Gold Strike Hot Springs
98–110°F
Pool temperatures
2.5mi
Hike, one way
Paid
Fees apply
Gold Strike is a string of rock soaking pools in a canyon just below Hoover Dam on the Nevada side of Black Canyon, fed by water that emerges around 109 F and cools as it flows to the Colorado River. It is a demanding hike with rope-assisted descents and a mandatory summer trail closure, so many people paddle in from the dam or Willow Beach instead. Pools are usually clothing optional and busy on winter weekends.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- Clothing optionalCommon here, not official policy
- PoolsSeveral rock pools stretched along about two miles of canyon, plus a walled main pool
- BusyOctober to early May, on weekdays and early in the day.
- SeasonThe Gold Strike Canyon trail is closed by the NPS every year from May 15 to September 30 because of extreme heat, and can close earlier in spring when canyon temperatures climb. It reopens October 1. The springs can still be reached by water from the Colorado River in summer.
- Best in winterTrail closed May to Sept; best October to early May. Winter guide
- FeesLake Mead National Recreation Area entrance fee applies (a guide lists $25 per vehicle). No separate fee for the springs. Launching a boat from Hoover Dam needs a permit through an outfitter (about $17).
Best time to go. October to early May, on weekdays and early in the day. Winter weekends are very popular.
02 · Live
Conditions
Access status, weather and hazards. Closure feeds are checked automatically every morning.
Access
No closures reported
No closure, fire or weather warning found in Forest Service, wildfire (NIFC) or National Weather Service feeds. That isn't confirmation it's open, so check with Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Checked 22 Oct · updated daily
As of 2026-10-18: NPS lists Goldstrike Canyon among six trails under the annual May 15 to Sept 30 heat closure (conditions page, 2026); the park reopened the trails on Oct 1 in 2024 (release dated 2024-09-17), and reopening is weather dependent. On 2025-04-14 the park closed Goldstrike and Arizona Hot Springs trails early after a hiker death and rescue of dozens of hikers. Oct 2023: NPS warning about Naegleria fowleri in the hot springs below Hoover Dam. Nov 2023 fecal bacteria closure applied to Arizona Hot Springs, not Gold Strike. Confirm current status with the park before going.
Naegleria fowleri has been found in the Black Canyon hot springs below Hoover Dam: NPS advises against diving, splashing or submerging the head, so keep your head above water and do not drink canyon water. Several rope and scramble sections (about eight rope-assisted descents) with unmonitored ropes. Flash floods in the narrow canyon. Extreme heat, with canyon temperatures that can pass 110 F and past heat deaths and mass rescues. No cell service.
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03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Boulder City. Then a 2.5-mile hike, one way.
- 1
From Boulder City drive US-93 toward Hoover Dam to the Gold Strike Canyon parking area, then follow the trail down the canyon.
- 2
The route is about 5 miles round trip with scrambling and several rope-assisted descents before it reaches the pools and the river.
- 3
Paddlers on the Black Canyon Water Trail can land at the canyon mouth, about river mile 62.75, just below Hoover Dam.
36.0020, −114.7420 · nearest town Boulder City, NV
These coordinates are for the spring itself, not the parking area. Navigate to the trailhead named in the directions.
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Start early and stay close. Places to stay near Boulder City, from campgrounds to cabins.
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Checked against 8 sources, with closures, wildfires and weather warnings re-checked daily.Show sourcesShare your photosSuggest an update
- en.wikipedia.org (canonical_name, temps, geology)
- hotspringsguides.com (hike distance, ropes, hazards, clothing, fee, season, crowds)
- home.nps.gov (seasonal closure, 2026 conditions)
- nps.gov (2024 reopening, May 15 to Sept 30 closure)
- fox10phoenix.com (2025 closure after death and rescues)
- foxnews.com (Naegleria warning)
- americansouthwest.net (Naegleria notice, Nevada Hot Springs, canyon description)
- nps.gov (water trail access, permit, river miles)
