Cranes Nest Canyon Trail

Cranes Nest Canyon Trail is an out-and-back down a desert wash to the Colorado River shore at Lake Mohave. From the 2WD-HC pullout at the low pour-over on Cranes Nest Road, it is 3.2 miles round trip and takes about 2 to 3 hours. The route drops roughly 520 feet to the water, then climbs back out. Expect a backcountry wash walk whose payoff is the narrowing canyon and the river shore. A 4WD can reach the campground road end and shorten the walk to about 1.6 miles round trip.

The wash starts broad and open, then gradually deepens and narrows. The legal road continues about 0.8 mile from the 2WD-HC start to Cranes Nest Campground; beyond it, continue on foot through a narrow, sinuous canyon. A foot-traffic-only sign stands shortly past the campground. Its signpost says Lake Mohave is 0.4 mile away, but the water is closer to 0.6 mile farther on, so keep following the canyon to its mouth. The tread is uneven gravel and rock, and you return the same way.

The canyon opens through saltcedar to campsites and a beach at the river edge. The trees screen some of the water from the campsites, and Lake Mohave’s changing level shifts the shoreline and beach. For a photo, stand near the shore and frame the canyon mouth behind the river edge; it shows the route’s narrow walls and its finish together.

Turn off US 93 south of Hoover Dam onto signed Cranes Nest Road, then park at the low pour-over access. The campground is about 0.8 mile farther along the road, where the loose, deep gravel calls for 4WD; check backcountry road conditions before attempting that drive. This is a remote outing, so carry all your water and food. The park recommends at least a gallon of water per person and advises against daytime summer hiking, when temperatures can become extreme. Cooler months are more comfortable. Dogs are allowed on park hiking trails and must stay on a leash no longer than six feet. Cranes Nest Campground is primitive, with campsites and fire rings; food and water service are not documented.