How to cool off in the Colorado River’s Black Canyon

Whether you choose to kayak, scuba dive, or swim, cool off downstream from Hoover Dam on the Black Canyon Water Trail, a 30-mile expanse of the Colorado River.

Most who view the Hoover Dam in person look down upon the massive concrete gravity-arch dam and its U-shaped powerplant 60 stories below from a viewing point, observation deck, or bridge.

It’s a rare joy to splash around in the downstream waters near the base of this National Historic Monument, which impounds the manmade Lake Mead on one side and the Colorado River on the other, all while providing hydroelectric power to millions of people in Nevada, California, and Arizona.

The 30-mile expanse of river from the dam to Nevada’s Eldorado Canyon was designated as the first National Water Trail in the American Southwest in 2014. The next expanse running south to Davis Dam and Lake Mohave in Laughlin, Nevada, received the designation in 2020.

National Water Trails are established to preserve and conserve exemplary rivers, shorelines, and waterways while increasing access for outdoor recreation.

The trails are just one portion of the greater Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which also encompasses Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and both dams, straddling Nevada and Arizona. Part of the National Park Service (NPS) system, the area attracts millions of visitors—7 million a year to the Hoover Dam alone.

Whether kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, boating, fishing, scuba diving, cliff diving, swimming, sightseeing, hiking, or simply resting by the shore of a lake or the river, you’ll find plenty of ways to get wet at Lake Mead NRA.

With an exclusive launching point at Hoover Dam, the Black Canyon Water Trail is particularly unforgettable. Read on to learn about how you can take advantage of this under-the-radar slice of the Colorado River.

A trip up or down the river

Launching from the base of Hoover Dam is a bucket list experience, but you can’t do it on your own. A critical piece of national infrastructure, it’s only accessible to a small number of vetted Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona vendors.

Local tour company Blazin’ Paddles has been leading kayak tours on the river since 2016. They offer 13-mile full-day and self-guided tours from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach as well as 4-mile half-day, self-guided, and moonlight round-trip tours from Willow Beach, located about halfway between the dam and Eldorado Canyon.

The full-day adventure is “a once-in-a-lifetime paddle,” but you shouldn’t expect “an easy float down the river,” explains Blazin’ Paddles Owner Ryan Borup. “We welcome beginners, as long as they are aware of the athletic nature of the tour. Although the river is not technically difficult, there is often an upstream breeze that makes paddling a good workout.”

The day starts early in the morning with transportation from designated pick-up locations, including the company’s headquarters at the Hoover Dam Lodge and Casino, followed by safety briefings and a ride to the secure launching point beneath the dam and the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge on the Nevada side of the river.

Here, you get a limited-time and rarely seen view of a true marvel of American engineering, so in all the excitement of your impending water activity, don’t forget to appreciate the moment. If you don’t take photos, you may not have another opportunity.

“It’s a one-way trip and there’s no going back,” says Borup, noting that kayakers are required by dam security to move away from the launch site and continue downstream. “Once you start, you must continue. There are no easy exits.”

The tour progresses along the clear and calm river, past caves, coves, wilderness, and historic structures associated with the construction of Hoover Dam. There are stops for snacks and sandwiches, a short hike, and a dip in hot springs at the shoreline along the way.

If you have a keen eye, you may spot wildlife like waterfowl, osprey, great blue heron, and even desert bighorn sheep. On a recent journey, a pair of ducks joined the tour group on two different shore stops. In hindsight, they probably knew about the sandwiches. Tours conclude at Willow Beach, with transportation provided to your predetermined destination.

If paddling isn’t in your wheelhouse, the motor-assisted inflatable raft tour from Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures offers a similar tour experience without the workout.

The U.S. National Park Service provides a comprehensive list of approved paddlecraft tour and rental companies on its website.

Do-it-yourself river activities

Willow Beach

Willow Beach, 25804 Willow Beach Rd., is nestled into a quaint riverfront canyon on the Arizona side of the Black Canyon region. It’s about 56 minutes from Las Vegas on U.S. 93 South.

Originally a trade stop for Native Americans dating back to 250 B.C., the area is a cozy hub for river activities, featuring a swim beach, fishing pier, fish hatchery, marina services, watercraft rentals, a covered picnic area, restaurant, convenience store, campgrounds, and RV parking.

About two miles upstream from Willow Beach (10 miles downstream from Hoover Dam) is media darling Emerald Cave. As the name suggests, the water in this small cave glows emerald-green, the result of light reflecting off the underwater rocks and algae. It’s vibrant, otherworldly, and completely natural. Kayaks often line up outside waiting for their chance to paddle in.

Most amenities at Willow Beach are open every day, but there may be water and weather restrictions, so it’s best to check with the Willow Beach Marina directly.

Eldorado Canyon

With its remote Nevada shoreline, perfect for paddling and cliff diving, Eldorado Canyon once served as a steamboat port for the Old West Techatticup Mine in Nelson, five miles away.

Located at the end of State Route 165, about 50 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the highway exits into a parking lot before looping back toward Nelson. To access the water, you’ll park and walk toward the water about a quarter-mile in sandy terrain.

Nelson is a ghost town with a killer cowboy history. Located just beyond the modern homes of current residents, the old vehicles, rusty antiques, and rustic buildings can be seen on both sides of the sleepy highway.

The town is open to explore for free, but payment is requested if you plan to linger or take photos. The family that oversees the ghost town and mine offers paid tours of the mine.