About this spot
Gold Strike Hot Springs sits in a Colorado River side canyon below Hoover Dam, near Boulder City, inside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Reaching it means a strenuous, roughly 4-mile round-trip hike down Gold Strike Canyon with about eight sections where fixed ropes help with steep down-climbs, or a kayak approach through Black Canyon. Along the way and where the canyon meets the river, hikers find several natural hot spring pools plus deep spots in the Colorado River itself where people swim and jump, with unobstructed views of Hoover Dam. The river's current can be strong and unpredictable, so staying in shallows and scouting depth is important. The canyon closes seasonally — roughly October through May is the recommended window — because summer heat above 115°F makes the hike dangerous.