Kayak Hoover Dam Reviews
" 5 Star Experience - Best wat to spend a
relaxing day in the dessert "
From start to finish our guided tour down the Colorado was one of the major highlights of our trip! It was well worth having a guide to direct and explain the history and natural habitat of the Colorado and surrounding area. We stopped numerous times and hiked into caves and into various geothermal pools and hot springs! We didn't see any spiders or rattlers:), however we saw lots of Big Horned Sheep, a chubby lizard and a hungry mama duck and her young ones who were determined to share lunch with us! Our guide ensured that we were well stocked with water throughout the duration of our trip and the catered lunch was simply delicious. I especially appreciated the attention that was given to my vegan vegetarian request-super good eats! The kayaks and equipment were top notch-easy to use on the river and comfortable to paddle in. However, our trip wouldn't have been quite the same without our incredible guide Rod. His extensive knowledge of the region coupled with his friendly yet professional demeanor was first rate. I'd recommend this trip to anyone and everyone who wants to have a super day out on the river enjoying the desert from yet another naturally beautiful vantage point. The only regret I had was having to pull out of the river after 11 miles! The Colorado was so tame and relaxing the day we went that I felt I had time to paddle and get a bit of a workout but yet also relax and leisurely float along and take in the incredible sites of Black Canyon. A 5 star experience for sure!
TripAdvisor.com member Seathways
Vancouver, BC
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/Seathewavs
____________________________________________________________
"An Really Fantastic Day"
I took this trip in early Nov while on a four day vacation in Las Vegas. It was one of the highlights of my trip. I was going as a single, so I was waitlisted for the original date I wanted, and booked the next day as a backup. Dan was very clear about this, and did an excellent job of keeping me up to date with which date I could as well as answering any other questions. I was picked up at the door to my hotel right on time and driven to the launch at the base of the hoover dam. The driver was very friendly and got us all ready to go. Our guide, Debbie, was also very friendly, knowledgeable and accomodating. She made us feel that the trip was at our own pace and tailored to what we wanted to see and do. The equipment worked well and we were provided with ample snacks,water and a great little picnic lunch. The stops were a great chance to see the beautiful scenery of the canyon. I was completely enthralled the whole time. Debbie had lots of info about everything, but also let us enjoy some of the quiet and beauty of the surroundings by ourselves too. I was able to paddle at my own pace, be by the group when I wanted to talk, and paddle bit ahead alone when I just wanted to take it in quietly.
I will say that while the river is calm and not difficult skill wise, it is a long paddle, and endurance is required. You could do it as a beginner, but only if you have good uppper body strength and endurance. I have been kayaking for two years, an while it was not difficult, and I made it to the end fairly easily, I was sore that night. So if you aren't up for endurance, take one of the shorter tours.
I would definetly recommend this to anyone wanting a day trip, and I had more time I would have done their evening Lake Mead tour too. Great time all around and it was worth every penny! Thanks for an awesome day guys!!!
TripAdvisor.com member kiki_fm
Fort McMurray, AB
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/kiki_fm
____________________________________________________________
"Kayak Hoover Dam"
I and a few girlfriends went kayaking from the Hoover Dam to Willow beach with Evolution Expeditions a few weeks back and what an amazing time we had. Our guide was very professional, and fun to hang out with. She showed us a cave that we went in and explored, hot springs and we all even jumped off some really big rocks into the Colorado River; we all had a great time, this is something I think anyone who wants to go have fun while in Las Vegas should check out. Thanks again Evolution Expeditions…..We will be back !!!!!!!
IgoUgo.com memberfinelikefroghair
Saint Paul, Minnesota
http://www.igougo.com/review-r1362415-Kayak_Hoover_Dam.html
____________________________________________________________
"Wonerful experienc! Best day in Vegas"
Our pickup was at 5:30AM and we were in the water by 7:00AM. We were a group of four, one tandem and two single kayaks. Our guide Debbie was excellent, very knowledgeable, fun, engaging and had tons of postive comments. She taught us techniques and shared information along the way. We visited the Arizona hot springs... and were surprised how hot the water is... The scenery is simply amazing...to the point where you forget to breath. The water is cool and refreshing and there is plenty of fauna along the way. If you are lucky, you will see an owl, and mountain goats... There was even a friendly duck along the way. The lunch was excellent and Debbie made everyone feel at ease.
We got picked up in the afternoon.. by Rod and Daniel also very friendly. It felt like we were amongst friends. It is 11 miles but since the scenery is so inspiring it didn't feel like it. Wear shades and a hat.. it can get quite hot... Best thing to do is not think about the eleven miles that you have to paddle, just enjoy.. Debbie isn't in a rush and she takes good care of everyone. We will definitely go back and do the same excursion again.
TripAdvisor.com member funtraveller010
Georgain Bay, Canada
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/funtraveller010
____________________________________________________________
We found Evolution Expeditions on google and by judging the phone call to them we decided to sign up for their Hoover Dam launch on the Colorado River. TWELVE miles of pure kayaking glory. We met up with Rod (our guide) and Deb and they went ahead and got us prepared for our day ahead. Rod got us cruising along pretty quickly and we got to see some of the most amazing sites Southern Nevada has to offer. It's hard to pick highlights because each "point of interest" was different. I would say that the Sauna cave and AZ hot springs were good for the water experience. The old surveyors office/catwalk was an awesome piece of the river's history. The lunches provided were fantastic and I still have the urge for those frozen juices. Our guide, Rod was great. We could tell right away we were in good company and being looked after. He was full of knowledge and experienced. Also having a good sense of humor made it fun. I hope to do this again very soon. Thanks again for everything.
"Kayaing on the Colorado River is the
highlight of our Las Vegas trip"
My first kayaking experience was a smashing success. I was a little hesitant because of some of the reviews I had read, but Debbie was a competent, funny, encouraging guide. The entire day, from pick-up (on time at 5:45 am) to drop-off was top-notch. We were a group of 3 with a guide. Halfway down river, we met up with another guide and his group of 8. The small size of the group was great for me as a beginner.
We took the Hoover Dam trip. We entered the Colorado River just below the Hoover Dam--an impressive start. Within 15 minutes we encountered an amazing sight--3 owls hanging out along the river's edge. Debbie's eagle eye spotted them, and we have amazing pictures. Later we encountered several groups of big-horn sheep and a couple of hawks. The canyon vistas were beautiful.
I was worried about doing an 11 mile trip my first time out, but it was awesome. Hard work, but not crazy-hard. We stopped several times to visit some surprising spots--a steamy, hot cave; mineral hot springs, a 30 ft. rock to jump off of (not me!), so the paddling was never too difficult. There are several trips to choose from, including some shorter ones.
Overall, a great trip with terrific guides.
TripAdvisor.com member EscoGirlSanDiego
San Diego
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/EscoGirlSanDiego
____________________________________________________________
"Colorado River Kayaking daytrip"
I did the Evolution Expeditions kayaking day-trip of the Colorado River in March 2008. We were collected by Evolution Expeditions from our Vegas hotel at 6:45am (and later returned to the hotel at around 3pm).
At the Colorado following a brief safety talk we launched from just south of the Hoover Dam, it was a 6-hour journey travelling about 11 miles of the Colorado river.
There was a single guide with the 5 kayakers in my group, both single and double kayaks were available. The waters were calm generally, at several sections of the river small eddys needed to be crossed, however nothing of concern even for novices. Paddling was necessary, but at quite a relaxed pace. On my trip there were 2 stops on the shoreline to check out hotsprings & have lunch.
The tour-guides were very professional, pointing out features all along the river. A packed lunch and drinks were supplied and these were pretty good. On my trip we did not get to see a lot of wildlife, although plenty of excellent scenery.
It was a rewarding trip to do and I would recommend it to others.
TripAdvisor.com member Dmob
Cork, Ireland
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/Dmob
____________________________________________________________
"Kayaking at its best"
My husband and I have spent a week in Vegas each year for the past eight years. We always plan some type of activity that gets us away from the glitz of Vegas. My husband is 60 and I am 59 years old. We scoured the Internet and made some telephone calls before deciding on a kayaking trip. The availability of tandem kayaks was one of the main reasons we selected Evolution Expeditions .
My husband kayaks, but I don't. I have a bad knee and was concerned about getting in and out of a kayak.
We coud not have asked for a better day. it was a perfect November day. Just cool enough to be comfortable. The trip was a float about 11 miles down the Colorado River starting at the base of the Hoover Dam on continuing through the Black Canyon.
Paddling was involved because the water was very still. So I was very glad to be in a tandem kayak. I can't speak for my husband, but I was defitiely glad.
Our guide Debbie was a jewel. She was extremely helpful, but did not hover. She laughed with me as I finagled my way in and out of the kayak.
I know I am gushing, but you know sometimes everything just comes together and it's perfect.
We entered the Sauna Cave and were dripping wet when we exited. We lingered in hot spring pools along the way. Being able to rest our joints in the hot water was a blessing.
The Colorado River was gorgeous. The water was so clear and clean. I would suggest wearing sturdy water shoes, because some of the walking was over multicolored pebbble and rocks that moved constantly under your feet.
We are already planning on taking another of Evolution Expeditions kayaking tours next year when we visit Las Vegas.
Debbie, you made our trip.
TripAdvisor.com member BetsB
Hendersonville, NC
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/BetsB
____________________________________________________
