Directions from Las Vegas: Cross Hoover Dam and continue south on US 93 a tad over 4 miles to a large dirt parking lot on the right.
The first stop on our loop is Arizona Hot Springs. Trail guides are available in a box at the trailhead or from the Alan Bible visitor center. You might want to bring along a pair of water shoes because a small part of the route to-and-through the hot spring will be in water that can be as high as waist deep. Follow the trail from the parking lot through the main wash to the river; then head down-river over a hill to the hot spring canyon.
To get to the Virtual Cache site, you are going to loop
back to your car by hiking out through the hot spring canyon itself. Caution: This route is NOT appropriate
for kids or dogs. Challenging rock scrambles are required
to get around several dry waterfalls.
There is no formal trail on the return loop. You will
be walking up a wash similar to the one you followed to
get here. Watch for the trail to turn left into another
canyon about 1/2 hour from the hot spring. There should
be a large cairn at the intersection. The coordinates
for this cache will lead you up the correct canyon to
a small rock covered with petroglyphs. Bigger and better rock art examples can be found within the next tenth of a mile along the wash. Note: To log this cache, you have to find at least one other set of petroglyphs and email us
a description with the coordinates of where you found them. Please don't post the location or description on the cache page.
A short distance beyond the petroglyphs you'll run into
those challenging rock scrambles. The first is an 8-footer that shouldn't present much of a challenge. Next comes
a 20-foot crack that will require you to chimney your
way up. The last one has good hand/foot holds on a 30-foot
climb to get around a 20-foot dry fall (when
it looks like you can go no farther, backtrack a bit and
you'll see a route up the north wall). A moderate distance beyond the last climbing problem you'll find an official trail marker pointing up a small wash on the left. Watch for a trail to exit that wash going northeast. The trail will run along the side of a hill paralleling the wash and take you over a saddle to your car. Total round trip is about 6 miles.
Beware: Rock art found in
this canyon is protected by law. Defacing (or imitating)
it is punishable by $100,000 fine and possible prison
time. DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
Caution: These canyons all
look alike; mark your car as a waypoint before starting
out. Summer visits are not advised due to intense heat
in the canyons. Always exercise caution when hiking the
desert in any season: bring plenty of water; watch out
for rattlesnakes; and be extra careful when climbing on
cliffs and near drop-offs.