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White Owl Canyon Route
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
White Owl Canyon
White Owl Canyon
White Owl Trailhead (view N entering the parking area)

Overview

White Owl Canyon, or simply Owl Canyon, is a short slot canyon near the edge of Lake Mead where water, flowing over the eons, 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 2-1/4 miles round-trip.

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 (owl barf), oblong clumps of bone and fur, to learn about what the owls have been finding to eat in the local desert.

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

Link to map or elevation profile.

White Owl Canyon
White Owl Trailhead departs from a picnic shelter (view N)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe hike. There are places where hikers could strike their 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 on Lakeshore Road to 33 Hole Road (Site 1017). Turn left and drive east on the access road towards the picnic areas.

White Owl Canyon
Trailhead signs at start of White Owl Trail (view N)

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 1234). Park here, this is the trailhead.

The Hike

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

On the flats (Wpt. 02), which are the now-dry lakebed, the route continues northwest through saltcedar thickets following use-trails across the mud flats. The route passes a low ridge (Wpt. 03) and turns southwest into White Owl Canyon (Wpt. 04).

White Owl Canyon
Trailhead signs at start of White Owl Trail (view N)

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 is about 1/4-mile long.

The narrows were cut into solid rock by flowing water. The rock here is a type of conglomerate 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.

White Owl Canyon
Main trailhead sign (view NW)

Beneath the white wash produced by the owls, look for owl pellets. These are oblong clumps of bone and fir that were regurgitated by owls. The pellets usually are 2- 3 inches long by about 1-inch in diameter. Pellets are coughed up, not pooped out, so they are relatively clean and safe to pick up and examine. Barn owls eat their prey entire without ripping it apart, so they consume everything, including the indigestible parts. They can't pass the indigestible parts, so they cough them up and spit them out. Often large leg and arm bones are evident on the surface, and skulls and jaws are easy to see. The owls here eat lots of desert woodrats and kangaroo rats.

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.

White Owl Canyon
Additional trailhead sign (view NW)

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 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.

Above the narrows (view towards Wpt. 08), the narrow canyon opens into a broad, gravel wash full of cheesebush, brittlebush, and other species typical of the Creosote-Bursage habitat type.

When ready to return to the trailhead, turn around, follow your footprints back down the wash, and enjoy another hike through the narrows. For photos of the descent, see Returning Down White Owl Canyon.

White Owl Canyon
Hikers starting down from the trailhead (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
Beginning of trail descends steeply (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
Start of White Owl Trail; note Low Saddle in the distance (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
Trail descends a steep erosion gully (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
White Owl Trail stays right at a fork (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers traversing mud flat (view NW)
White Owl Canyon
Across mud flats, trail climbs onto low saddle (view W)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers descending far side of low saddle (view W)
White Owl Canyon
Trail winds along mud cliffs (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers on trail below mud cliffs (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Trail drops towards gravel wash (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers entering gravel wash (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hiking up the gravel wash (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Canyon forks, White Owl Canyon Trail stays left (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Trail stays in the wash bottom for the rest of the hike (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers continuing up the canyon (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Rush Milkweed along the trail (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
The canyon begins to narrow (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hiker entering the narrows (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hiker in the narrows (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Sculpted fanglomerate rock wall
White Owl Canyon
A boulder in the fanglomerate rock wall
White Owl Canyon
Hiker in the narrows (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hiker in the narrows (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Ledge with big-bird droppings
White Owl Canyon
Ledge with big-bird droppings (closeup)
White Owl Canyon
Hiker in the narrows (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Remnants of a bird nest on a ledge
White Owl Canyon
Another area where big-birds roost
White Owl Canyon
Evidence of recent occupancy
White Owl Canyon
Sculpted rock (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
The first narrows begin to open
White Owl Canyon
The first narrows begin to open
White Owl Canyon
Arriving at a culvert below Lakeshore Road (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
The trail goes through the culvert below Lakeshore Road (view S)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers inside the culvert below Lakeshore Road (view S)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers exiting the culvert below Lakeshore Road (view S)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers above the culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Beyond the first culvert, the canyon is never deep (view SE)
White Owl Canyon
Continuing up White Owl Canyon (view SW)
White Owl Canyon White Owl Canyon
White Owl Canyon White Owl Canyon
White Owl Canyon
Continuing up White Owl Canyon (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Approaching River Mountain Loop Trail (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Approaching culverts under River Mountain Loop Trail (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Approaching culverts under River Mountain Loop Trail (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Two culverts under River Mountain Loop Trail (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hiker at the far end of the culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers entering the right culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers inside the right culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Hikers exiting the right culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
The canyon continues above the second culvert (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
No longer a narrow canyon, but the wash continues (view SW)
White Owl Canyon
Beyond the culverts, the canyon opens into a broad wash

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

Site Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Elevation (ft) Verified
1017 Lakeshore Rd at 33 Hole Rd 694006 3997679 36.10621 114.84474 1,316 Yes
1020 Lake Mead Parkway Entrance Stn 689000 3997470 36.10531 114.90037 1,602 Yes
1233 Lakeshore Rd at Boulder Entrance Stn 698668 3988316 36.02092 114.79535 1,440 GPS
1234 Three-Island Overlook 694130 3998261 36.11143 114.84322 1,234 GPS

Table 2. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27, UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Easting Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi) Verified
01 Trailhead 694116 3998273 1,234 0.00 0.00 GPS
02 Lakebed Flats 694057 3998341 1,145 0.06 0.06 GPS
03 Turning into Canyon 693874 3998350 1,154 0.12 0.18 GPS
04 Canyon Narrows 693662 3998208 1,163 0.17 0.35 GPS
05 Fork in Canyon 693645 3998166 1,175 0.04 0.39 GPS
06 First Culvert 693337 3997936 1,264 0.27 0.66 GPS
07 Second Culvert 693074 3997595 1,355 0.28 0.94 GPS
08 End of My Trail 692897 3997438 1,407 0.16 1.10 GPS
01 Trailhead 694116 3998273 1,234 1.10 2.20 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240722

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