August 14, 2016: What to do on a hot day in Las Vegas? Head to the river! We found a great stretch of the Colorado River perfect for an afternoon of kayaking just below Hoover Dam. The water was a crisp 54F but it was refreshing given the 110F dry heat. We rented a two person kayak from Willow Beach Marina and set off north for an afternoon of paddling and exploring.
This section of the river, newly designated as the Black Canyon Water Trail, passes between Arizona and Nevada and is one of 16 trails within the National Water Trails System. Black Canyon Water Trail is the first water trail in the Southwest and the only water trail that traverses through a desert. The entire Black Canyon Water Trail is 30 miles long, extending from Hoover Dam down to upper Lake Mojave. 30 miles would have been a bit ambitious in a kayak so we opted for 3 miles up and back.
Gauging Station
An old gauging station can be seen clinging to the Nevada canyon wall at mile 54-1/4. The gauging station was used prior to and during the construction of Hoover Dam (early 1930’s) for monitoring water levels, flow rate and silt content of the Colorado River. The cable car provided access to the gauging station from the Arizona side, where the gauger’s house was located. I can tell you one thing, whoever lived here had a hell of a great view!
Next time we’ll check out the hot springs a bit further up the river. For some reason, that didn’t sound too enticing in the middle of August in the desert!
Hoover Dam/Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
On the way back into town, we stopped for a quick walk across the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge). The bridge was constructed as a bypass for traffic traveling between Arizona and Nevada and opened in October 2010. When it opened, it became the western hemisphere’s longest single-span concrete arch bridge and one of the tallest in the world. The four lane bridge is 886′ high and 1900′ long. My fear of heights was in overdrive standing on this bridge!
O’Callaghan was a former governor of Nevada and former executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun. Tillman was a professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals who joined the Army in 2002 and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
