Overview | Black Canyon Overlook Loop | Lake Mead NRA, Nevada

Slide Guide will appear in soon!

Enjoy the best 360-degrees of Black Canyon from the entire length of the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs in Nevada. Then loop around the base of the cliffs for a rugged adventure in the canyons and ridges below.

Location of Black Canyon

The Colorado River is the border between Arizona to the East and Nevada to the West. As the Colorado River continues its downward flow from Lake Mead through Hoover Dam, it again assumes its wild original course through Black Canyon. The dark volcanic rock that makes up the terrain through Black Canyon gives the canyon its name.

Dormant Volcanic Caldera on The Ring of Fire

You may have heard of “The Ring of Fire”. This is a ring of volcanic activity circling the Pacific Ocean from Australia and Asia on the East, across to Alaska to the North and down the Western region of the North and South American Continent. Some of the “Ring of Fire’s” most famous volcanic areas in the U.S. are the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest (remember Mt. St. Helens?); Lassen Volcanic Park in Northern California and Yellowstone Caldera, supervolcano in Wyoming. In fact, the volcanic activity in Yellowstone Park is like a ticking time bomb on the geological scale, so massive that a major explosion could entirely reshape the Northwestern U.S.

The course of the Colorado River through Lake Mead and beyond passes through a massive volcanic area similar to the Yellowstone supervolcano. However, this volcanic area is less well known as it is dormant.

Black Canyon and the Overlook Cliffs

The Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs this adventure traverses and the canyon below are all volcanic, creating a spectacular scene. Peaks we point out in the adventure video are volcanic peaks, terrain we pass through is frozen volcanic rock that has oozed up from below. Some of the volcanic peaks pictured include:

• Gold Strike Mountain
• Sugarloaf Mountain
• Hoover Peak
• Promontory Point
• Windbreak Peak

The Adventure Route

This adventure route does not exceed the class 3 level of rock scrambling. The route begins at the Gold Strike Canyon Trailhead, ascends backroads including Gold Strike Parallel Rd., Gold Strike Pass Rd. and Black Canyon Overlook Rd. Black Canyon Overlook Road ends with an observation point at the Northern end of the Black Canyon cliff line above Black Canyon and the Colorado River in Nevada. From there, traverse the edge of the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs heading South to locate a descent ridgeline. Take the descent ridgeline to traverse the base of the cliffs through rugged canyons and ridges heading back North and eventually reconnecting with Gold Strike Pass Road, then back to the trailhead.

Precursor Adventure to Gold Strike Mountain Loop

This adventure is a precursor to an future Gold Strike Mountain Loop. Today we pass near the base of Gold Strike Mountain, viewing the challenging summit approach from the North, West and South, scoping out various summit routes. Before tackling Gold Strike Mountain summit, it’s important to become familiar with navigating the pathless region of canyons and ridges surrounding the summit. It’s good to know multiple exit routes.

Best Time of Year for This Adventure

Stick to mid-Fall through mid-Spring where temperatures are often in the mid-60’s to upper 70’s. Summer temperatures can easily exceed a hazardous 120 degrees.

Directions to Route Starting Point | Black Canyon Overlook Loop | Lake Mead NRA, Nevada

Take Interstate 11 South from Las Vegas toward Hoover Dam. Take Exit 2 and turn right at the traffic circle at the end of the exit. Gold Strike Trailhead parking is an unpaved area on the right about 200ft beyond the traffic circle.

Narrative Guide | Black Canyon Overlook Loop | Lake Mead NRA, Nevada

Getting Your Initial Bearings

At the Gold Strike Canyon Trailhead, take a moment to orient yourself with the surroundings. There is Highway 11 along with rugged volcanic peaks to the North (one of the most prominent across the highway is actually named “Rugged Peak”). Beyond the peaks is Lake Mead. Hoover Dam is just a mile or two to the Northeast. To the East the Gold Strike Canyon Trail descends 4 miles between towering volcanic cliffs to the banks of the Colorado River. To the South, 2 unpaved roads ascend a a distinctive volcanic ridgeline. The ridgeline continues South, eventually rising to become the Black Canyon Overlook line of cliffs.

Gold Strike Parallel Road to the Black Canyon Overlook Viewpoint

Both unpaved roads to the South are high clearance or, better yet, 4WD roads. In the video you’ll see a few spots that could swallow a 2WD vehicle! Begin by taking the unpaved road to the right which is Gold Strike Parallel Road. It’s the most direct approach to the Black Canyon Overlook viewpoint. This road doubles as the maintenance road for the tall metalic powerline towers along the road, so you’re basically following the metalic towers ascending Southward from Hoover Dam below.

Gold Strike Parallel Road will become Gold Strike Pass Road in about a mile, offering ever expansive views of Lake Mead and additional points to the North and West. Take time to enjoy these views as they are unique and will not be repeated later during the loop.

At a high point about 2 miles up, leave Gold Strike Pass Road to take a left onto Black Canyon Overlook Road. Black Canyon Overlook Road loops around to the left, circling the destinctive line of hills on the left, finally ending at the Black Canyon Overlook viewpoint, about 3.6-miles from the Gold Strike Trailhead below.    

Traveling on Foot vs. a 2-Vehicle Strategy

You could save yourself 3.6 miles by driving leaving one 4WD vehicle at the Gold Strike Trailhead and driving up to the Black Canyon Overlook in the second 4WD vehicle. This would turn the 10-mile loop into a 6.4-mile loop (on foot). When you finish the loop, take the vehicle parked at the trailhead back up to the overlook viewpoint to retrieve the other vehicle. But is it worth it? You’ll miss the initial expansive views on the roads, eat up some of the time you save managing the vehicles, and in the end, only save 3.6-miles! However, if you just want to drive to the viewpoint to see the spectacular view, then return to the trailhead, taking a 4WD vehicle would be the ticket.

The Black Canyon Overlook Viewpoint

Enjoy the spectacular views from the Black Canyon Overlook viewpoint! The rugged, volcanic Black Canyon is spread out below. On the horizon beyond is the Arizona Mt. Wilson Ridgeline with Mt. Wilson’s distinctive pointy peak…a good Eastern reference point visible throughout much of the loop. With care you can make out the line of Gold Strike Canyon to the Northeast, and Hoover Dam between Gold Strike Mountain on the Nevada side of the Colorado and Sugarloaf Mountain on the Arizona side. Gold Strike Mountain is below to the Southeast. Only about a hundred feet above the viewpoint is Peak 2420 (Unnamed peaks in this area are named by their elevation…thus 2,420ft elevation). 

If you drove to the viewpoint with the intention of looking around and driving back to the trailhead, add one more short but rugged destination if you can. Just before Black Canyon Overlook Road begins to descend to the viewpoint, take the very short hike to the summit of Peak 2420 for an unrivaled 360-degree view of the entire region! There is no pathway, so you’ll need to weave among the rocks, finding your best route to the summit. But it’s worth it!

Alternate Streamlined Route to the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs

Ignore this next paragraph unless you want to miss the Black Canyon Overlook viewpoint and Peak 2420 in order to cut off 1-2 miles and streamline the loop. Here is the alternate shortcut, which I may use on the day I tackle Gold Strike Mountain: Remember the point where Black Canyon Overlook Road split off to the left from Gold Strike Pass Road to loop around a line of hills? Instead of looping around on the road to the left, circle around the right side of the hills and head straight for the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs, arriving above the cliffs part way South from Peak 2420 before continuing Southward above the cliffs. It looks like an easy alternate route with great time and energy savings, pretty much matching the overall time expense had you employed the 2-vehicle strategy, even though you’re traversing the entire loop on foot!

Peak 2420 to the Black Canyon Cliffs Descent Ridgeline

Back to the loop as I took it, including the viewpoint and Peak 2420: From Black Canyon Overlook Road, ascend to the summit of Peak 2420 to get a bird’s eye view of your route South along the upper stretch of the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs. You’ll basically be making your way for the next mile along the right side of the gentle hills that line the cliffs. The terrain for the remainder of the loop is pathless. You’ll be crossing a few shallow gullies as you traverse the stretch above the cliffs. As you advance, notice a number of steep narrow gullies heading down over the cliffs and into Black Canyon below. I don’t trust any of these to get you to the base of the cliffs without dangerous vertical drops.

Enjoy the view to the West along this stretch. It’s the best view to the West you will see during the loop.a The most distinctive peak to the West is the volcanic Windbreak Peak. The Sloan Canyon area with the North and South McCullough Range and many other reference points are visible in the distance. Las Vegas is beyond.

Black Canyon Cliffs Descent Ridgeline

As you continue along the upper cliffs, passing those few narrow descent gullies, eventually you will reach the last rounded hill beyond which is a huge wide gully. As you round that hill, begin heading down the ridgeline above that huge gully. From above, it looks like you will be walking over the edge of a cliff. I almost turned around! But if you stay on the descent ridgeline, a way will always open up before you, leading you downward without any climbing beyond a bit of class 3 rock scrambling. That huge gully to your right looks approachable and could be a great alternate pathway to the Western and Southern bases of Gold Strike Mountain for some potential summit approaches.

Traversing the Base of the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs

Today, instead of taking a streamlined route to the base of Gold Strike Mountain, I took a left off the descent ridgeline to traverse the base of the Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs back toward the point below Peak 2420 and the overlook viewpoint. Where to turn left and descend from the descent ridgeline? There’s a lower saddle on the ridgeline immediately before the ridgeline ascends to a distinctive rounded rocky volcanic bulb (see the map). Not it’s just a matter of picking out a route along the base of the cliff line. There are cliffs above to the left and hills below to the right. Notice a series of shallow gullies and saddles ahead. Go from saddle to saddle until you reach the base of Peak 2420 and the overlook viewpoint on the cliffs above. You might also note a row of wooden power poles descending from the viewpoint above. That’s a good marker to recognize Peak 2420 and the viewpoint.

Base of Peak 2420 Back to Gold Strike Pass Road

As you cross below the row of powerlines, you could head downward in that gully to circle back to Gold Strike Mountain or to Gold Strike Canyon Trail. Actually, that row of wooden power poles crosses Gold Strike Canyon Trail just below the first rope line on the trail. Everything is connected! There are a number of alternate routes, and it’s good to be so familiar with Black Canyon that you always know more than one or two alternate exit routes. I’ve traced a few of these alternate routes on the map, but have not yet tested them!

Once beyond the base of Peak 2420, I began to angle to the left and upward with the intent of reconnecting with Gold Strike Pass Road. View the map on this page to see the route. I took a ridgeline downward into a wide gully, crossed the wash and ascended a narrow gully toward a ridgeline on the opposite side. Once on the ridgeline, I headed West, now making a wide loop around the Northern side of Peak 2420 and the viewpoint. At the summit of the ridgeline, the metallic powerline towers began to appear on the horizon to the West, marking the presence of the Gold Strike Pass and Gold Strike Parallel Roads.

Descending from the ridgeline to a wide and broad gully heading upward to the West toward Gold Strike Pass Road was the most challenging stretch of the day. The descent was steep, the surface was loose rock with a lot of weaving around in order to pick out a descent route that promised to avoid vertical barriers. All that said, it was possible to keep things at a class 3 and below level of rock scrambling during the descent.

Once in the long, wide, main gully below it was just a matter of continuing upward to finally connect with a side road quickly leading to Gold Strike Pass Road. A right turn on Gold Strike Pass Road took me in a round-about way back to my starting point at the Gold Strike Canyon Trailhead. A left turn would have taken me quickly to Gold Strike Parallel Road where a right turn would have brought me back to the trailhead in a more streamlined way. See the map. The variety of taking the Gold Strike Parallel Road on the way and Gold Strike Pass Road on the return offered some unique views.

Conclusion

There are some adventures that offer a huge variety of terrain and experiences. This Black Canyon Overlook Cliffs Loop is one! From roads to pathless terrain to rock scrambling to pathfinding this loop is matchless. Along the way, you’re advancing from one spectacular viewpoint to the next. Plenty of alternate routes continually present themselves, enticing you to future adventures! Finally, remember, you’re on the world famous “Ring of Fire” volcanic terrain throughout!