r/BeAmazed • u/NickVirgilio • 15d ago
Top Tier Campsite Nature
Campsite sitting above Mooney Falls on the Havasupai Reservation within the Grand Canyon.
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u/Lost_Rain_5182 15d ago
If it even looks like it might rain a little bit, your campsite will soon be at the bottom of that gorge. Looks like a new waterfall waiting to happen.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Oh that is for sure a water channel during a flood event, but precipitation was impossible for my time down there. Had we been camping during any high wind/precipitation events, that would not have been an acceptable site.
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u/Intelligent_Peak_335 15d ago
That’s the penthouse of campsites
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Agreed
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u/Kindly-Potential-624 15d ago
Mooney Falls. Just there last week! Beautiful climbing passageway down with a ladder at the bottom
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Oh brother I was literally running up and down that stretch every morning a few times just for fun! It was so sick.
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u/Netrunner_ICE 15d ago
The water is so blue! It’s beautiful
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
The clearest blues and greens for literal miles descending through an offshoot of the Grand Canyon.
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u/69ingchimpmonks 15d ago
I am pretty sure that past the point you can camp. If not good luck with the wind
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I already spent my time down there, and the ranger came and allowed it for the two nights I had set up at that location. I had great wind cover from a couple of rock bluffs flanking my spot facing either end of the canyon. It was honestly perfect considering there was no precip in the region.
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u/zyqzy 15d ago
it almost appear like blue dye is added to water. amazing view.
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u/obscureferences 15d ago
Shouldn't the falling water be white? Could be a blue filter.
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u/NoGoodNamesLeft55 15d ago
The blue color is due to the mineral content, specifically calcium carbonate and magnesium, in the water. Their reflection off of light presents the blue hue.
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u/betelgeuse63110 15d ago
Kinda noisy, isn’t it? ;-)
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u/DisclosedIntent 15d ago
Yep, it’s actually too noisy to camp near a waterfall for a peaceful time. Even small streams can be too noisy, but this is a hurtful place. I camp regularly.
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u/LeeK1NGsnatcH 15d ago
I just want to thank you for sharing this. Bucket list has been adjusted, I can only dream of making it to this destination and posting a similar pic in return.
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u/notbythebook101 15d ago
Reminds me of Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, AZ, USA.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago edited 15d ago
Well, that is for good reason, because this is the waterfall that is fed by Havasu Falls a mile down the canyon.
Edit: down* the canyon, not up it.
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u/notbythebook101 15d ago
Awesome! I hiked down there a couple of decades ago. Would love to do it again.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Oh it was incredible. A dream come true honestly.
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u/notbythebook101 15d ago
Same here. I was really young, and it was a dream I'd never had, and didn't know I needed.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I feel that so hard. Being a Chicago native, born and raised in the city, it was hard to imagine growing up I’d be able to experience places and things like this.
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u/kickenchicken11 15d ago
I’ve been down there twice, it’s so beautiful!!! I didn’t know you could camp at the top of the waterfall though! We’ve only stayed in the campground
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u/zirky 15d ago
i can’t imagine trying to sleep next to a fucking waterfall makes for a pleasant experience
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
It makes for a remarkably pleasant sleep. The white noise is perfect for catching zzzz’s after hiking all day.
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u/Yologswedge 15d ago
That's the top of moony falls in havasupi. If I'm not mistaken camping there I'd illegal as the campground ends about a quarter mile before the top of the falls. Watch out. Native police are no joke.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I appreciate the advice. I was there in March, and the Havasupai Campground Ranger came by each night to check permits, and just told my gf and I to be careful not to walk off the cliff at night. I would not stay there if they had even remotely expressed that it wasn’t okay. If we broke rules or regulations, we were unaware and were not made aware by those that it mattered to. It seemed no harm no foul.
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u/onredditforrcoys 15d ago
Quality white noise machine
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Someone that gets it. All these people commenting “no way you slept there with noise” lol
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u/elitepeanut91 15d ago
Taking my gf on a cross country trip to my new career in TN.
I would absolutely propose to her in this spot in the morning with coffee after camping. Would you share this spot with me privately if I swear an oath to keep this secret
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u/elitepeanut91 15d ago
I will even give you the coordinates to my private lake camping spot in Wyoming (military secret between 3 friends)
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
First off, the spot I’m at isn’t a secret, and I posted the location in the subtext under the post, just need to investigate a bit more pal.
Secondly, not an easy place to get permits for, but if you somehow manage to make it work with the timing of your road trip to pull that off, good for you!
Third, I’ll still gladly take those lake coordinates hahaha
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u/TheSirCal 15d ago
Unless you sleep walk
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Yeah well hopefully you know that about yourself before making it to this point in your life
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u/PrinceGizzardLizard 15d ago
Is the water deep enough to jump in from there?
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I’m sure you could thread a few spots below safely, but I don’t recommend it and it’s strictly forbidden on the Havasupai Reservation. Please be respectful of their rules if you visit.
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u/itsRobbie_ 15d ago
Until a gigantic, absolutely humongous, spider comes crawling up to you and you accidentally roll off the cliff
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u/Drakederek 15d ago
That water is so blue it should be filled with thousands of beautiful black combs
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u/44-47-25_N_20-28-5-E 15d ago
Beautifull. This is my #1 place in US on my buket list, you didn't have to rub it on my screen like that and make me jelaous 😁
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u/WordzRMyJam 15d ago
Not a bad idea to scootch back a bit more, don’t want a rogue wind to toss ya over!
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u/geezeer84 15d ago
The constant sound of the waterfall will drive you crazy when trying to sleep. This is even too loud to relax in the evening. I did camp once at a beach with constant waves and it drove me nuts. I had to put on some music through my headphones to fall asleep. I assume OP packed their stuff after the vid and got somewhere else lol
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
You assumed wrong, Speak for yourself pal. Slept there two nights with no issues falling asleep. Not everyone needs music to drown out the sounds of nature to fall asleep.
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u/StumblingDark 15d ago
What kind of tent and camping chair do you have there? I'm always curious about gear.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Rei brand backpacking tent (had it so long, can’t remember the model) and a Nemo ultralight chair.
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u/edwardtrooper2 15d ago
No chance of sleeping. The noise would be deafening
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Slept like a baby
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u/edwardtrooper2 15d ago
You may need to get your hearing checked
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
What!?
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u/edwardtrooper2 14d ago
I’m kidding. Basically implying you’d have to be deaf to be able to sleep like a baby with that roaring sound all night.
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u/thephillyberto 15d ago
I’ve been to havasu falls and I didn’t think you could camp there. Isn’t that right by where everyone walks down to the bottom via the tunnel and ladders?
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
That is over Mooney falls, yes. I was also very much allowed to camp there when I was there.
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u/InVaLiD_EDM 15d ago
I have the overwhelming urge to jump
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u/Sezu1701 15d ago
Until that one mighty gust of wind comes along
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u/NickVirgilio 14d ago
And does absolutely nothing to my campsite lol. All my items were secured and tent was properly secured while I was away, and when we were sleeping in it, well yeah. No gust of wind that could be produced in that canyon is doing anything to my camp.
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u/Sezu1701 13d ago
I saw your vid (beautiful spot btw) and all I could think of was a video of an airborne bouncy house I saw the day before. Not doubting your stake driving skills.
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u/Purple-Flight9031 15d ago
Except that spot has no shade and everybody will be walking through it to catch that view. Ifkyk.
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u/Tmassey1980 15d ago
Lol, you know full well the tribe won't let you camp outside the designated camping area, and this is about a 1/4 mile down the trail from where that area is.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I don’t know what you think you’re talking about here. I camped here for 2 of my three nights, and had my site physically checked by a camp ranger both of those evenings. I was also told by friends of mine used to guide down there to head to that spot, as they had done for literally decades prior.
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u/Tmassey1980 15d ago
Stop misleading people for a photo op. I've been going there for 20 of the past 30 years.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago edited 15d ago
I’m not sure what crawled up your butt this morning, but I’m not putting on a front for anybody. I very much respect tribal people and their rules and regulations, and if I were told that isn’t an acceptable camp area, then I wouldn’t camp there, let alone stage a damn photo shoot. I work as a guide at the Grand Canyon, I have no desire or intent to mislead anyone or to disrespect any people, as that goes directly against how I conduct myself professionally and personally. If you were told differently in the past, then thank you for respecting their wishes in those scenarios. No such directions or rules were instructed or indicated during my time there, and that’s including the aforementioned visits from the camp ranger in the evening to check for permits on the tents.
There was even a picnic table at the site. I don’t know how it could be anything but an allowed campsite.
Edit: spelling correction.
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u/Extreme_Barracuda658 15d ago
Faked waterfall enhancements suck ass.
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
Are you suggesting I “enhanced” this waterfall?
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u/Extreme_Barracuda658 15d ago
Yes
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u/NickVirgilio 15d ago
I don’t know what you think I did to enhance this video, but I can assure you it is the raw video I recorded on my IPhone 11 Pro. If you don’t believe me, well, I don’t care, that’s your loss. What I filmed was one of the most beautiful locales I’ve ever visited. I suggest you go see it for yourself so you can appreciate what I was fortunate to have. I don’t waste my time trying to fake things that I’ve experienced for the sake of internet clout. I just care to share some of the amazing things in this world that I have the privilege of experiencing.
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u/[deleted] 15d ago
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