Black Canyon Water Trail
River in Willow Beach
Open year-round. The hot-springs hiking trails close May 15–Sept 30 for heat (the springs stay reachable by water). Motors are banned between the dam and Willow Beach every Sunday and Monday.
Evolution Expeditions 2026, $139.99 meeting at Willow Beach; shuttle and Hoover Dam combos cost more
Emerald Cave, hot springs and canyon walls below Hoover Dam.
The Colorado River below Hoover Dam runs through a sheer volcanic canyon with beaches, coves, bighorn sheep and hot springs tucked into side canyons. Most people put in at Willow Beach and paddle 2 miles upstream to glowing Emerald Cave; outfitters can also launch you right at the base of the dam. It is a cool-season trip: summer heat here is dangerous.
At a glance
- Length
- 30 mi, Hoover Dam to Eldorado Canyon
- Classic paddle
- Willow Beach to Emerald Cave, 2 mi upstream
- Hoover Dam launch
- Permit only, through approved outfitters
- Motor-free days
- Sundays and Mondays, dam to Willow Beach
- Designation
- National Water Trail since 2014
- Good for
- Beginner, Intermediate
What’s here
- Flatwater
- Multi-day trips
- Boat rentals
- Guided tours
- Wildlife
- Fishing
- Swimming
Weather this week
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Rentals, guides and shops
- Evolution Expeditions
Guided Emerald Cave kayak tours from Willow Beach with lunch, plus Hoover Dam launch combos and shuttles from Las Vegas.
- Desert Adventures
Guided Black Canyon kayak tours, canoe and kayak rentals, and multi-day river trips.
- Willow Beach Harbor
Full-service marina at Willow Beach with kayak and canoe rentals, a store and a restaurant.
Where to stay
- hotelBoulder Dam Hotel
Restored 1933 hotel built during the dam’s construction, in walkable Boulder City.
- hotelHoover Dam Lodge
Hotel and casino on US-93, the closest big hotel to the dam.
Nearby
- Arizona Hot Spring · On the river
Hot pools up a slot canyon off the river, a favorite stop on trips from the dam. The hiking route closes in summer, but you can still paddle in.
4.7 on Google
read Oct 3, 2026Getting there
- Harry Reid International (Las Vegas) (LAS) · about 50 min drive
- Las Vegas · about 0.75 hr
- Phoenix · about 3.75 hr
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Photo credits
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (CC BY-SA 2.0).