beauty to the man made path and make the hike more strenuous. Once we reached the first point the path crossed Dry Brook we played a bit in the brook and climbed some wet rock. If I didn't mention it before I highly recommend taking Falling Waters Trail up and NOT down if you are doing the loop, not only is it beautiful but there are wet rocks along the path and finding your footing on the way down would be more difficult.
Along the path we came across the first waterfall and stopped to take some photos and play on a nearby fallen tree that crosses 10-12 feet above the ground by the path.
The natural beauty along the way made it hard not to stop every second for a photo, okay well maybe I actually did come a bit too close to stopping every few seconds! It also made it difficult not to want to stop and just soak it in, but it's a long difficult trail so we kept moving.
We passed another small piece of the brook that looked a bit like a waterfall. The rocks ran down like staircases in this piece of the brook and it seemed like a small three tiered waterfall.
As usual I couldn't help taking many photos of Alexis and Behr, Behr is just such a happy dog.
The altitude and rock staircases started getting to us and we would pause more often to catch our breath and rest with Behr after the last waterfall, but even before that (as you see above) we were steadily climbing rock stair cases and gaining elevation.
The last waterfall along the path is the largest, Bridal Veil Falls. Here we stopped to eat cliff bars and enjoy the view for a bit, but not too long. And as always to take some photos!
While crossing the brook for what I believe was the lasts time, this mini falls caught my eye. The steps in the grey, yellow, orange, white rock covered in patches of green moss passing sprouts of water down a level until the flow on.
Climbing climbing climbing, on past beautiful rock staircases and exposed tree roots.
We couldn't let the beauty deter us from our destination so I'd stop very quickly, often so quickly my photos weren't always in focus, to try to capture the feeling of being there. The warmth of the day, the happy moss growing on the paths, the fungi on the rocks, lucky clovers even sprouting from moss, and the tree tall and strong.
Getting closer to the top we start to see the tree line and some of the mountains around us.
And we finally reached the first summit, Little Haystack Mountain, where a friendly fellow hiker asked if we wanted a photo. Reaching the first summit felt like a relief at this point, the altitude gain and rock stair cases were pretty steep at the end of the Falling Waters Trail. We took a break here and had another small snack and lots of water.
Before we continued on Behr got to meet this adorable little puppy who was making the loop, half walking and half carried, from the other direction headed back down Falling Waters Trail.
When we began onto Franconia Ridge it was really hard to tell along the way when we hit the second peak, the trail slopes up and down regularly across the mountains. We would hit a new part where it seemed we were at a peak and wonder if that one was close to our final destination. The 1.7 miles from peak to peak seemed to take longer than we expected.
Even along the tops of these mountains there were more rock stairs cases, and beautiful views.
We finally made it to Mount Lafayette but didn't linger, it was getting later in the day and we knew we still have 4.1 miles to go!
This ones funny if you can see it, Behr is making this awfully funny sneezy face and Alexis is looking at him laughing. While Rachel is oblivious and taking photos of the view into the valley below.
We tried to make the 1.1 miles to the AMC hut in record time (for us at least) and we're moving fairly quickly down the rock staircases. Above you can even see Behr being silly and trying to more more quickly. At one point I yelled out a warning about a slippery rock. Ironically enough pretty close to that spot Alexis ended up slipping and spraining his ankle. He had to talk the rest of way down with it sprained, irritating it more.
We stopped for a bathroom break and water refills (not that we really needed them at this point, we had enough water still) and sat for a bit outside the AMC lodge as they began their dinner.
Old Bridle Path on the way down was full of exposed rock staircases, rock stair cases and exposed roots, with a path that ran in and out of covered woods.
Once we were back at the car we all lay down on the ground feeling accomplished and very tired. We grabbed some ice cream afterwards and hung out back at camp. Because of Alexis's injury we headed straight home the next day. We'll head back up into the White Mountains this month to check out a few more areas!
Bear's Den - Getting Elemental
Towards the end of the summer last year I was getting antsy to take some more conceptual photos with models. Two of my friends, Jacqui and Jenna, both actresses, quickly volunteered and got excited about the photo shoot. They were most excited about being involved in coming up with a concept for the photos and exploring a new hiking spot. It was so easy to move forward with a plan with models as excited about the project as I was. We quickly researched and choose a location. We chooseBear's Den in New Salem, MA, somewhere we had never been before but it wasn't too far away with pretty waterfalls in the woods.
When we reached our destination we were surprised to find even more than we expected! We parked right off a main road and took a quick hike through some woods to a small clearing where there were a few steep paths that lead further into the woods. Once in the woods we found a stream on our right that wrapped around in front of us and to our left where there were large rock formations. By the stream we found the remains of an old foundation. Having planned our concept based on trees, rocks, and waterfalls without having prior knowledge of the foundation we did not include it but it was exciting to find more possibilities than we expected.
We walked around the huge stone formation by the stream and came to the waterfall. The girls started pulling out their dresses and showing me what the possibilities were. The concept we had agreed on ahead of time was elements and they had chosen their clothes with it in mind. We hadn't decided if our concept of elements would juxtaposed the natural landscape or match it. We started with both girls together in a shot each matching a different piece of the landscape, rock and moss. I love the the idea of this shot, but it was early in the day and we we're getting comfortable working together, just warming up. I'm not used to work with two models together either so these didn't end up being my favorite photos. I plan to challenge myself to work more successfully with two models in the same shot.
Every where we turned there was something new to use for the backdrop of our photos and it was all very close together - we didn't have to walk or carry our things any further! I began to work with each of them individually, and while one was changing I would shoot the other.
Jacqui and Jenna got into it, deciding on their own to jump in the water to get the shot, pointing out to each other things to try or poses they've done before that might work, and when to hold a pose... they almost didn't need me! The lighting was a beautiful soft light, but it was coming from above the trees so to get the right lighting I often had to have the girl looking up especially as it got later in the day.
After we tried the group shot, I worked on a few photos with Jacqui that didn't come out quit like I'd thought, still warming up to the shoot, I'd say. We played with her green dress as almost part of the moss and tree tops but I wish I was just a little taller, I'm only 5'3", then I might have gotten the angle I wanted.
Then Jenna and I climbed up the steep hill next to the rocks we had just been playing on to shoot with some exposed roots. Jenna was wearing a red dress to represent fire and against the landscape. Complementary colors and the brilliant hue of the dress made for some striking images. Jenna ended up keeping the dress on for more than one shot. In these photos the destruction of some trees where the power of the roots still held it in place and moss and other plants flourished was a nice balance to the fire red of the dress, destruction to life.
Jenna then jumped on top of one half of the water fall in the red dress and we took some awesome shots showing a lot of the landscape. Fire to water, opposite elements quite literally, but also using the movement and shape of the dress to match the soft organic beauty of flow of water against the harsh geometric shape of the rocks. These images embody a lot of what I love to do in my work, subtly juxtaposing different elements.
Jacqui switched to a brown dress (one image above, more on my FB page: facebook.com/mswphoto) for more of an earthy dirt and soil element against rock and moss. Then she switched into a stunning yellow dress like the light of the sun and we started playing on the rocks by the waterfall (image above) using the human organic form against the harsh geometric form of the rock, I'm seeing a pattern here. Then Jacqui took the plunge and lay down right in one of the falls like she was climbing up the falls. Here I snapped the only portrait from this shoot and one of my other favorite images. Green life and earth to Stone to Water and Sun. Jacqui also then jumped right in the pool of water above the second falls and we played with her dress under water.
These are my favorite photos I have taken in recent times, they embody what I love to do with my work, I hope to show you more like this as summer begins, and put even more story behind them in the future. I'm sure you'll see Jenna and Jacqui again.
P.S. be careful carrying lots of things over rocks... I managed to drop my camera, no damage luckily!