Gold Strike Hot Springs

Gold Strike Hot Springs are a series of natural seep-fed pools in lower Gold Strike Canyon, where the wash runs down to Black Canyon and the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. The usual land approach is a very strenuous, unmaintained 5.3-mile round trip with 1,200 feet of elevation change; plan on 4–8 hours. Come if the scramble is part of the appeal and you have the daylight and fitness for a full outing. The pools and river views are a rare payoff, but this isn't an easy roadside soak. A separate water approach from Lake Mohave is possible.

From the trailhead, a dirt road leads into a wash that narrows and opens along the way. Seven dry falls interrupt the route; expect steep drops, loose rock, slippery crossings, and scrambling with hands and feet both down and back up. The route isn't maintained. Ropes left by hikers aren't supplied or checked by the park, so don't rely on them; if you can't climb a drop back up without one, stop before descending. Leave pets behind.

Hot water seeps from fractures in the canyon rock and gathers into several small, primitive pools. Floods can fill or reshape them, so don't count on one fixed pool or temperature. Salt deposits and patches of green vegetation mark some of the seepage along the canyon walls. The water isn't tested regularly, and past pooled samples found harmful bacteria. These aren't designated swimming areas: never drink the water, and use your judgment before soaking.

At the bottom, Gold Strike opens onto the Colorado River, with views back up the canyon toward the Hoover Dam bypass bridge. For a photo, frame the water and green seepage against the steep walls; from the river end, looking back up canyon brings the bridge into the scene. A boat approach from Lake Mohave is another way to reach the springs.