Ultimate Guide On The Mooney Falls Hike

Mooney Falls was unlike anything I have ever seen! It is located at Havasupai, and it was my favorite experience of the week. The hike was unforgettable. It included steep, slippery stairs which made my heart race the entire descent. The waterfall is immense and has a dazzling, turquoise, blue color similar to the famous Havasu Falls. When I was near Mooney Falls, I could feel the powerful thumping of the grandiose waterfall hitting the river. Mooney Falls enlightened me and made me appreciate the present, the natural beauty and oasis I was witnessing. It brought happiness and excitement as no other waterfall had ever done. For all these reasons and more, is why Mooney Falls was my favorite part of Arizona.

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How To Get To Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls Arizona

Getting to Mooney Falls and Havasu Falls is no easy feat. The waterfalls are located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation near the Supai Village. To be able to experience these magical waterfalls, you have to obtain a permit first; then you have to get to Arizona and the Havasu Falls trailhead. Once at the trailhead, you have to hike for about 10 miles to get to the campground to pitch a tent for the night. It can be a long, frustrating journey but once you are there, you can finally enjoy the beautiful oasis. I have luckily written about this whole process in two blog posts so make sure to check them out:

• How To Obtain A Havasupai Falls Permit
• An Ultimate Guide to hiking into Havasupai Falls

The campground isn’t designated so you can pitch a tent anywhere in between Mooney Falls and Havasu Falls. Please note that there is no day hiking allowed. You have to spend the night at Havasupai. Once you have your home set up for the night, you can walk on over to Mooney Falls. The waterfall is relatively close to Havasu Falls as shown in the map below (about 1 mile).

Mooney Falls Facts

1. Mooney Falls Height is around 200 feet. Mooney Falls is twice as tall as Havasu Falls which stands at 100 feet.
2. The hike from Havasu Falls to Mooney Falls is about 1 mile.
3. Due to a Mooney Falls death, the waterfall was named after Mr. Mooney. He fell to his death while trying to climb up in 1882. His death happened before the trail was made.
4. The waterfall is the tallest of all the waterfalls in Havasupai.
5. You can learn more about the Havasupai Tribe here.

What to Pack For Mooney Falls AZ

Hiking to Havasupai, you need backpacking equipment. Luckily I have highlighted all the equipment you need in this Blog Post on Hiking to Havasupai.

Since you are setting up all your equipment at the campground, you only need a day pack for the Mooney Falls Hike. Here is a list of all the equipment you need:

1. Bathing Suit: >Check out this cute one here!
2. Water hiking shoes: Recommended for Beaver Falls >Check Out These Awesome Shoes
3. Sunscreen: Super important and it is part of the ten essentials!  >Buy Sunscreen
4. Chapstick: This one has SPF so your lips won’t get burned in this hot sun! >Check Out This Chapstick
5. Hiking Boots/Shoes: If you use tennis shoes, you can easily hurt your toes hitting a rock by accident (Trust me, I have done it so many times before). >Check Out My Hiking Shoes
6. Hiking socks: Having the correct socks helps you prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there. I also love how they now have pink socks too 🙂 >Buy Hiking Socks
7. Water Reservoir: Water reservoirs help prevent me from getting dehydrated while hiking. The great thing about this reservoir is that it doesn’t have the plastic taste. >Here Is My Water Reservoir
8. Water: Stay nice and hydrated.
9. Sunglasses: It can get sunny, so make sure to pack some sunglasses. >Check Out These Sunglasses
10. Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, and energy bars. Clif Bars are great for hiking.
11. Camera: The Sony A6000 was one of the first cameras I started traveling with. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.  >Buy Sony Camera Here
12. First Aid Kit: This is one of the first things I bought when I first started going on adventures. It is super portable. >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
13. Day Pack to carry all your things: To carry all your gear, water, and food, you need a good backpack. Osprey is known to have some of the best backpacks in the market. >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
14. Headlamp: A headlamp is an absolute must in case you get stranded in the dark! It is a lot more portable and easier to use than a flashlight. >Buy A Headlamp Now
15. Leggings or Hiking Pants: I always wear leggings while hiking because it is what I feel most comfortable with! >Click For My Favorite Hiking Leggings
16. Breathable sweat-wicking shirts: Cotton shirts soak up your sweat when hiking, so make sure to wear something breathable. >Check out this awesome breathable shirt here.
17. Mid Base Layer: If you are hiking in the winter/Spring, this might be a great idea. >Check Out My Sweater Here
18. Sports Bra: For women.
19. Jacket: I always have a jacket in my backpack, even if it is hot. I do it just in case of an emergency. If you go in the Spring or Winter it might get chilly at night or in the morning.  >Buy My Favorite Jacket
20. Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
21. Knife: I always carry a knife in my backpack just in case. >Check Out My Knife Here
22. Towel: Don’t forget a towel like I did.

Mooney Falls Hike

The hike to Mooney Falls was nerve-racking! When I first saw the “descend at own risk” sign, I started to get a bit nervous. I could tell the decent was pretty steep, and I was warned how sketchy the hike was. I also have a fear of heights, but, I used to be a rock climber, so I have learned to push back those fears to the back of my head. Pushing these negative thoughts to the back of my head doesn’t always work though. We pushed on anyhow.

After the sign, we saw a little cave. At first, I was a little creeped out since I couldn’t see what was inside the cave. The cave was a bit too dark for my liking. Jameson decided to go in first to check it out, and he said it was fine. I followed him in and realized the cave wasn’t bad at all. The cave was just a little dark and claustrophobic, but nothing I should be worried about.

After the cave is when the decent started to get just a little bit crazy. Don’t worry too much though, the decent has “stairs” and chains to assist in the climb. Mooney Falls is so powerful, that the “stairs” and chains were soaked in water, creating slippery surfaces. I knew one little slip could easily lead to my death so I made sure to go slow and steady. The negative thoughts were slowly starting to creep back into my head at this point…

After a slow climb down, we finally got reached the bottom. It was the best feeling in the world! All of the negative thoughts quickly disappeared from my head once I took a few long deep breathes and take in the beauty directly in front of me. Mooney Falls.

Ascending the “stairs” is an entirely different experience than descending. I was easily able to climb the Mooney Falls ladder and stairs. We did have to wait a while because it was later in the day and groups of visitors were descending.

My recommendation is to start early in the morning. When we descended early in the morning, there was no one else on the trail with us. We were able to take our sweet time (which I entirely took advantage of). I don’t recommend the hike for people who are afraid of heights. I am scared of heights but, I used to be a rock climber, so I have a lot of experience with pushing back my fears. If you are deadly afraid and have never challenged yourself with the fear, then it could be challenging to do this hike. Also, there is only one way up or down, so if you are too afraid to get down, then it could upset the people waiting on you. I would suggest to either not attempt the hike or get up early in the morning.

Mooney Falls in All It’s Glorious Beauty

Mooney Falls was honestly my favorite part of Havasupai. This waterfall was just out of this world. I put on my bathing suit and swam around for a bit, but the water was freezing (It was early March)! Even with the freezing water, I had such a great time. I made sure to take in this magical moment.

Another waterfall called Beaver Falls Arizona is 3 miles beyond Mooney Falls. Sadly, we had no time to see it. If you have time, I would recommend going to check Beaver Falls out.

Conclusion

Mooney falls is one of the best Arizona Waterfalls! It is hard to describe just how magical and brilliant this bright blue waterfall is. So make sure to go and check it out yourselves! Do you have a favorite waterfall? Check out some of my other posts on Havasupai Falls and The Grand Canyon National Park:

• The Ultimate Guide on Havasu Falls Hike
• How to obtain a Havasupai Permit
• All about Plateau at The Grand Canyon

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