Kayak Black Canyon Water Trail (Colorado River), Nevada & Arizona

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Enjoy calm waters and magnificent scenery on this unique rafting day trip between the Black Canyon cliffs on the Colorado River. Relax and admire the beauty of Black Canyon and views of Hoover Dam. Travel down the 30-mile trail alongside wilderness and solitude. Stop at sandy beaches, colorful caves, plentiful coves and active hot springs. You can often see desert bighorn sheep and other on the cliffs along the river. There is also a great deal of history associated with the construction of and research connected to Hoover Dam, including sauna cave, gauging stations, catwalks, trails and building foundations. Visitors can bring their own paddle craft or rent one from an authorized outfitter such as Black Canyon Adventures. The Black Canyon of the Colorado is the canyon on the Colorado River where Hoover Dam was built. The canyon is located on the Colorado River at the state line between Nevada and Arizona. The western wall of the gorge is in the El Dorado Mountains, and the eastern wall is in the Black Mountains of Arizona. The canyon formed about 15 million years ago during the Miocene Basin and Range uplift. Black Canyon gets its name from the black volcanic rocks that are found throughout the area. The Black Canyon's high walls will leave you breathless, so remember to bring your camera! How To Get There: Visitors can access the Black Canyon Water Trail through a guided tour at the base of the Hoover Dam, from Willow Beach, Arizona, or Cottonwood Cove, Nevada (near an old mining town in Eldorado Canyon). TIPS: Just south of the Hoover Dam on the Nevada side of the canyon is the Sauna Cave. This cave was drilled by miners working on Hoover Dam while it was being constructed. It is a deep cave with calcium carbonate crystals on the walls. At the end of the cave is a hot spring, which causes temperatures inside to reach 120 °F (49 °C). One prominent canyon that splits from this canyon south of the Hoover Dam is Boy Scout Canyon. Boy Scout Canyon has water running through it that is warmed from a geothermal source. On the Arizona side of the river, there are several large hot springs that can be found by taking a trail north from a larger bay about 4 to 5 miles (6.4 to 8.0 km) south of the Hoover Dam. These pools are contaminated by the potentially fatal amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Black Canyon has boating restrictions based on the time of year.

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