Willow Beach to EMERALD CAVE: A Stunning Colorado River Kayaking Adventure

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Experience the thrill of kayaking to Emerald Cave from Willow Beach. Paddle through Arizona's stunning Black Canyon, marvel at towering cliffs, and immerse yourself in the emerald-green waters of this natural wonder. Adventure awaits!
Kayaking to Emerald Cave from Willow Beach offers a thrilling adventure in the beautiful surroundings of Arizona's Black Canyon. Located in Willow Beach, Arizona, Emerald Cave is a popular destination for kayakers seeking to explore its stunning natural beauty.
To embark on this kayaking journey, you can start from Willow Beach Marina. From there, it's approximately a 2-mile paddle upstream on the Colorado River to reach Emerald Cave. The route takes you through the scenic Black Canyon, where you can immerse yourself in the breathtaking views of towering cliffs and crystal-clear waters.
One option for kayaking to Emerald Cave is to join a guided tour. Several companies offer kayaking and camping adventures to Emerald Cove and Willow Beach. These tours provide experienced guides who can lead you through the best routes and share interesting insights about the area.
If you prefer a self-guided experience, you can rent kayaks from Willow Beach Marina. They offer a variety of rentals, including single kayaks, tandems, and stand-up paddleboards. Rental prices start at around $65 per day, allowing you the freedom to explore Emerald Cave at your own pace.
It's important to note that kayaking to Emerald Cave requires some physical fitness and basic kayaking skills. The journey can be challenging at times, especially when paddling against the current. It's recommended to wear appropriate safety gear, such as a life jacket, and to be aware of the weather conditions and water levels before setting out on your adventure.
Once you reach Emerald Cave, you'll be rewarded with a truly magical sight. The cave's name comes from the emerald-green color of the water, which is illuminated by sunlight filtering through the narrow opening. Take a moment to soak in the beauty of the cave and its tranquil surroundings.
Overall, kayaking to Emerald Cave from Willow Beach is an unforgettable experience that allows you to connect with nature and explore the wonders of Arizona's Black Canyon. Whether you choose a guided tour or a self-guided adventure, this journey promises breathtaking scenery and a sense of adventure that will stay with you long after you leave.
VIDEO FILMED: 07/28/2023
▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ HOOVER DAM - • HOOVER DAM History in ...
▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ Directions to EMERALD CAVE - maps.app.goo.gl/ks2Eb5uR8Sr6M...
▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Back Here Again?!
03:18 Willow Beach
06:21 Upstream to Emerald Cave
16:06 Emerald Cave Take 1
22:27 Willow Beach Gauging Station
24:49 Emerald Cave Take 2
27:20 Secret Cove & The Long Slog Back
▬▬ L I N K S ▬▬
⚪ Gear we use - www.amazon.com/shop/thecactus...
⚪ See where we've been - www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mi...
⚪ Music from Epidemic Sound - www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
(As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.)
_____________________________________________________________
✅ Find us on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook - @cactusatlas.
✅ Check out our website - cactusatlas.com
Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.
Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking, day trips, and campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!

Пікірлер: 72

@rohanramekar 6 ай бұрын

Absolutely loved it. Both highs and lows. As a solo paddleboarder, I could relate when you said "you don't want see the workout part of the video". I'm planning to go there next week. This helped a lot.

@CactusAtlas 6 ай бұрын

We're glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Hope your adventure is a fantastic one! 😄

@troutstalker23 2 ай бұрын

The vertical pipe in the structure is called a stilling well. The shelter at the top has an instrument that records the level of the water. It has a recording instrument that has a float on one side and a weight on the other which records the water level on an interval that is generally determined by drainage area.

@DiscoverexplorerS 8 ай бұрын

I liked the name Kayaktus Atlas. I think we're going to add this one to our list of places to go kayaking. Thanks for the fun adventure, really enjoyed it.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Our pleasure! It's a fun little experience!

@SwiftyTravels 8 ай бұрын

It is so pretty in that cave! That would be a fun place to kayak. We explored Willow beach and I wished I had a kayak to explore!!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

They do have kayak rentals there! I think you would really enjoy it! 😄

@jefalawelnel 8 ай бұрын

The bird you saw at the beginning is called an eared grebe. Technically not a duck, but spends most of it's time in the water. Other great video, and another place I would like to visit!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Oh, interesting! Appreciate the info! Really has striking eyes! 😄

@Angry_Toe 8 ай бұрын

The Cactus Kayaktus … your new boat name

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

So many great suggestions! Love this one too! 😊

@DiscoverexplorerS 8 ай бұрын

Lol, this is a good one!

@troutstalker23 2 ай бұрын

Using a gadget called a current meter, one can develop a relationship between gage height and discharge. Therefore a graph can be used for flood predictions etc. So yes Glenn...you are absolutely correct.

@CactusAtlas 2 ай бұрын

So cool! We're both appreciative of the information you provided. It adds a lot of context to what is there now. 😄🙏

@stargroves14 8 ай бұрын

See your back at the Sands..We were at the Boulder City hotel last week..I really wanted to try the Sands.. maybe next year...Enjoy your channel.. Dave

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

The Boulder hotel is really a fun one too, especially the museum. A lot of nights were spent at the Sands this summer as a starting off point. 😅

@DeborahFlorian-gy6lw 8 ай бұрын

Red eyed demonic ducks, too funny! Aside from that, it was a great perspective from the kayak. Beautiful and refreshing!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! It was such a weird duck! 😂

@susanasalinas4273 8 ай бұрын

WOW! Lake Mead is gorgeous and so is the Emerald Cave. What about USS Mojave for a nickname? C ya later.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Ooh! Not a bad suggestion! I kinda like it! 😄 Thanks for the suggestion!

@marinaevans5949 8 ай бұрын

Here's a name to consider, "River Rambler".

@nationalparksprincess3216 8 ай бұрын

Oh wow! 😮 I really liked watching you kayak to that beautiful cave! The water color is amazing! You could really see hiw happy you were being back in the desert! The views of the canyon on your trip up the river were beautiful. Thanks for taking us along! 😊

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! That green is kinda insane, right? So awesome!

@RangelandRebel15 8 ай бұрын

The mighty Colorado never ceases to amaze! Great video yall!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

We agree! I know the Mississippi is known as the mighty one, but to think this river carved out all these canyons and still looks that green..? Majestic. 🤩

@worldaccordingtok8105 8 ай бұрын

Wow! Stunning! Thanks for sharing. Thank you Amy, you always find the best musical accompaniment! 😊

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Aww, gosh! Thank you so much! 😊

@worldaccordingtok8105 8 ай бұрын

You’re so welcome! Love you guys!

@SidetrackAdventures 8 ай бұрын

Kayaking seems like a lot of fun and a great way to see some places you can't otherwise get to. I definitely want to try it out. What about Kayaktus Atlas for a name? lol

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

It really is! You should definitely give it a go sometime. Loving the name suggestion! 👍

@gstiles7 8 ай бұрын

Very cool adventure! Just getting that unique perspective from the kayak is amazing. Thanks for the trip!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Anytime! The kayak has been awesome to get those different perspectives. 😄

@johnganshow5536 8 ай бұрын

@@CactusAtlas Nice, But too many people...

@CeeBee-outdoors 8 ай бұрын

Beautiful! I’m glad you did not get sunburned this time!! Try a sarong instead of a towel for your legs - you can dip it in the river and cool off with it on your legs. A towel would be too heavy, but a wet sarong is perfect to cool off with. I learned that on a river rafting trip. 😊

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Definitely a great suggestion we will have to try in the future! 👍

@Raptor-gd6sk 8 ай бұрын

Lots of interesting things to see on the river.. that cave is an awesome place to be

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

It truly is! A real beautiful effect to the glowing color. 👍

@juanito2903 8 ай бұрын

I used to frequent that area in the 90s. Before the restrictions from the lawsuit and 911. And there's even more restrictions now. I'm personally not a fan of tour groups. Good episode and channel.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Tour groups can be great for the inexperienced, but yeah... they can certainly turn a quiet, peaceful trip into... well, a not so quiet one. 🫤

@fluffyotter1601 8 ай бұрын

102 degrees….but it’s a dry heat! Lol

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Haha! Dry or not, it gets old fast. We're still around 100 degrees this week! 😂

@oxycocus 8 ай бұрын

love the soundtrack. maybe you saw a grebe or coot?

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

We're unfortunately not too knowledgeable about birds of the area so it is entirely possible! 😊

@gstiles7 8 ай бұрын

Just to stick with a Cactus Atlas theme...It's the USS Slim at Sea!

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Haha! It kind of fits! 😊

@debramaertens893 8 ай бұрын

Fun! Maybe a red-breasted merganser? They have red eyes.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Hmmm.... could be. Looks close. 🤔😄👍

@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish 8 ай бұрын

Glenn, christen her “Atlas 1”

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

I think this was one of the suggestions I made to Glenn for the drone. Though technically "Atlas 1" it out of commission until we get an arm fixed and Atlas 2 has been on duty. 😅

@jaimeparadise Ай бұрын

Kayaking the Glen Canyon from the dam going downstream to to lees ferry VS black canyon from hoover dam to willow beach . Can you share your experience for people planning on doing either one or both ?

@CactusAtlas Ай бұрын

We've never done the latter. As for Glen Canyon to Lee's Ferry, we have a video on that one. 👍

@karasementilli5851 8 ай бұрын

S.S. Cactus/ Glen, Canyon Cruiser (See what I did there? Lol)/ Aqua Atlaseer/ Cactus Kayak 🤔

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Canyon Cruiser. 🤔 Kinda like that one! 😊👍

@streetcop157 8 ай бұрын

That’s on my list but so far it’s either been raining, cold or Covid.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Know the feeling. Weather always has a way of messing with plans. Hope you get that opportunity soon! 😄

@streetcop157 8 ай бұрын

@@CactusAtlas I consider myself instrumental in raising the level of the lake…it rains every time I come to Vegas to get away from the rain lol.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

😂 Thank you for your hard work! 🤣🤣 In all seriousness though... hopefully that trend breaks.

@tinalovio4290 8 ай бұрын

I think those are called mud hens. I have so been wanting to go there and kayak camp.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

It definitely had those red eyes. 👍 Camping in that area would be amazing!

@Gail-gf7km 8 ай бұрын

Didn’t get a clear picture of the ducks, but it looks like a Coot. Did they have a white bill to go along with the red eyes?

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

No white bill, no. Hmmm. 🤔 The mystery remains!

@cindyshipman3181 8 ай бұрын

How about S.S. Completionist ? 😊

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

Niiiice one! Like it! 😄👍

@gloombastic 8 ай бұрын

SS Demonic Duck

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

🤣🤣🤣 I dig it. I really do.

@CeeBee-outdoors 8 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@reyleondelaselva1789 8 ай бұрын

GoPros still overheat? That's unexceptable.

@CactusAtlas 8 ай бұрын

They do. Filming in 4K probably doesn't help. 😅

@Leolioness44 2 ай бұрын

Definitely seems Way Over Rated, IMO

@CactusAtlas 2 ай бұрын

A little overcrowded, yes. It's still really beautiful to see and experience. 😄