Havasu Falls, once a part of Grand Canyon National Park, is now under the rightful ownership of the Havasupai Tribe. This Eden-like oasis can be accessed by a 10-mile backpack through the harsh desert with the reward of a swim in the falls’ pool. Havasu Creek is mainly fed by a spring from which area precipitation percolates through cracks in the area limestone. As the water flows over the limestone, above and below ground, it breaks down the limestone into tiny crystals which get suspended in the water.
Depending on the amount of sunlight and abundance of the tiny crystals in the water, they can reflect a fantastic blue or turquoise color. The tiny crystals are also responsible for the unusual rock formation, travertine, which redeposits itself on whatever is in its path, encrusting moss, ferns, and/or trees. As rock, travertine can appear pink, red, brown, or rust.
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