Lower Colorado River - Boulder Dam, Black Canyon to Nelson's Landing (El Dorado Canyon)

Contributions by Marsha Perry, Chip Arnberg and Norma Miller

Helen Howard from Desert River Outfitters (www.desertriveroutfitters.com) met us at Willow Beach along the Colorado River at 8:00 am. We had to obtain permission to launch our boats below Hoover Dam at least three weeks in advance from the Bureau of Reclamation (Attn.: Canoe Launch Permits), Box 60400, Boulder City, NV 89006-0400; tel. (702) 293-8204. Call daily 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Nevada time.

We packed all our gear and boats on the outfitter’s van and trailer and headed down the road toward Hoover Dam.  Due to the rain this winter the hills were carpeted with wild flowers – yellow desert marigolds, desert mallow, purple lupine and many other types.  Closer to the Dam, construction was evidence of the by-pass bridge being built to provide an alternate route over the Colorado River and maintain the security of Hoover Dam.  Security stops checked contents and reasons for being there. Homeland Security was certainly doing their job.

(click on any image to enlarge)

          
Meeting at the Hacienda Hotel/Casino , we were escorted by a gentleman from the Bureau of Reclamation who checked our photo IDs against the list of permits.  Following his vehicle through a locked gate we descended hairpin turns down a dirt road to the launch site called the Lower Portal Road.  It is the only service road to the Dam, and closed to the general public.  It was built in 1931, (Hoover Dam Construction 1931-1935), when Las Vegas had only a population of 5,165 people.  It descends approximately 1,100 feet in 1 1/3 miles.  The Hoover Dam, a $175 million dam, is 727 feet high (think 70-story building) and 660 feet thick at the base (think two football fields).

          
Our escort watched and waited till we were all in the water, away from the dam and on our way. Tucked into our kayaks, gliding down the mighty Colorado River was to be remembered.

Markers along the river:  Hoover Dam is MM 64 (put-in point) and Willow Beach is MM 52,  River right is Nevada and river left is Arizona.

Points of Interest -

Please note the numbers in the left column represent mile markers:

63        NV       Old Cat Walk and Gauging Station.

       
The Old Cat Walk had a family of young Double-crested Cormorants that were making good use of the lofty platform.  A quiet and scenic glide past the Gauging Station.

63        NV       Sauna Cave – Approximately 130 degrees with heavy mist.

  
Our first stop was the Sauna Cave, a deep man-made cavern. Originally conceived as a tunnel for the dam, the Sauna Cave actually is a horizontal tunnel that was drilled and blasted into the mountain. However, work on the tunnel eventually came to a halt due to an unexpected natural phenomenon: Geothermal activity, which is very pronounced in this region.  Hot springs are gushing out filling it with steam. Next time we will bring our headlamps and water bottles.

62        NV       Gold Strike Canyon – Numerous hot springs, 70 to 144 degrees.

         
Several bends in the river later we got out and explored the Gold Strike Canyon with waterfalls and numerous hot springs. We soaked our feet in a clear hot pool there.  Sitting among crystalline stalactites and stalagmites, we had found the perfect place to relax.

62     AZ      Lone Palm Canyon – Water Fall and Mexican Fan Palm.

  The Water Fall was happening but the Lone Palm not.

61       NV      Boy Scout Canyon – Great hot springs and some petroglyphs.

60       AZ     Ring Bolt Rapids – White Rock Canyon – Arizona Hot Springs, side canyons and camping areas.

       
Ringbolt Rapids were nonexistent with the water level we had.  The rapids take their name from the ringbolts that were used between 1865 and 1890 to pull steamboats up through the rapids.  We noticed one of these bolts anchored in the rock above the Nevada side.

We beached at the mouth of a canyon which leads to the Ringbolt Hot Spring, also known as Arizona Hot Springs.  Here we tied up, unloaded and set up camp. After some initial exploration, we discovered the canyon that leads to the spring. The narrowing canyon climbs gradually until it stops abruptly at a sheer rock wall.  Fortunately, those who have gone before us constructed a ladder that enabled us to scale the wall and discovered the first of several pools. The hot pools were clean and spacious, and all of us enjoyed yet another relaxing soak.  As you ascend up the canyon, the pools become gradually hotter. You must not get the water in your nostrils or ears as there is an amoeba that lives in these hot waters which can create some fatal health issues if it gains access into your body. BEWARE.

 If you leave your boat unattended for any length of time, you must be sure it's dragged up and tied securely to a stake or tree as water can be released from the dam at anytime causing the river level to rise quickly leaving you at risk of being left without a boat (let alone a paddle).

59      AZ    Petroglyph Wash – Great Indian art but hard to get to.

58      NV    Weeping Springs Cove – The combination of water and plant erosion can clearly be seen.  A classic gravity fault is a short distance down stream.

At Weeping Springs Cove you can get either a hot or cold shower.

56     AZ   Dragons Back – High on the canyon wall you will see a prominent ledge of a dark molten mass of rock, known as a dike and imagination says a dragons back.

56     AZ   Cranes Nest Canyon - Camping and canyon exploring.

55     NV   Rice Weed Canyon – Large sandy beach area.  Good for large overnight groups.

There is a large sandbar near Rice Weed Canyon good for a lunch break or afternoon snooze in the sun, just don't forget about your untethered boat.

54     NV   Gauging Station – Operated between 1920-1930 to measure depth of water, rate and quantity of flow and suspended silt.

54     AZ   Emerald Cave – Cave was hollowed out by a faulting.  This cave was featured in the Arizona Highways Magazine.

      
We marveled at the brilliance of Emerald Cave where we could quietly float the pool of iridescence while finding respite from the sun.

54     AZ   Cat Walk – Elevated canyon walk way to the gauging station.

53     AZ   US Fish Hatchery – One of the largest trout hatcheries in the US and rearing approximately 1 million fish per year.

52     AZ   Willow Beach – Willow Beach was an Indian trading camp for approximately 1400 years.  This is the first take out spot where most boaters end their adventure.  Some of us chose to continue south an additional 12 miles to Nelson's Landing at El Dorado Canyon (See second half trip report "Willow Beach to Nelson's Landing").