Mooney Falls, Havasupai Nation, Grand Canyon, AZ

In one spectacular leap of 196 feet, Mooney Falls plummets into a deep pool at its base. Higher than Niagara Falls, it is the tallest of the three major waterfalls along Havasu Creek on the Havasupai Nation in Grand Canyon. Of these three falls, Mooney was the most sacred and was named “Mother of the Waters” by the Havasupai people. It’s name was changed to Mooney Falls on official maps when a prospector by the name of Daniel Mooney plunged to his death during his attempt to descend the sheer cliffs beside the falls in his search for silver. Unable to retrieve his body, his companions returned 10 months later where they found his body encased in a layer of travertine. They buried him where they found him and the falls has carried his name ever since.Travertine ledges surrounding the falls are continually being created as calcium and magnesium carbonates precipitate out of these mineral-laden waters.