The first step in planning your backpacking trip to Havasuapai is deciding when to go. Before you pack, before you learn about the hikes and how to find the waterfalls, you must decide the best time to visit Havasupai for you.
Some months come with a high risk of flash floods, while others may be too cold for swimming in the waterfalls. Some months have unbearably high heat, while some may require you to pack extra layers. Some months allow you to witness cactus blooms while others bring way too many bugs.
That’s why it’s so important to weigh the pros and cons of visiting Havasupai each month before snagging your permit.
When deciding when to visit Havasupai, you’ll have to ask yourself questions like:
- Would I rather hike when it’s 70-80 degrees or 90-100+ degrees F?
- Do I want it to be warm enough to swim?
- Do I need more daylight (longer days) so I can hike to the Confluence?
- Am I comfortable hiking with a threat of flash flooding?
- Do I want to avoid crowds?
I’ve crafted a detailed guide to help you choose the best time to visit Havasupai based on what matters most to you. This month-to-month comparison will be critical to learning important seasonal information about Havasupai, including weather, flash floods, bugs, and daylight hours.
Let’s dive into the world of turquoise waterfalls!
Best Time to Visit Havasupai? Month to Month Comparison
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When Can You Visit Havasupai?
Before diving into a month-to-month comparison, it’s important to note that the Havasupai Reservation, including the trails, campground, and lodge, is closed to tourists in December and January.
Since tourists can only visit Havasupai from February 1 through November 30, I’ll just compare those ten months in this guide.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Havasupai?
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to compare each month, let me be the first to convince you to visit in May.
Yes, May is the BEST time to visit Havasupai!
Here’s why:
- Cacti are blooming! May is peak blooming season for cacti, meaning you’ll get to see all the beautiful, colorful blooms sprouting from the cacti. They’re the most abundant and impressive along the route from Mooney Falls to Beaver Falls.
- Weather is warm, but not too hot. May brings comfortable temperatures for hiking, camping, and swimming. It’s not too hot to hike, it’s still warm enough to swim in the waterfalls, and nights are comfortable enough to camp with three-season gear.
- Very low risk of flash flooding. Since the monsoon season is late June through mid-September, you won’t have to worry too much about flash floods in May.
- Plenty of daylight. May has some of the longest days of the year, meaning there are 14 glorious hours of daylight to explore the waterfalls. Also, thanks to the longer days in May, Confluence hikes are more realistic.
Other great months to visit Havasupai are April, late September, and October.
Visiting Havasupai: Month to Month Comparison
You might think that the weather at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is warm, sunny, and dry year-round. But this simply isn’t the case.
While the canyon may not experience extreme cold temperatures or snowfall, it does have its own harsh weather threats: sweltering heat, dangerous monsoons, and life-threatening flash floods.
These major weather factors, along with minor factors like bugs and daylight hours, should be heavily considered when deciding when to visit Havasupai.
Okay, let’s dive into each month. I’ll share a brief overview of visiting Havasupai each month, plus average temperatures, rainfall, sunrise and sunset times, and daylight hours.
QUICK NOTE: Due to geothermal heaters, Havasu Creek stays a constant 70 degrees year-round.
Havasupai in February
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 64 / 37
- Average Rainfall: 0.6 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 7:17 AM / 6:12 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 10 hours 54 minutes
February is a great month to ditch the crowds, avoid the bugs, and comfortably hike in and out of the canyon, but it’s the least popular month to visit Havasupai for a couple of reasons.
One, the cold air temperatures make swimming pretty miserable.
Two, since permits don’t go on sale to the general public until February 1st, there’s really no time to plan logistics like flights and accommodations.
February visits are really only ideal for Arizona locals who don’t need to book flights or accommodations.
Havasupai in March
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 70 / 41
- Average Rainfall: 0.8 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 6:40 AM / 6:38 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 11 hours 57 minutes
March is a decent time to visit Havasupai, boasting bug-free and uncrowded trails.
However, rainfall is actually pretty high during this month. While flash floods aren’t a cause for concern this early in the year, rain can still dampen the experience.
While temperatures are not likely warm enough to swim yet, especially early in the month, hiking conditions are ideal.
Havasupai in April
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 79 / 47
- Average Rainfall: 0.3 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 5:56 AM / 7:04 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 13 hours 7 minutes
April is one of the best months to visit Havasupai. Temperatures are slowly warming up, so most days you can comfortably swim in the waterfalls and still hike safely in and out of the canyon.
April is also one of the driest months, so rain is unlikely to be an issue.
Cherry on top? The days are getting longer, so you can spend more time chasing waterfalls, and potentially even trek to the Confluence.
However, since April is one of the best months to visit Havasupai, you’ll likely deal with crowds at the campground, trails, and waterfalls.
Havasupai in May
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 89 / 55
- Average Rainfall: 0.4 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 5:24 AM / 7:30 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 14 hours 6 minutes
May is the best month to visit Havasupai. This is the month we visited! Temperatures are at that perfect happy medium – warm enough to swim, cool enough to hike comfortably, and mild enough not to be too chilly overnight.
The days are very long, so you have around 14 hours of daylight to chase waterfalls and even hike to the Confluence.
But the best part? Blooming cacti! The flowering cacti brighten up the trails, making Havasupai feel even more like an oasis.
Since most people agree that May is one of the best months to visit Havasupai, you’ll likely be sharing the waterfalls with hundreds of other people, especially midday.
And bugs will start to emerge as the temperatures warm throughout the month. (We went May 5-8 and didn’t have any issues with bugs, but this will vary based on weather, rainfall, etc).
READ NEXT: Should You Visit Havasupai in May? Yes! Here’s Why
Havasupai in June
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 100 / 63
- Average Rainfall: 0.2 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 5:12 AM / 7:49 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 14 hours 36 minutes
June brings the first unwelcome triple-digit days and the first days of monsoon season, but perfect swimming conditions.
If you decide to go in June, I’d recommend snagging a permit for early June. This will give you the best chance of missing the dangerous heat wave and the first monsoon of the season.
Aside from flash flood threats and dangerous hiking conditions, bugs start to become a persistent issue, too.
Havasupai in July
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 103 / 68
- Average Rainfall: 1.2 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 5:25 AM / 7:47 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 14 hours 22 minutes
I would not recommend visiting Havasupai in July.
Monsoon season is in full swing, meaning flash floods are a real risk.
Also, this is the hottest month of the year. Daytime temperatures are consistently over 100 degrees F, making hiking not only miserable but also dangerous. Heatstroke becomes a real concern.
Havasupai in August
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 101 / 67
- Average Rainfall: 1.4 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 5:49 AM / 7:20 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 13 hours 31 minutes
Similar to July, I would not recommend visiting Havasupai in August because monsoon season is at its full peak and temperatures are still sky-high.
These two dangerous ingredients create the worst concoction of flash flood risk and miserable, life-threatening hiking conditions.
Havasupai in September
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 95 / 61
- Average Rainfall: 0.6 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 6:13 AM / 6:37 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 12 hours 23 minutes
Flash flood season doesn’t wrap up until early to mid-September, so if you want to hike to Havasupai in September, try to grab permits for the end of the month.
We originally had permits for September 16-20, but a flash flood swept through the area shortly before, damaging the trails and campground, so we had to reschedule our trip.
You might have to deal with bugs and sweltering daytime temperatures, but swimming would be refreshing.
Havasupai in October
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 81 / 49
- Average Rainfall: 0.6 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 6:37 AM / 5:53 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 11 hours 16 minutes
October is another great month to visit Havasupai.
Monsoon season is over, temperatures are in that happy medium once again, making it comfortable to hike, swim, and camp. Daylight hours are still fairly long, and you shouldn’t have to worry about bugs anymore.
But once again, the crowds come trickling back in, so prepare to share the waterfalls with hundreds of others.
Also, rain chances are actually pretty high this time of year, so don’t leave your rain gear at home just because monsoon season is over.
Havasupai in November
- Average Temperatures F (daytime/overnight): 67 / 39
- Average Rainfall: 0.7 inches
- Sunrise/Sunset Times (Mid-Month): 7:02 AM / 5:22 PM
- Hours of Daylight: 10 hours 14 minutes
November is a decent time to explore Havasupai, especially if you want to avoid crowds.
November weather is ideal for hiking but not so ideal for swimming. And the days are shorter, so there’s less time to chase waterfalls.
Rain chances are also quite high for November.
Havasupai Weather FAQs
When Is Monsoon Season in Havasupai?
While the highest risks for flash flooding are July and August, the monsoon season runs from late June through mid-September.
When Do the Cacti Bloom in Havasupai?
The cacti usually bloom in late April through early June, but peak bloom happens in May.
What Months Are Too Cold to Swim in Havasupai?
February, March, and November – daytime temperatures are usually in the 60s during these months.
What Months Have Bad Mosquitoes in Havasupai?
Since warm weather typically brings the mosquitoes to Havasupai, expect bugs to be bad from May through September.
We visited from May 5-8 and didn’t have any problems with bugs, but we still brought bug spray just in case.
Should I Be Worried About Brown Waterfalls?
The waterfalls in Havasupai are most likely to turn brown in July and August, when heavy rain rolls through the area.
Heavy rain and flash floods tend to dislodge dirt and debris from the banks, turning the creek and all of the waterfalls a chocolate brown color.
To ensure you get to see the classic turquoise color, make sure to visit outside of monsoon season – February, March, April, May, October, or November.
When Should YOU Visit Havasupai?
If you are still torn about when to visit, here is a lightning-round style chart to help you:
Do you…
Want fewer crowds? February, March, and November
Want a perfect balance of hiking/swimming/camping weather? April, May, late September, and October
Want hot swimming weather? June
Finish Planning Your Trip to Havasupai
Take the stress out of trip planning with the help of my guides!
- Ultimate Havasupai Packing List (+ Free Printable!)
- What It’s REALLY Like Camping at Havasupai
- How to Find the 6 Havasupai Waterfalls: MAPPED!
- Is Hiking to Mooney Falls Actually Scary?
- All About the Adventurous Beaver Falls Hike in Havasupai
- Getting a Havasupai Permit in 2026: Step-By-Step Guide
- Should You Visit Havasupai in May? Yes! Here’s Why
- Backpacking Havasupai: Everything You Need to Know
- Steal Our 4 Day Havasupai Itinerary!
Discover Your Next Adventure
Where to next? I’ve got some suggestions!
- Emerald Cave
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Antelope Canyon
- Kanab Sand Caves
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
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