Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls

A divine blue crystal, but one you'll have to share with a couple of hundred strangers. The popularity of Havasu Falls, and the rest of the canyon, exceeds the level of privacy established for this book. Nevertheless, there's no way to exclude so rare a beauty. Caribbean-blue water roars from a spring just above the village of Supai at 180,000 gallons a minute and at a constant temperature of 72 degrees. It rolls down the canyon and spills over a fall, 106 feet high. Minerals dissolved from the limestone give the water its color and produce the travertine deposits forming the 100-foot-wide main pool as well as the handful of other pools below.
This is in the Havasupai Reservation, so permits are required. Make reservations early. Temperature regularly tops the century mark so bring plenty of water. This isn't a practical day trip unless you are a hard-core trail runner. No ground fires, so you have to bring a stove. If you forget something, supplies are available at the store in town, although you'll pay more.