We had heard for years about a couple hot springs near Las Vegas, with challenging hikes to reach them. Since we were in Vegas already for a concert we thought it was time to give one a try. Arizona hot spring is an easier hike, so we went for the harder one, gold strike hot spring.
About 40 min drive from Las Vegas, not far from the hoover dam, and the Arizona state line is the trail head and parking lot for the gold strike hot spring. Luckily it was early December because in the summer months the trail is closed because of the extreme heat. Also check the weather forecast because you’re hiking in a deep canyon and flash flooding would be possible if it were to rain. Since we are talking about cautions, this hike is considered advanced. You will be hiking for between 3 to 6 hours round trip and almost a thousand feet of elevation change. The entire trail round trip is 5 miles. You will be climbing (scrambling) boulders and through rock crevices. There are also 8 fixed rope climbs in spots too steep or slippery to scramble. These rope climbs can be a little scary and you will have to use them to climb back up the boulders to get out. This is a serious hike, not for beginners or those out of shape. Now that I’ve scared you, come prepared. Bring lots of water and wear shoes with good traction. The trail starts out with a wide gravel trail winding through beautiful red canyon walls before it starts to get more challenging.
There are a couple of smaller pools along the way before you reach the main pool which has a small hot waterfall cascading into it.
At this point you are also right next to the Colorado river if you’d like to wade in and cool off. The main pool also has a small sand bagged off section by the waterfall to soak in the hottest water., the water seemed to be about one hundred degrees but that might vary with the season As with most primitive springs, avoid getting the water in your nose because there have been reports of Naegleria fowleri the brain eating amoebae in the water. After rewarding yourself from the long hike by soaking, make sure you allow time to hike out before sunset, you wouldn’t want to try it in the dark.
This was probably one of the hardest hikes we have done to reach a hot spring, but the beautiful canyon and the nice water make it worth it.