Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Nevada →  Bighorn Canyon

Location: Black Canyon Area, Las Vegas, Nevada

Distance: 4.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 1600 feet

Time Required: 5-7 hours

Red Tape/Notes: No permit required, no shuttle required. Some additional info and a gps track (as part of a technical loop done with Weeping Springs) is available on ropewiki, but if you’re going to be doing canyons in this area, I’d also highly recommend buying Las Vegas Slots by Rick Ianniello (available on Amazon or through Canyoneering USA).

What’s Nearby?: Weeping Springs Canyon, Goldstrike Canyon, Hoover Dam, Historic Railroad Trail, Colorado River Hot Springs Packrafting, Ringpin Canyon, Secret Canyon

If you’re looking for a more adventurous hike that takes you through a nice desert landscape and a cool (in both senses of the word) slot canyon, that ends at a beach on the Colorado River perfect for splashing around and having lunch, this is the hike for you! The route starts with a scramble down into a wide wash with a pleasant foot trail at the bottom; you’ll then head over a pass to your right, circumventing a dryfall before dropping into the canyon. You’ll know you’re in the right place because you’ll be greeted almost immediately by a 3.5 meter dry fall. This is the most significant obstacle in the route, and is easier than it appears; there are good hand and foot holds on the down canyon left side. After this, you’ll scramble over/down a number of large boulders (up to maybe 2 meters high) which are wedged in the canyon at various intervals. Towards the bottom, the canyon becomes increasingly green, a small stream of water appears, and water weeps from the rocks at various places. This oasis widens out rather abruptly into a sandy area that slopes down to the river, where you can cool off in the frigid waters of the Colorado River and enjoy lunch of one of the many flat, rocky surfaces. If you’re using Bighorn as an exit route after coming down Weeping Springs, the description above is obviously reversed, and the dryfall obstacle will indicate the slot canyon portion is ending. A gps can be helpful for finding your way back to the approach route to Weeping Springs, but once you exit Bighorn you’re essentially heading to your right (due northwest), which is roughly perpendicular to the trail to Weeping Springs.

Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Nevada →  Bighorn Canyon