Black Canyon Wilderness

The 17,220 acres of the Black Canyon Wilderness are contained within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and are administered by the National Park Service.

The area is a maze of peaks and side canyons that extend from the top of the Eldorado Mountains down to vertical cliffs rising above the edge of the Colorado River.

The geology is primarily volcanic in nature, which means there are remnants and artifacts in places left over from the old mining days. There are also petroglyphs and ancient lithic scatters spread throughout the area. Vegetation is sparse and primarily typical desert shrubbery. Water is very scarce but in hiking around you may come across mountain lions, coyotes, desert bighorn sheep and lots of jackrabbits. You'll also find desert tortoise, side-blotched lizard and the always-attention-demanding rattlesnake.

In the northern section of Black Canyon Wilderness you may find some springs and hot springs.