HOOVER DAM KAYAK & CANOE TRIP

Thank you for your inquiry! If permits are available for your preferred launch date, we can proceed by submitting your list of participants to the Hoover Dam authorities to initiate the vetting process.

To secure permits, please email a roster using the following format. Include the first and last names of all individuals who intend to participate, exactly as they appear on their government-issued photo IDs. Since the Hoover Dam launch site falls within a federal-level one security zone, dam security will conduct background checks. Therefore, please refrain from using fake names as placeholders. If you don’t have the names of participants yet but are confident that you’ll fill the reservation, use three asterisks (***) as placeholders. It’s essential to note that launch permits are nonrefundable, even for tentative participants marked as ***.

Additionally, if you possess an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass or hold an active military ID, please provide the respective numbers to qualify for the discounted adult permit rate.

We can’t guarantee you won’t flip over, we do take some precautions to help minimize capsize. We specialize in using Ocean Kayak brand sit-on-top kayaks in the rental fleet. These boats have been designed to be used on the ocean so they can handle most water conditions on the river. If you don’t overload them they are very stable. We have over 10 O.K. models in rentals and we try to size you to a boat. If you choose a touring kayak or canoe you must be aware that these boats handle differently. Your center of gravity may be higher, or the boat may be narrower thus affecting stability. Also the sit-on-tops are easier to self rescue from so we suggest calling us for more information on the right boat for you.

Anytime you can get on the water is a good time to go. There are certain times of the year though when it good to come to the Colorado River.

Fall and early spring are great, October to November the temperatures are mild and motorized traffic starts to disappear.

In the spring mid March to mid May, the temperatures range in the 70’s for March, to 90-100 degrees in May. Since it is starting to warm up river traffic starts to pick up and there are no guarantees for a quiet time on the river.

As summer approaches more motorized boats appear and the river can be quite busy. We strongly recommend early morning launches in the summer. We will put you on as early as you would like with a 6:00am time being ideal. Of course if you are on vacation it is not mandatory to go this early but, around 10:30am is when motorized traffic starts to pick-up and the wind starts to blow.

Winter is a quiet time of the year so if solitude is what you are seeking December to early March is ideal. There are few motorized boats at this time of year. Temperatures are mild, and migratory Waterfowl can be observed. With a little bit of planning you can paddle and enjoy the experience .

No! The lower river has been drastically altered over the last 70 years creating several reservoirs for water storage and power generation. The flowing sections of the river have a current of about 3mph. Although it may seem to move faster it doesn’t. It is the volume of water that makes it seem as if you are going faster. On the Davis Dam to Rotary Park trip even if you don’t paddle at all you can still make it to the end in about 4 hours.

We do not have age restrictions. It is dependant on what the parents feel comfortable with. If you do take a child you must have a proper LIFEJACKET for the child. We do have children’s lifejackets and suggest you call in advance to make proper arrangements. There are some trips we don’t recommend for smaller children. We also suggest checking with others in your group to see if children will fit the dynamics of the group.

We do not recommend taking pets on a trip with you. We have over the years seen people take pets with them (even a pet goat). However, you must realize this is the desert and it can be a very harsh environment. A pet may not fit the dynamics of a group either so we suggest not bringing them.

Since the lower river is considered a navigable waterway motorized traffic is allowed anywhere you might want to go. However there are a few places on Lake Mead and Mohave that are a little more isolated and therefore harder to get to so traffic is less than in the more populated areas. Give us a call and we can help direct you to these areas.

Yes! You can still go. Although your cost will be higher. Figure what the trip would cost with the minimum participants and that is what it will cost if you cannot meet the minimum trip participants.