Kayak Hoover Dam & Hot Springs Hike With Shuttle
Paddle from Hoover Dam to hot spring pools with shuttle and park entry
Duration
7 Hours
Includes
Shuttle, lunch, park entry
Highlights
Kayak from the base of Hoover Dam down the Colorado River through Black Canyon, with stops for a sauna cave and geothermal hot spring pools. This 7-hour, 12-mile tour is designed for beginners up for a challenge and experienced paddlers alike.
- Descend the original canyon road to the Hoover Dam launch area
- Paddle a 12-mile stretch through Black Canyon on the Colorado River
- Explore a sauna cave and soak in geothermal hot spring pools
- Spot wildlife like desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, falcons, and bald eagles
- Learn about Hoover Dam construction and 1921 water gauging sites
What's Included
- Shuttle transport
- Park entry
- Participant permit
- Professional guide(s)
- Touring kayak with rudder
- Catered lunch
- Bottled water
- Juice
- Snacks
Things to know
Bring a government-issued photo ID (adults 18+) or you may be denied access at the Hoover Dam launch site. You must be physically fit enough to complete a 12-mile active paddle.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel at least 48 hours before shuttle pick-up/meet-up for a refund minus $65 per person, per tour. Within 48 hours is non-refundable. Custom group bookings (10+) and promotional priced tours are non-refundable upon booking confirmation. Full refund if operator cancels due to weather/unsafe conditions.
FAQs
Yes. Your booking is not confirmed until the operator reaches out after they obtain permits and confirm your trip.
All times are in Pacific Time. Your party may experience a time zone change.
Bring a government-issued photo ID. Adults 18+ must have it or security at the Hoover Dam launch site may deny access.
Hoover Dam is one of the most recognized engineering landmarks in the American West, a 726-foot concrete arch-gravity dam completed in 1935 that tamed the Colorado River and created Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States by volume. Most visitors see it from the observation deck or the bypass bridge above. This kayak tour starts where the tourist overlooks end, launching from the restricted area at the very base of Hoover Dam and paddling downstream through the canyon the dam was built to control.
The 12-mile route through Black Canyon unfolds at water level, where the scale of the landscape is impossible to ignore. Canyon walls tower overhead, carved by millions of years of volcanic activity and river erosion. The Colorado River below Hoover Dam runs cold and clear, fed by water released from the bottom of Lake Mead, and the calm current makes paddling manageable even for first-time kayakers. Along the way, your guide pulls the group into side canyons for hikes to geothermal hot springs and a natural sauna cave, stops at Emerald Cave where the water glows green in the midday light, and points out desert bighorn sheep grazing on the canyon walls. A catered lunch on the riverbank gives the day a relaxed pace that balances the physical challenge of the paddle.
This Hoover Dam kayak tour is built for adventurous travelers who want more than a photo from the overlook. Couples, groups of friends, and solo paddlers looking for a full-day outdoor challenge near Las Vegas will find this tour rewarding. It runs year-round, with cooler months (October through April) offering the most comfortable conditions and the warmest hot spring soaks. Only 45 permits are issued per day for the Hoover Dam launch site, so advance booking is essential.
