Gold Strike Canyon is another one of my favorite hikes that I have made a number of times -- but only during the winter months. Unlike Bowl of Fire where I have never encountered another hiker, this is a popular hike and every time I have hiked the Canyon I have always encountered numerous people.
Over the years there have been a number of heat related deaths in Gold Strike Canyon, so the Rangers from Lake Mead National Recreation Area now close the area during the summer months. The ambient temperature in the Canyon is amplified by the many hot springs that spew hot water and steam from cracks in the canyon walls. The heat feels good during the winter months, but not during the summer. And, of course, there always a number of 55-year-old wrinkled-up old male nudies that sit in the hot springs.
This hike should not be attempted by inexperienced hikers. Gold Strike Canyon is located about one mile downstream from Hoover Dam and there are a number of Class 3 and Class 4 drops in the canyon on the way down to the Colorado River. Some steps have been carve in the rocks and some permanently anchored ropes have been installed at the top of each drop, so hikers do not have to bring their own ropes, unless they want an extra measure of safety.
There is a lot of water in the canyon and there are many places that require walking in the water to get past narrow parts of the canyon, so most people get wet before they get to the Colorado River.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
BONUS PICTURE
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