Overview

White Owl Canyon is a short slot canyon near the edge of Lake Mead where flowing water cut down through conglomerate rock. The walls are sinuous and sculpted for about 1/2-mile, but the narrowest section is fairly short. Even so, this hike is well worth the effort required to walk 2 miles out and back.

The canyon was named for the white owls (Barn Owls) that live in the canyon. Keep an eye out for "white wash" (owl poop) on the rock walls for an indication of where they live, and watch the ground for pellets, oblong clumps of bone and fur (owl barf), to learn about what the owls have been eating.

Unfortunately, hikers flush the Barn Owls off their roost, so it might be best to stay out of this area during early spring when owls might be nesting.

Link to map or elevation profile.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe hike. There are some places where a hiker could strike his head on overhanging rocks in narrow parts of the canyon, but there are no unusual hazards. Stay out of narrow canyons if flash floods threaten.

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

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along Lakeshore Drive in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 30 minutes southeast of Las Vegas.

From Las Vegas, drive out to Lake Mead NRA. From the Las Vegas Wash entrance station (Table 1, Site 1020), continue east and then south for 3.8 miles to 33 Hole Road (Site 1017). Turn left and drive east on the access road towards the lake and picnic areas.

Alternatively, from Boulder City, drive out to the Boulder Beach entrance station (Site 1233), then continue north for 7.3 miles to 33 Hole Road (Site 1017). Turn right and drive east on the access road towards the lake and picnic areas.

33 Hole Road leads to three scenic overlooks, each with a different name. Turn left towards Three-Island Overlook and drive into the parking lot at the end of the road (Site 01). Park here, this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 01), the route runs past the west-most picnic table and heads down over the side of the steep hill following an erosion gully to the flats below (Wpt. 02).

On the flats (Wpt. 02), which are the now-dry lake bed, the route continues west through saltcedar thickets following use-trails that lead onto north-facing hillsides. Following the contour around, the route passes a bit of a point (Wpt. 03) and turns southwest into White Owl Canyon (Wpt. 04).

At a fork near the mouth of the canyon (Wpt. 05), the route stays in the left fork (more to the south) and ascends the canyon. Shortly, the walls steepen and become deep as the route enters the first narrows area, which are about 1/4-mile long.

The narrows were cut into solid bedrock by flowing water. The bedrock here is a type of conglomerate rock formed from ancient alluvial fan deposits. When alluvial fan deposits consolidate to become conglomerate rock, geologist call it "fanglomerate" rock, combining the terms "alluvial fan" and "conglomerate."

Winding through the narrows, watch for big splashes of "white wash" high on the rock walls. The white wash is Barn Owl poop. Lower in the canyon, small patches of bird poop reveal the presence of smaller birds, probably Rock Wrens and Say's Phoebes, but these spots of bird poop (even when they build up in little piles under rock overhangs) are quite small compared to the spray of white wash produced by Barn Owls.

Beneath the white wash produced by the owls, look for owl pellets. These are oblong clumps of bone and fir that were regurgitated by the owls. The pellets usually are 2- 3 inches long by about 1-inch in diameter.

Barn owls eat their prey entire without ripping it apart, so they consume everything, including the indigestible parts. They can't pass these parts, so they cough them back up and spit them out in pellets (that resemble dog poop).

Just beyond the last of the white wash on the rock walls, the narrow canyon opens abruptly just below Lakeshore Road. A culvert runs under the road (Wpt. 06), which provides easy access to the other side of the road.

Continuing upstream, the canyon narrows again just above Lakeshore Road. It is deep and narrow, but not as deep nor as narrow as the canyon below Lakeshore Road. The narrow section here is about 1/4-miles long.

The canyon runs up against the old Lakeshore Road, now the River Mountains Loop Trail, and hikers can cross under the road in either of two culverts. Shortly beyond the far side of the culverts, the canyon opens into a broad, gravel wash. This is a good place to stop and relax, sitting in the sun or the shade depending on season.

When ready to return to the trailhead, turn around, follow your footprints back down the wash, and enjoy another hike through the narrows.