Scott Craven and Melissa Yeager

Arizona Republic

Hiking permits for world-famous Havasupai falls in Grand Canyon went on sale Friday morning and were nearly gone by Friday afternoon.

Permits went on sale at 8 a.m. Arizona time and, by 3:45 p.m., the 2019 calendar was sold out except for a few scattered dates early this month.

So many people tried to get reservations that by 8:15 a.m. the website said it was "experiencing high volume" and giving "504 gateway time-out" errors to many users. Many other users got through and were able to make reservations.

A spokeswoman for the tribe said early reports that the system had been hit by bots were untrue — the reservation system was simply overwhelmed by demand.

Check back for cancellations

New this year: Permit holders will be allowed to cancel and transfer their reservations. Cancellations and transfers are subject to a 10 percent cancellation fee.

Anyone who didn't get a permit on Friday can check for cancellations starting next week. The link at www.havasupaireservations.com is expected to open midweek.

Also new this year: You need to create an account to get a permit. Set one up on the reservations page before trying to book.

On Friday morning, those who were not signed in to their accounts before reservations went live reported difficulties getting past the sign-in page.

Others said their credit cards were charged before their reservations were completed. People experiencing problems with their reservations were asked to email support@HavasupaiReservations.com.

Reservations are not taken by phone, but that didn't stop people from calling the Havasupai Tribe tourism office to try. The tribe asked people to stop.

"Our dispatch center is being bombarded with calls for reservations. We need to keep the lines open for emergency traffic so please do not call police dispatch to make reservations of any type. We would greatly appreciate it," the message said.

People who got reservations were offered the chance to have their bags transported by mule. Visitors were warned that space was limited because, in an effort to improve care of the animals, fewer were available.

The tribe has been under scrutiny for the way it cares for the animals, as many people have reported abuse and neglect of the mules and horses used on the trail.

The fee for pack service is $400 round trip, according to the Havasupai Tribe's website. There is a maximum of four bags per mule and 32 pounds per bag.

What people are saying

Dozens of people are posting their successes, failures and frustrations on the Havasupai and Havasu Falls Facebook page.

"It really paid to have all my information saved under my account," Sara Smith posted. "Logged in when the button activated and got a permit for 6."

Tracy Clark felt she had the luck of a lottery winner. "Somehow I was able to get through with a party of 7 immediately, probably at 10:03 (Michigan time)," she posted. "So thankful!"

Sammie Lapinne urged patience. "Grab a drink and give it one more go," she urged in a post. "I was just about to give up and got reservations two hours in."

Dozens wrote of being unable to get past the sign-on page, frustrated with the website and the online process.

"2 hours of our lives we'll never get back," Heather Gunn posted, echoing many others. "Hopefully we'll get tix."

There also was a handful of "Oh, so close" experiences, getting as far as payment before things went awry.

"Input my credit card info and got kicked out while processing," Monica Siesener posted. (N)ot sure what that means."

By 10:15 a.m., people were offering to trade dates, and some put out offers to buy reservations. Reselling is prohibited, but the tribe has a process whereby a permit holder can transfer a reservation to someone else.

How to get a Havasupai permit

Visit www.havasupaireservations.com, enter your email address and create a password. Check your inbox for the verification email, click on the confirmation link, then fill out your contact information.

Sign into your account before 8 a.m. Friday, at which time the page will automatically refresh and display a “Make a 2019 Campground Reservation" button. Cross your fingers and click.

No reservations will be taken by phone.

The cost is $100 per night Mondays through Thursdays and $125 per night Fridays through Sundays.

Payment in full is required when you make your reservation.

There is a maximum of 10 people per permit.

Last year, dates for all 350 campground slots were filled within five hours.

New rules for 2019