Lake Mead & the better-than-visiting-Hoover-Dam hiking list

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the land of the Southern Paiute & the Hualapai among other tribes (according to native-land.ca). Lake Mead exists, of course, because of Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam itself is admittedly impressive looking but (spoiler!) there are better things to do at Lake Mead.

It is relevant to acknowledge that in the building of the dam, companies banned the hiring of Chinese people, discriminated against Black Americans, and hired Native Americans (tribes not specified in readings) to perform the most dangerous jobs. So, beyond the “engineering wonder” in the construction of Hoover Dam is the usual racism that is so weaved into our country’s history. It isn’t surprising, but I am consistently humbled by learning more.

A recent Guardian article titled The Lost River discusses alterations (i.e. canals, several dams) in the Colorado River over the last century designed for diverting water to California and bypassing Mexico in the process. I had no idea that the Colorado hasn’t actually flowed into the ocean since 1998. Of course, the poorest folks (namely BBIPOC) suffer the harshest consequences, further exacerbated by climate change. It is often the same folks (like the Cucapá mentioned in the article) who are also coming up with solutions. You may or may not be savvy to the environmental justice issues & complex consequences of hydroelectric dams in general—I certainly only know the basics. Folks get their PhDs in these topics after all, and there is a lot of information out there.

I did more reading & research on the Lake Mead/Hoover Dam area that I won’t include here, but that mini-summary provides me (and maybe you) with a better context for the area that we are now living.

This is the “Better Than Visiting Hoover Dam” list of hikes, which is not-exhaustive, in no particular order, mostly on-trail & mostly on the beaten path. We haven’t been in the area very long & life has been busy with un-fun things too. But, here’s to the little adventures that we’ve enjoyed so far.

Note that most of these trails are inaccessible/closed from May to September due to extreme heat. Don’t try it or Ryan will have to rescue your dumb (dehydrated) ass, and write you lots of tickets.

1. Goldstrike Canyon

We arrived in Arizona/Nevada after two days of driving with two pissed off cats & required some much-needed outdoor time (no cats involved).

Goldstrike Canyon is a surprisingly fun little jaunt which ambles through a desert wash until reaching a series of scrambling boulders. There are a total of 7 fixed ropes to help you descend (and later, ascend) the sandstone. Apparently this hike gets plenty of traffic as evidenced by the well-worn, slippery rock but it is not technically an official trail (aka the rec area doesn’t want responsibility) & not found on the rec. area maps. The canyon ends at the Colorado River just below Hoover Dam, so many folks enter the canyon from the river.

The real end-point & treat is a hot springs with a few shallow pools that have been built up with sandbags. I had no idea there were so many undeveloped hot springs found in this area of the U.S.! Bring your swimsuit. We were incredibly lucky to have the hot springs (complete with mini-waterfall) to ourselves for about 30 minutes before remembering that the days are short. We could have lounged much longer.

On our way back up the canyon we ended up assisting two pediatric medical residents, one of who was struggling with the upward scramble. They were very sweet (clearly not surgical residents) and gave us a list of restaurant recommendations. What hike is complete without a long discussion about food?! Also, “canyon scramble” should be a breakfast menu item.

Trying to find the right spot to sit below the waterfall

We ended up hiking out in the dark, which got chilly & exhausting in the sandy wash. At one point we passed another couple donning oversized sweatshirts, hiking with a teapot & crouching silently behind some bushes. I’m not sure if they were considering robbing us (they would have been disappointed) or if they were just high. I’m guessing the latter.

Needless to say—this is a fun trail, just not after dark.

2. Liberty Arch & Arizona Hot Springs

I think this is an official trail, but it starts out just meandering through a wide-open wash underneath the interstate. You can choose your own adventure!

Continue north toward White Rock Canyon to climb up to Liberty Arch (this junction has a sign)…Nothing else is really marked, so just keep walking one way or the other to find something that resembles a trail.

The arch is impressive, with a backdrop of the Hoover Dam bypass bridge. If you continue on roughly 3/10ths of a mile you reach an overlook which juts over the Colorado River. This is one of my favorite little viewpoints and hikes so far since it has lovely views & this is the leg of the hike that is (mostly) unfrequented.

You can turn around & hike out, or continue through White Rock Canyon until you reach the Colorado River. The map claims there is some “route-finding” along the cliffs, but there are markings on the rocks that help guide the way (for better or worse). You’ll want sandals of some sort to complete the loop if you go this route…

Once you find the next canyon, there is a small stream that becomes progressively warmer as you wander further into a quiet slot canyon. Then you reach a brittle, rust-covered ladder, but not before you are warned about Naegleria fowleri which is a brain-eating amoeba. That may sound flippant, but the amoeba is evidently rare & can only enter the body through your nose so you shouldn’t put your head under water. I’ve had nightmares regardless. Anyway. Once you climb the ladder you might encounter a bunch of naked people. You can join them for a soak (clothing optional) or resume wading through a sequence of hot pools up the narrow canyon.

You continue to level-up on this hike, I guess!

Many folks just skip the White Rock Canyon route and go straight to the AZ Hot Springs (versus making a loop). We returned to the springs via this route for a soak (with swimsuits)! Fortunately we were already on the hike back when we encountered hoards of loud teenage boys headed to the springs.

Overall—fun mini-adventure, leave your kids at home! Or don’t have kids!

3. Railroad Tunnel Trail (or the best way to access Hoover Dam) & The Bluffs

View from the Railroad trail looking down at Hemenway Habor

If you really want to see Hoover Dam & skip the annoying traffic/parking, then take the Railroad Tunnel Trail. There are a series of 6 tunnels, which are actually pretty cool. There is a slight, unassuming incline to the trail and yet the decline is a plus on the return. I prefer running on this trail, however walking or mountain biking would be solid options if you can do the roughly 6.8 mile round-trip to the Dam & back.

The Bluffs is a trail nowhere near the Tunnel Trail, however, it is coupled together here since it is also easy & mostly flat. I’ve been on it twice now & not seen another person (except my mom). This trail is actually listed on the park map, but the trailhead in the Las Vegas Bay campground is easy to miss. The hike/trail run isn’t horribly interesting, but you follow along the pretty Las Vegas Wash before reaching a viewpoint overlooking the bizarre resort community of Lake Las Vegas. The lake was human-made back in the early 90s & since then inundated by bankruptcy & lawsuits. Allegedly this is where Celine Dion calls home. Turn around, the view is better.

4. Northshore Summit Trail & the Bowl of Fire

Now this has to be my favorite trail plus a bit of off-trail hike at Lake Mead so far. The trailhead begins near mile marker 23 on the Northshore road around the lake. The actual trail is very short (perfect viewpoint for sunsets), but you can continue on a social trail cross-country to get a closer look at the Bowl of Fire. The Bowl of Fire is in the Muddy Mountains Wilderness & can also be accessed from a 4WD road.

But what IS the Bowl of Fire?!

Sorry, it isn’t as dramatic as the “door to hell” in Turkmenistan (look it up), but it is a “group of Aztec sandstone mounds.” Actually, that makes it sound boring. It isn’t! Fiery crimson, orange, tan rocks with intricate shapes & things!

Unfortunately when we got to our viewpoint the sky was overcast, so it doesn’t look as dramatic in the photos. We also didn’t have time to actually go into the Bowl of Fire, but we made it back to the little viewpoint in time for a glorious (but chilly) sunset. We will have to go back!