Black Canyon National Water Trail

Welcome, fellow scholars and intrepid travelers, to the awe-inspiring Black Canyon National Water Trail. Our journey today begins in the formidable shadow of one of the most iconic engineering marvels in human history, the Hoover…

Our first point of scholarly interest lies merely a half-mile downstream from the Hoover Dam launch point, at a sandy bank affectionately dubbed Repack Beach. As the colloquial name suggests, this is the customary staging area…

Paddling scarcely a quarter-mile further downstream from the Sauna Cave, we arrive at the mouth of Gold Strike Canyon, home to the magnificent Nevada Hot Springs. As we approach the shore, you will immediately notice a warm…

Continuing our voyage down the Colorado, we navigate past the impressive Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, its massive concrete arch fading into the distance behind us. Our next major geological study lies at Boy…

As we paddle just under two miles downriver from Boy Scout Canyon, the current slows to an almost imperceptible crawl, requiring sustained, rhythmic exertion from our paddles. We eventually glide onto the expansive, sandy shores…

Leaving the comforts of the White Rock Canyon campsite behind, we embark on the final miles of our expedition. The geography of the Black Canyon begins to shift noticeably here. …

Just before the canyon broadens to reveal our final destination, we encounter a remarkable artifact of early twentieth-century scientific infrastructure clinging precariously to the Nevada shoreline. This is the historic Colorado…

As the formidable, sheer cliffs of the Black Canyon finally begin to separate and yield to the open desert sky, the welcome sight of Willow Beach materializes on the Arizona shoreline. The final few miles of this expedition,…