Lake Mead Spooky Canyon Loop

Name: Lake Mead Spooky Canyon Loop
Total distance: 5 miles
Total time to complete: 3 hours hiking and 1 hour drive time.
Elevation Change: 1000 feet
Elevation Range: 1300 - 2000 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Scrambling: Hiking poles are helpful when we transfer washes. Also there are a few spots requiring light use of hands to pull yourself over a rock, the group can assist you if needed.
How easy to follow? There are multiple unmarked random turns in and out of canyons, stay with the group or be lost in a maze.
Dogs: yes, you are also welcome to do only the first canyon as the transfer between canyons and return trail is rocky, you can turn around and return easily here.
Bathrooms: Trailer toilet
Trailhead (35.98021, -114.69772) is a paved parking lot at mile marker 4 on the north side of US 93 in Arizona just past the Hoover Dam bridge. This is also the trailhead for Arizona Hotsprings, White Rock Canyon, Liberty Bell Arch, old US93, and Horsethief Canyon. Please leave a comment if you are meeting us at the trailhead. -
Weather
Wikiloc

Description:

Please bring your sense of adventure on this hike! A good quarter of this hike is spent in shaded narrow canyons and most of the hike is flat walking in washes. The first canyon is the long canyon that feels like an endless maze and there is one exit other than the way in. Those who know the exit to this canyon is marked by a large heart shaped rock. There is an optional 5 minute spur to go deeper here as the walls will be narrow enough to touch with both hands but you must return to the heart to leave.

The heart exit wash will lead us back out into the open terrain, this is the section you will need your hikes poles as there is no trail and we are going up and down inclined hillsides. Next up is the original spooky canyon has only 1 way in and out at the US 93 crossing where we will start it. We will do this short canyon as an out and back then continue on our loop. A secret passage will lead us under the freeway and back onto the Liberty Bell arch trail to return to our cars.

The time of the meetup is the time we are LEAVING the carpool location (if no carpool then it is the time we are starting hike), please come on time, or chase after us frantically if you are late. Please review the planned hike if possible, be prepared for a no host event should your organizer need to drop off at the last minute. Pictures are often taken during meetups and posted on the site, if you don't want to be photographed then wear a bag over your head. If the meetup only has one person coming it may be canceled if I can’t be sure you will show up (I’ll try to contact you). Hiking time estimates are for an average size group, smaller groups go faster and larger groups slower.

Please be aware that your Meetup organizers are not tour guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would take if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury, not limited to flash floods, killer bees, brain eating amoeba, harm to your unborn child, your conscription as a soldier in a war either declared or undeclared, demonic possession, the loss of your immortal soul and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members can not be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event. All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or any injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for this event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer, and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.