Boy Scout Canyon Trail

From the road end, head east down the wash. It narrows at about 0.34 mile. At roughly 0.8 mile, a 15-foot pour-over makes an easy third-class downclimb; you have to climb back up it on the return. At about 1.5 miles, the wash spreads across flat, water-polished rock and shallow slots. A fork leads toward the separate Colorado River Overlook; stay in the main canyon for this route.

Past the fork, the wash bends north into a gorge only about 20 to 25 feet wide at its floor, with walls rising 200 to 300 feet. The hiking route ends at the top of a 20-foot pour-over. A sandy shelf lies below it, then the canyon drops about 330 feet into Lower Boy Scout Canyon. The 20-foot pour-over is slick and has few good holds; the hot spring below is a technical canyon route, not an ordinary continuation of this hike.

Reddish-brown and black volcanic slopes frame the wash, where the rock is polished gray-green. The narrow gorge exposes layers of pyroclastic and ash-fall material. Creosote and catclaw acacia are common along the hillsides and wash edges; brittlebush, Mormon tea and spring wildflowers add color when they are in season.

The distance above starts at the road end. Walking from the Lake Mead boundary signs adds about 2.2 miles each way, making the full outing about 8 miles. The sandy access road’s current passability was not confirmed; check access before driving and stay on roads approved for vehicles. No water or facilities are documented at the start or along the canyon, so bring what you need. Dogs are allowed on Lake Mead hiking trails on a leash no longer than six feet.