THE BLACK CANYON
THE BLACK CANYON
THE BLACK CANYON
NEVADA . ARIZONA
sauna cave . nevada hot springs . river cave
arizona hot springs . emerald cave
The Navajo believed The Black Canyon and its volcanic rock hot springs to be a sacred, healing place, as well as a portal to another spiritual dimension. Canoeing down this river, basking in the natural springs, and witnessing the moon and stars above The Colorado River truly opens the gates to this alternate dimension wide open. The Black Canyon is a stunningly beautiful, crystal-clear river trail that ebbs between the Nevada and Arizona border, beginning at the awe-inspiring Hoover Dam, just outside of Las Vegas, NV. With dramatic and prehistoric scenery, mirror-smooth water, and no reception to be found, you truly feel like you have left the recognizable world behind to find a new and elevated one.
Paddling, swimming, soaking, and exploring this canyon, either solo or with a group, should be an absolute must-do on anyone’s adventure bucket list. This adventure, like many I seek out, is very affordable to do and is great for large groups and various ages/skill levels, however can be tricky in obtaining launch permits (but oh, so worth it!).
12-mile River Map of the Black Canyon of the Colorado River - Launch at The Hoover Dam and pick up at Willow Beach
The Black Canyon can be done in a one-day trip or a multi-day, camping adventure. I say, if you’re gonna do it, you might as well go for a couple days; enjoy the hot springs, explore the many slot canyons, swim in the glorious Colorado River, and see all the bighorn sheep! This blog is here to help you plan exactly how to do just that, with fun, ease, and epic glory!
GETTING THERE
The Black Canyon adventure begins at The Hoover Dam which is located roughly 40 minutes (30 miles) East of Las Vegas. Staying the night before your trip at Hoover Dam Lodge is highly recommended as it is very affordable and as close as you can get to the launch spot. This is also where your helpful permit-acquiring / canoe-rental / shuttle service will be picking you up on the day of your river adventure! Read on below…
DESERT ADVENTURES
Local info / Shuttle / Rental Company
There are many local companies that can help with guided or un-guided Black Canyon trips and rentals. I used Desert Adventures and they were incredibly helpful in walking me through the whole process for an un-guided trip. They also provide transport to the Hoover Dam launch spot, which you need a permit for, sometimes up to 6 months in advance. Desert Adventures also picks you up with your canoes and shuttles you back to your cars at a pre-determined time and date, at Willow Beach.
13-year-old me paddlin’ The Black Canyon with my dad
The Colorado River through this 12-mile stretch is quite placid, as you can see from the images above. This rapid-free experience makes it ideal for a canoe to idle through the canyon. A canoe is great for carrying and transporting all of your overnight gear (see Gear Recommendations for this adventure at the bottom of this post), while a kayak or stand-up paddle board would work for a simple day trip. I did this trip when I was 13 and again when I was 32. I wouldn’t recommend anyone going much younger than 13 however, because the paddling can be hard work and somewhat tedious if it happens to be a windy day throughout the canyon. Paddlers have to be prepared to bear down and do some serious core and arm work if the conditions get blustery!
Desert Adventures provides you with river maps as well as rental options for necessary gear like dry bags, camping gear, paddles, life jackets (required to be worn on the river), etc. I found that with the placid nature of the water, detailed map, and general traffic that the river receives daily, that unless you feel very nervous or unsure, an un-guided trip is the way to go, even for a first-timer. Canoeing is easy to pick-up quickly, exploring is accessible, and land and mile-marks are highly visible while on the river.
My group and I did this adventure in 2017 and we went for 3 days and 2 nights on the last weekend in April. We had near-perfect weather with one windy day, where we ended up just hanging at the big hot springs (Arizona Hot Springs). I would recommend going in either late Spring/early Summer or late Summer/early Fall. This way you can fully enjoy the very hot, hot springs as well as the cold Colorado River. It was pleasant to camp and not too cold at night, but warm and sunny during the day. It gets very, very hot during the summer, and trust me, you want to enjoy these outrageously special and beautiful hot springs. This desert area also gets very cold and is subject to random storms and flash flooding in the winter months, so I wouldn’t recommend going then either. Naturally, permits are more difficult to get in the more weather-pleasurable months. You can get your launch permits through Desert Adventures as well. They are seriously the best.
THE SECRET SPOTS
SAUNA CAVE / MILE 63
Park your canoe to your left, on the Arizona side, to then cross the Colorado River on foot and hike up the rocks and small trail to access this awesome Sauna Cave and Pool! This stop is pretty soon after your launch at the Hoover Dam. As the dam was being built workers tunneled about 50 feet into the rock before they hit a natural hot spring. The then scalding water made it impossible for them to complete the tunnel, so it instead it was developed into a pool full of, now, comfortably hot water. The steam and heat from the pool stays trapped in the cave, providing a natural sauna environment. You will absolutely build up a sweat!
NEVADA HOT SPRINGS at GOLD STRIKE CANYON / MILE 62.5
This spring, just like the Arizona Hot Spring (at mile 60) has an additional access trail from an outside highway. Way less cool than canoeing to it, if you ask me… There is some bouldering on the trail but nothing too serious. The pools here rage from 85-107 degrees and are quite majestic.
BOY SCOUT CANYON / MILE 61.75
On the Nevada-side of the Colorado River, in-between mile marker 62 & 61 is a stunning and casual warm-water-hike, with ropes for scaling waterfalls, gorgeous gorges, and rock caves galore! The water gets hotter and hotter the further you hike into the canyon. How far can you make it?
BE AWARE - be sure to securely dock your canoes on the beach to a rock, tree, or stationary point as the “tide” (water released by the Hoover Dam) can quickly flood the beach suddenly and take your canoe downstream…
CLIFF-JUMPING POINT / MILE 59.5
On the Arizona side of the Colorado river is a great spot for some crystal-clear cliff jumping!
PARIDOT RIVER CAVE / MILE 59.5
Right after the cliff-jumping spot, still on the Arizona side, before you reach the epic Arizona Hot Springs beach is a small but magical river cave. There are a few of these throughout the canyon, but this one can get more than one canoe in there! Great acoustics too…
ARIZONA HOT SPRINGS / MILE 59.75
Just before mile-marker 60, on the Arizona side, after the Cliff-Jumping Spot & River Cave, is the magnificent Arizona Hot Springs beach, campground, and highlight of the entire Black Canyon. This is a must-stop Secret Spot!
The Black Canyon is a “Leave No Trace” adventure, which means whatever you pack in you must pack out. This includes human waste as well… Check out my How to Poop In The Woods blog post on tips on how to pack out your poops with ease. That being said, this spot on the river has a well-maintained and private toilet which means you do not have to pack your poo on your vessel with you. Hooray! You can even plan your trip to camp all nights at the Arizona Hot Springs if you choose, and that way you do not have to deal with packing out human waste at all! Still recommended to bring some WAG bags, just in case.
There is plenty of camp area here and will most-likely be the most populated place on the river. There is another access trail from Highway 93 to the Arizona Hot Springs, but it is a hot, strenuous, 3-mi trek that is not nearly as cool as arriving via canoe. Because of the outside access point, this spot always has a number of visitors.
The actual hot springs are an easy half-mile stroll from the camp area, through beautiful slot canyons and warm water, with some fun rock-scaling and waterfall-ladder-climbing! Adventure!
There are multiple pools with different temperatures. The further back you go, the hotter the flow. At night, you can see the stars and milky way above you, as you sit nestled amongst the rocks. A nighttime journey to the springs is absolutely spectacular and highly recommended.
PRO TIP - If you are leaving from Arizona Hot Springs to reach Willow Beach (final destination) for your canoe pick-up, plan to leave Arizona Hot Springs with at 2-hr window (perhaps 3, if there is a strong headwind).
EARLY MORNING VIEWS
Paddling down the Colorado in the early morning, before the river traffic of the day breaks out, gives way to some of the most breath-taking sights; mirror-surface water, beautiful solitude, and a clear gateway to the alternate dimension the Navajo believed to be there. You may even see some Big Horn Sheep amongst the cliffs as they are native to the area.
EMERALD CAVE / MILE 54.1
Be sure not to miss the renowned Emerald Cave on the Arizona-side of the river, at mile marker 59. Depending on the time of year, visit this river cavern at just the right time of day, Indiana Jones-style, and the sun illuminates this glittering and shimmering grotto of vibrant emerald green. This magical Secret Spot has been photographed for covers and pages of many of travel magazines.
GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
I love group camping because the gear responsibility can be divided amongst all in the group party - this way there are not multiples and one person is not responsible for bringing (and hauling) everything.
The better you prep and work out the details ahead of time, the more you can relax, wander off the grid, and truly not give any fucks whilst on your adventure. Highly recommended.
KITCHEN GEAR
2-Burner Propane Stove (multiple depending on group size)
Propane (buy in-store)
Sponge
Paper Towels/Dish Rags
Tin Foil
Cooler (multiple depending on group size)
Utensils & Cooking Spices
Pots/Cast Iron/Plates/Bowls
Cutting Knife/s
Instant Coffee or Coffee Maker
Cutting Board
Can Opener
Spatula/Tongs
Cooking Oil
Garbage Bags
Mesh Bag (with which to haul beer cans behind your canoe whilst they cool in the river ;) )
PERSONAL GEAR
Sunglasses (with Croakies)
River Sandals (Chaco’s, Tevas, Etc.)
Swimsuit
Gloves for Paddling (optional)
Down or Fleece Jacket (weather dependent)
Camera/Phone with Sleeve
PJ’s
Socks/Underwear
Shirts (non-cotton ideal)
Bug Repellant (depends on time of year)
Go-Pro (optional)
THE BLACK CANYON PLAYLIST
PRO TIP - Be sure to download the playlist before you begin your adventure because no network is to be found in this alternate dimension…