Emerald Cave Kayak Tour Experience as told by…

An orange sun rises in Las Vegas in mid-May. The temperature promises to be a comfortable 90something without a cloud in the sky. A great day to spend kayaking and exploring on the Colorado river.

We arrived at Willow Beach, just an hour’s drive outside of Vegas, early, around 7:30am.

Our guide, Ian, greets us with a huge welcoming smile and asks us a few questions – Where are we from? Are we celebrating anything special? Have we kayaked before? He seems genuinely interested in getting to know us and puts us at ease immediately.

We watch as he gets busy getting kayaks off the trailer and we are in awe of how quickly and effortlessly he seems to go about his tasks.

My husband Jim has been kayaking once before, but he is not a big fan of water, in truth, he doesn’t swim and only came because I really wanted to.

We were both impressed that Ian took the time to really go over safety equipment and teach us about kayaks. Jim felt much better after Ian’s careful and patient instructions.

Another couple joins our small group and Ian is just as attentive to them as he was to us. He certainly appeared to enjoy spending time getting to know the people he will be accompanying on the river. The other couple has never kayaked but they look excited to get started. We all get in our kayaks and get a lesson on basic maneuvering as well as more safety information which is much appreciated. The river water is crystal clear and a cold 57 degrees. We can see straight through to the bottom.

Ian says that in some places the depth is over 70ft. A little scary for Jim, but he feels confident that he’s safe with our guide close by.

Today we are going on the Emerald Cave tour. This appears to be the most popular tour on the river and Ian says it’s a great thing we are leaving early because by 10am, there will be large crowds of people all headed to the same destination.

As our small band of adventurers heads upriver we get comfortable learning how to maneuver the kayaks. Our guide is never far from us and he points out river features, wildlife and shares historical information about the river as we peacefully paddle upstream toward the majestic Hoover Dam.

Approaching the Emerald Cave we’re the only group in sight. Ian says that in less than a couple of hours the large tour groups will be herding dozens of paddlers to this very spot and in the busiest time of the day, kayakers will wait as much as a couple of hours to get photos in the cave. We’re beyond thrilled to have the location to ourselves.

Ian takes some great photos of both couples and lets us know he’ll email a file with these as well as other photos of the river so we can have beautiful mementos of the day’s adventure.

After leaving the cave our journey heads south, back toward Willow Beach. On the way, we stop at a beach that Ian calls “Bill’s Beach”, I’ll let him tell you why when you share a trip with him. At Bill’s Beach we secure the kayaks on the shore and have a snack. Fresh fruit, nuts and cold water are much appreciated and just seem to be the perfect complement to the natural surroundings.

Once our snacks are finished, we take a short hike up the trail to the top of the cliff that runs along the river. Along the way, Ian takes the time to point out plants and minerals with interesting information. There’s even a short experiment along the way. Everyone is engaged and having a great time. At the top of the bluff, we’re rewarded with the most spectacular view of the river and surrounding desert. Truly worth the short hike up.

Back at the beach, we board our kayaks and prepare to head back to Willow Beach. Along the way we pass scores of kayakers headed out to Emerald Cave. Again, we’re thrilled our trip was more private and peaceful. The trip back is very easy as it’s downstream. We relax and take time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Exiting our kayaks and gathering our belongings from the drybags provided for their protection, we are a little sad that the trip has come to an end. We’ve just spent 4 hours learning about kayaks, exploring the Colorado River and its history and making new friends. Truly a great day as well as a welcome break from the hustle & bustle of the Vegas strip.

We can’t wait to book another trip with Ian on our next visit to Las Vegas. Perhaps next time we’ll choose The Whole Dam Tour!

Tricia Blair BA, RN