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Grapevine Canyon Waterfall
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Lake Mead NRA, Bridge Mountain Wilderness Area
Grapevine Canyon Waterfall
Grapevine Canyon
Trailhead parking and trailhead (view W)

Overview

Grapevine Canyon is a rocky canyon in granite mountains (unusual for the Las Vegas area) with an amazing array of petroglyphs, several stands of cottonwood trees, a seasonal stream, water-sculpted narrows, and a nice little waterfall with a bathtub at about 1.7 miles out.

The Grapevine Canyon Waterfall route is a good hike that runs up a sandy wash for 0.3 miles to petroglyphs on cliffs at the mouth of the canyon. After that, the route boulder-hops up the canyon for another 1.4 miles to a 15-foot waterfall.

Link to map.

Grapevine Canyon
Trailhead (view W)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is fairly safe, but for those of us used to walking on rough, almost sticky, limestone and sandstone, the water-polished granite is surprisingly slick. There is a fair bit of scrambling over and around boulders and walking on granite slickrock, so be careful when you get high enough to fall and hurt yourself.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a fairly short hike, so just bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

This hike goes into the Bridge Mountain Wilderness Area, so pay extra attention to respecting the land, and don't touch or otherwise mess with the petroglyphs.

Grapevine Canyon
Approaching the trailhead (view W)

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Laughlin, about 75 miles south of Las Vegas (7 miles west of Laughlin).

From Las Vegas, drive south 54 miles on Highway 95 to Highway 163. Turn left onto Highway 163 towards Laughlin and drive east for 12.8 miles to Christmas Tree Pass Road. Watch for a small sign indicating a left turn. Turn left onto Christmas Tree Pass Road, into Lake Mead NRA, and drive north 1.8 miles to a T-intersection with the Grapevine Canyon Road. Turn left onto Grapevine Canyon Road and drive west about 0.15 miles to the parking area at the end of the road. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Grapevine Canyon
Trailhead (view NW)

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), The Grapevine Canyon trail drops into Grapevine Wash. The trail runs out for 0.27 miles to a gap in the cliffs where Grapevine Wash comes out of the canyon (Wpt. 02) and empties onto the desert flats.

There is an amazing amount of rock art on the granite cliffs on both sides of the gap. There are some nice petroglyphs at eye-level right where the trail gets to the cliffs, but there are better ones a few feet higher up the cliff and across the wash. Most of the rock art is within a 1-minute walk of the gap, but rock art is scattered up the wash. Be careful if you climb the cliffs to see the petroglyphs up close. Don't fall, and also don't climb on the petroglyphs. These are treasures from a time gone by, and all of us are responsible for taking care of them.

Link to more information and photos of the rock art here.

Grapevine Canyon
Trailhead sign: sacred area (view NW)

Past the end of The Grapevine Canyon Trail, the waterfall route continues west and up the wash (including climbing through and around a thicket of wild grape and common reed) for about 0.09 miles, there is an enormous overhanging boulder in the bottom of the canyon. Just beyond the boulder, someone (probably ranchers), built a small cement dam (Wpt. 03) on a slickrock pour-over to catch water and pipe it down the canyon. The dam is now gone, but marks on the granite slickrock recall its former glory.

Use-trails continue up the canyon on both sides of the wash, but getting past a narrow granite canyon with a boulder cap is a bit easier on the north side. Above the narrow section, the canyon opens onto a nice grove of cottonwood trees (Wpt. 04).

For the next 0.75 miles or so, use-trails run up both sides of the wash, passing narrow rocky spots and slickrock granite interspersed with broad, sandy canyon bottoms with cottonwood groves. The trees attract a variety of bird species. Northern Mockingbirds, Gambel’s Quail, Ash-throated Flycatchers, American Goldfinches, House Finches, and other species nest here.

Grapevine Canyon
Trailhead sign; protect America's past (view NW)

Past the last large grove of cottonwood trees (Wpt. 05), the wash runs up through a section of shallow, but winding narrows cut into the granite bedrock (Wpt. 06). The walls are low, but the gorge is narrow, winding, and scenic.

Just above the narrows, hikers can look west to see an odd granite crag on the skyline shaped like a head with the nose pointing north. This crag makes for a good landmark going forward.

Above the granite narrows, stay left (south) at the confluence of two washes. The south fork winds about, and at about 0.27 miles above the top of the narrows, the canyon is blocked by a 15-ft waterfall that drops into two nice bathtub pools in a little granite gorge (Wpt. 07). The outer pool, at least, is a nice place for a cold bath on a hot day, but be careful to avoid hurting red-spotted toad tadpoles if they are present.

Routes continue up the canyon, but this is a nice spot to stop, rest in the shade of the cottonwood tree, and then return to the trailhead by following the wash back down the canyon. For photos of the return, see Grapevine Canyon Waterfall, Return to Trailhead.

Grapevine Canyon
The trail descends into the wash (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
In the wash, the trail heads uphill (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Trail in the wash with blooming Brittlebush (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Entrance to the canyon (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Entrance to the canyon during wet spring (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Entrance to the canyon: south side (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
South side, outside entrance to the canyon (view SW)
Grapevine Canyon
South side, inside entrance to the canyon (view S)
Grapevine Canyon
Entrance to the canyon: north side (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
North side, entrance to the canyon (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Continuing up the canyon (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Lots of boulders to pass (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
First patch of Canyon Grape (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Enormous overhanging boulder (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
chockstone ahead spans a gorge (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Grasses and shrubs hinder travel (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Stream and smooth granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Minor obstacles (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Stream and smooth granite; not the route (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Pick either side to pass the chockstone (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker staying right to pass the granite gorge (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Narrow path above the gorge (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Looking back, the chockstone spans the gorge (view SE)
Grapevine Canyon
Beyond the gorge, the canyon opens up (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail winds through grapevines and other shrubs (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail winds through grapevines and other shrubs (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker passing a dead cottonwood tree (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Isolated petroglyph panel high on the hillside (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Isolated petroglyph panel high on the hillside (zoom, view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Isolated petroglyph panel high on the hillside (zoom, view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail pushes through willow thicket (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail winds through field of grapevines (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Granite boulders and Mojave Yucca (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker working through granite boulders (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker starting onto smooth granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker crossing smooth granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
The route drops back into the sandy wash (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Grand scenery with granite spires (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail running along edge of the wash (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Fractured granite with barrel cactus (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Use-trail runs back into the wash (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Fallen cottonwoods block the wash; bypass on right bank (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Past the tree fall, use-trail drops back into the wash (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Dead giants make way for young cottonwood trees (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Open, sandy wash (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Another dead giant in the wash (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Yet another dead giant blocks wash; bypass to the right (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Bypass runs high on the hillside (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Route drops back into the wash (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Wash bends right and narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker entering the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker in the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker winding through the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
A bit of more-open canyon (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
A small carnivore lives here (skunk, weasel, or ringtail scat)
Grapevine Canyon
Sculpted stone in the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
The granite narrows get narrower (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
The granite narrows get narrower and deeper (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Sculpted stone in the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker at the end of the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker exiting the granite narrows (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker beyond granite narrows; note landmark on horizon (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Open wash beyond the granite narrows (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Beyond the granite narrows, the canyon forks (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
North Fork; not the route (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
South Fork; the route (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker staying left into the South Fork (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Staying left into the South Fork towards landmark (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
South Fork is narrower and smaller than North Fork (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Winding up the South Fork (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Granite crags along the South Fork (view SW)
Grapevine Canyon
Continuing towards the landmark on the horizon (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
The landmark stone sinks behind granite slabs (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker approaching granite slabs and cottonwood trees (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker approaching granite slabs and cottonwood trees (view NW)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker approaching cottonwood trees (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Hiker approaching cottonwood trees (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall past cottonwood tree (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and sculpted granite (view N)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and sculpted granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and sculpted granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and sculpted granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Not the best time for a soak (view down)
Grapevine Canyon
Trickle of water over the water-polished granite (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and sculpted granite (view S)
Grapevine Canyon
Top of the waterfall (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Waterfall and bathtub (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Bottom of the waterfall and bathtub (view W)
Grapevine Canyon
Sometimes the falls are dry (view W)

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi)
01 Grapevine Canyon Trailhead 711051 3900358 2,366 0.00 0.00
02 Petroglyphs 710645 3900478 2,420 0.27 0.27
04 Trees above Rock Tunnel 710246 3900521 2,539 0.29 0.56
05 Cottonwood Grove 709415 3900850 2,680 0.67 1.23
06 Top of Narrows 709213 3900957 2,691 0.16 1.39
07 Waterfall 708780 3900963 2,751 0.31 1.70
01 Grapevine Canyon Trailhead 711051 3900358 2,366 1.70 3.40

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240326

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