Highlights:
Narrow canyon through inclined limestone strata in the northern Mojave Desert, up to 300 feet deep, with rock formations, petroglyph panels and varied plant life
Hike:
3.8 miles, 140 feet elevation; from the 2WD trailhead to a dam at the upper end of the narrows
Nearby town:
Mesquite, 38 miles
Management:
Location:
36.733, -114.748 (2WD trailhead)
Seasons:
All year, though summers are hot
Rating (1-5):
★★★★★
Arrow Canyon, in Clark County, southern Nevada, is a four mile-long gorge through inclined, greyish strata, mostly limestone, towards the north edge of the Mojave Desert, and it forms the main geological feature of the Arrow Canyon Wilderness, a 27,530 acre preserve that also contains a range of mountains to the south, cut by smaller ravines.
The canyon encloses the lower end of Pahranagat Wash, a lengthy but usually dry drainage that meets the Muddy River near Moapa, and is deep and narrow for nearly a mile, a confined within somber cliffs up to 300 feet tall, popular with rock-climbers. Upstream of here, beyond a tributary, is a slightly less narrow stretch, leading to a dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, in the 1930s, above which the drainage widens abruptly.
Besides the canyon itself, attractions are several rock art panels, the colors and forms of the surrounding rock, and the variety of wildflowers - those within the drainage, where conditions are relatively cool and moist, and those in the open, arid land around of lower valley, more typical of the desert.
The hike through Arrow Canyon is 3.8 miles if starting at the 2WD trailhead, off Hwy 168, or 2.5 miles for people with 4WD vehicles, who can drive to an alternative start point near the beginning of the narrows.
The canyon encloses the lower end of Pahranagat Wash, a lengthy but usually dry drainage that meets the Muddy River near Moapa, and is deep and narrow for nearly a mile, a confined within somber cliffs up to 300 feet tall, popular with rock-climbers. Upstream of here, beyond a tributary, is a slightly less narrow stretch, leading to a dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, in the 1930s, above which the drainage widens abruptly.
Besides the canyon itself, attractions are several rock art panels, the colors and forms of the surrounding rock, and the variety of wildflowers - those within the drainage, where conditions are relatively cool and moist, and those in the open, arid land around of lower valley, more typical of the desert.
The hike through Arrow Canyon is 3.8 miles if starting at the 2WD trailhead, off Hwy 168, or 2.5 miles for people with 4WD vehicles, who can drive to an alternative start point near the beginning of the narrows.
Arrow Canyon Table of Contents
Trailheads
The 2WD trailhead is accessed via a short gravel track that forks west off Hwy 168, 11 miles from I-15 (exit 90) - signed 'Arrow Canyon access', this starts under a ranch-style gate, passes beneath a house on a small hill then bends south, towards a utility building, and round this to a parking area on the far side, were a noticeboard marks the start of the path. 4WD vehicles continue south, down a slope and across the stony streambed of Pahranagat Wash then alongside it for 1.3 miles, crossing three more times, to another parking place. Both these locations are suitable for free primitive camping.
Path from the 2WD Trailhead
The path from the 2WD parking place heads southwest and runs alongside the wash, a typical desert drainage lined by catclaw acacia, mesquite and willow, that gradually becomes enclosed by low cliffs, with mountains not for ahead. The route soon descends to the creekbed and follows this past several minor tributaries then reaches the 4WD parking area, shortly before a narrow place between two higher rocky ridges; just beyond is a fence marking the edge of the Arrow Canyon Wilderness. A path continues, crossing a sandy bench then meeting the streambed once more; the remainder of the hike is all along the canyon floor. After the narrow section, the drainage is wider for half a mile, until just beyond a south-side tributary, where it narrows abruptly, at the point where the bedrock changes from a mix of limestone, dolomite, shale and sandstone to solely limestone; all these layers are from the Mississippian Carbonate Shelf Sequence, which covers much of southern Nevada.
The Narrows
The best petroglyph panel in the canyon is found across the base of a low, northwest-facing cliff at the confluence with the tributary - there are dozens of individual designs, all white in color, including spirals, angular shapes, feet, hands and human figures. Some are faded but many are crisp and sharp. Fainter petroglyphs are found within the narrows, in one place spoiled by modern, fake designs, these on the north side, close to ground level. Round the next curve is a large, overhanging alcove to the south, one of the main rockclimbing locations, and then, after two more broad bends, the south-side tributary of Side Canyon Wash, which is briefly narrow. then becomes very wide. Nearly all the flow down Arrow Canyon, from seasonal rains, is via this drainage, as upstream, the main gorge is blocked by the dam, in another 0.9 miles. This section, slightly less enclosed, is quite overgrown, with trees shrubs and grass, though still easy to follow; in contrast, there is very little vegetation in the lower narrows.
The Dam
The dam itself is about 30 feet tall, not directly passable though a rope may be left in place that does allow climbing (with gloves), while the dam may be bypassed using ledges on the north side, leaving the streambed a third of a mile back. To the west, upstream of the dam, the valley quickly widens, becoming 600 feet across, and is filled with dense vegetation. There are more petroglyphs just above the dam, and another trailhead after half a mile, reached by a 2.6 mile 4WD track from Hwy 168.
Arrow Canyon - Nearby Places
- Beaver Dam Mountains (45 miles) - rugged mountains in far northwest Arizona
- Valley of Fire (39 miles) - red, yellow and pink rocks, eroded into striking formations
Arrow Canyon - Similar Places
- Dog Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas - deep gorge through the Santiago Mountains
- Fletcher Canyon, Mount Charleston, Nevada - sheer-walled limestone narrows
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