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Beaver Falls in Havasu Canyon

Beaver Falls
Lower Beaver Falls in Havasu Canyon (in the background – Upper Beaver Falls). / Gonzo fan2007, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

WorldBlue  In short

A group of tufa terraces in the deep Havasu Canyon forms Beaver Falls – the last fall in the sequence of five-six waterfalls. Similar to other falls, this waterfall offers a beautiful play of colors: the contrast of light blue water and red cliffs.

4.1 out of 10 stars 40.8%

GPS coordinates
36.28137 N 112.7296 W
Location, address
North America, United States, Arizona, Coconino County, Havasu Canyon
Around 5 m
Havasu Creek

Map of the site

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WorldYellow In detail

Upper Cascades of the Beaver Falls, around 1900
Upper Cascades of the Beaver Falls, around 1900. / David~O, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

More detailed description of the geological history of waterfalls in Havasu Canyon is provided in the article about Havasu Falls.

Between Supai village and the Colorado River in Havasu Canyon are five-six larger waterfalls and countless smaller travertine terraces. The main waterfalls (starting from Supai) are:

Beaver Falls is the last waterfall in the sequence of five-six wonderful falls that comes after a long, strenuous descent from the previous waterfall – Mooney Falls. Beaver Falls consists of a sequence of travertine barrages – falls. Unofficially it is divided into Upper Beaver Falls which includes two somewhat taller cascades and Lower Beaver Falls which consists of several smaller terraces.

Beaver Falls, Havasu Canyon
Beaver Falls, Havasu Canyon. / Steven Smith, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Similar to other waterfalls in Havasu Canyon, Beaver Falls is affected by the flash floods in the narrow channel. The power of the water repeatedly has washed out the comparatively fragile barrages and the vegetation around the falls and it is even hard to recognize the waterfall in older images. At the beginning of the 20th century, the waterfall was approximately 15 m high. The waterfall was heavily eroded in January 1910 and then gradually grew up again.

References

  1. Theodore S. Melis, William M. Phillips, Robert H. Webb, and Donald J. Bills. When the Blue-Green Waters Turn Red. Historical Flooding in Havasu Creek, Arizona, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 96—4059. 1996. Accessed on January 4, 2023.

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Arizona State Parks: A Guide to Amazing Places in the Grand Canyon State


Home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Arizona is a beacon for outdoor enthusiasts–the desert landscape is brimming with opportunities for exploration and adventure. In this guide we join travel writer Roger Naylor as he takes us through the state parks of this amazing region. The parks featured throughout this book offer some of the best hiking, camping, fishing, boating, stargazing, and wildlife watching in the state.

Exploring Havasupai: A Guide to the Heart of the Grand Canyon


Deep in the Grand Canyon lies a place of unmatched beauty―a place where blue-green water cascades over fern-clad cliffs into travertine pools, where great blue heron skim canyon streams, and where giant cottonwoods and graceful willows thrive in the shade of majestic sandstone cliffs. Havasupai is a paradise enveloped in one of the earth’s most rugged and parched landscapes.


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