Parking
Start at the Grapevine Canyon Trailhead parking area on Christmas Tree Pass Road, about two miles north of its NV-163 turnoff. The final approach is unpaved; check current road conditions before driving in.
Overview
About Grapevine Canyon Waterfall Trail
Why go
- Petroglyphs, cottonwood groves and granite narrows add variety to the canyon walk.
- A seasonal 15-foot waterfall drops into two granite pools at the end.
Heads up
- Boulder-hopping and slick granite make the upper route slow and uneven.
- The waterfall may be dry.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake Mead map
Full mapElevation2,376–2,772 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Lake Mead alerts
- CautionHarmful algae bloom at Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood CoveA harmful algae bloom has been confirmed in recent samples from Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood Cove; avoid contact with water where algae is visible.Official details
- CautionArizona Hot Springs bacteria advisoryLimit body contact with Arizona Hot Springs water: fecal bacteria in samples frequently reach high levels and can transmit human diseases.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake Mead Tour Guide
Your drive to Grapevine Canyon Waterfall Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake Mead audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Grapevine Canyon: Rock Art at the Entrance0:00 / 0:34
“The access for Grapevine Canyon's petroglyphs is coming up. An unpaved road leads to the parking area, then it's about a third of a mile each way through soft sand to the first panels.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Hummingbird's Nighttime Slowdown
- Nevada Telephone Cove: A Sandy Lake Day
- Why the River Needs Davis Dam
- 153 audio storiesacross Lake Mead’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Burro, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 42 trails, 70 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Grapevine Canyon Waterfall Trail
What this hike isGrapevine Canyon Waterfall Trail is a rough 3.4-mile out-and-back, about 1.
Grapevine Canyon Waterfall Trail is a rough 3.4-mile out-and-back, about 1.7 miles each way from Grapevine Canyon Trailhead. The first quarter-mile follows a sandy wash to the petroglyphs; the longer route then works up-canyon through boulders, cottonwood groves and granite narrows to a seasonal 15-foot waterfall. Allow about three hours. The upper canyon is much slower than the entrance walk, so this is for hikers comfortable with uneven rock and a route that follows wash-side use-trails.
The short first stretchThe wash reaches a gap between granite cliffs after about 0.27 mile.
The wash reaches a gap between granite cliffs after about 0.27 mile. Petroglyphs are visible on both sides, with more panels scattered farther up the canyon. If the longer scramble isn't for you, this entrance walk is about 0.5 mile round trip. Leave the rock art as you find it; don't touch or climb on the panels.
Up the washBeyond the gap, the route continues west through wild grape and common reed.
Beyond the gap, the route continues west through wild grape and common reed. A large overhanging boulder and slickrock marks are reminders of a small cement dam that once caught water here, probably for ranchers to pipe down-canyon. The dam is gone. Farther on, sandy wash and cottonwood groves alternate with boulder scrambles and smooth granite. The groves bring birds into an otherwise rocky canyon and offer the main patches of shade.
Find the south forkThe route passes shallow, winding granite narrows beyond the last large cottonwood grove.
The route passes shallow, winding granite narrows beyond the last large cottonwood grove. Just above them, a distinctive crag on the skyline looks like a head with its nose pointing north. At the next wash fork, stay left, into the south fork; that winding canyon reaches the waterfall. The north fork is a different route.
At the fallsThe 15-foot drop lands in two small granite pools beneath a cottonwood.
The 15-foot drop lands in two small granite pools beneath a cottonwood. Flow is seasonal, and the falls can be dry, but the narrow gorge is still the route's payoff. Red-spotted toad tadpoles may use the pools; leave them undisturbed.
Before you goThe upper section involves repeated boulder-hopping over water-polished granite, which can be…
The upper section involves repeated boulder-hopping over water-polished granite, which can be very slick, and the wash-side use-trails are rougher than a maintained path. Much of the wash is open, with shade mainly at the cottonwood groves. The National Park Service allows pets on hiking trails on a leash no longer than six feet. The access road is unpaved.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake Mead
525 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
116 sightingsBurroMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 4 PMSighting map
99 sightingsWhite PelicanMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
145 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
106 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake Mead. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
