Grotto Wash and Big Horn Cove Peaks in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ

Hike Grotto Wash and Big Horn Cove Peaks Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ

Class 3 11.6 miles 3400 gain 5-7 hrs Out + Back Feb 15, 2024
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

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This outing visits a couple of unnamed peaks near Big Horn Cove on the Arizona side of the Black Canyon, south of Willow Beach. Like most peaks in this area, the views of the Colorado River are wonderful, and if the remote drive wasn't so far from Las Vegas I think there would be a lot more visitation. In addition to bagging a couple of peaks, I spent some time checking out Grotto Wash, which ended up being a surprisingly interesting slot canyon. Take Big Horn Cove Road here (35.84814, -114.64692), passable by Crossover SUVs. The road degrades a lot past where I marked the trailhead, but you could likely continue another half mile or so to reach the start of the hike to Peak 1712.

First up was Peak 1712, the smaller western neighbor of Willow Beach Peak. Aaron and I headed north through a wash and ascended a bouldery gully, then dropped down into another wash. We followed this north for the majority of the hike to Peak 1712's base. Along the way were some fun obstacles and dryfalls, nothing requiring more difficult scrambling than Class 2+, though sticking to the water course pushes into Class 3 at one point. We left this wash when we saw a tame-looking spur ridge we could use to reach the east ridge of Peak 1712. Once on the east ridge the route finding was not complex, but there was a bit of Class 2+ required to wrap around some rocky formations along the crest. The view was nice toward the Colorado River.

Aaron and I failed to reach the second peak together since the sun was setting, but I lumped our outing with my solo endeavor later into one trip report. So, now alone, I headed south from the pull-out, dropping into a major wash and following it for a short time before heading south and ascending a lesser wash. It will be tempting to follow this wash mindlessly, but it ultimately doesn't lead toward Peak 1927. After a bit over a quarter mile, a rockier drainage appeared on the right. I took this until it widened into a slope. At its head I got a view of the complex terrain ahead, Peak 1927 positioned to the southwest behind it all. On my attached map, you'll see diverging lines here. I headed west first down Grotto Wash on my approach, returning from the south later. Originally not intending to do so, but unable to help myself, I spotted a hint of narrows to check it out. I sort of thought I wouldn't be able to continue past a cliff ahead since it appeared very much like an unfriendly drop. Instead I was rewarded with just a short down-climb, followed by a Class 2 wrap around a 6-foot dryfall into this probably very rarely visited canyon.

There's something about the jagged, blackened walls of the canyons in Lake Mead that's foreboding, though they definitely possess an undeniable allure. It was quiet. I noticed cat pawprints in the sand. I realized it had been a minute since I was off exploring in the desert alone and I felt uneasy for some reason, but often it's that sense of mystery that makes this stuff so much fun. There was a short section of canyon with puddles that filled shallow potholes, followed by a wider wash that funneled back into the extended narrow section, complete with a hairpin turn, pocked conglomerate walls, and oddly angled erosion formations. There was even a water source that trickled through a short, twisting slickrock section. Grotto Wash opened up too soon, but I couldn't actually make it to the cove on the Colorado River because the sandy bottom was overgrown with cattails and soon the ground became a swamp. Super neat, but I wasn't interested in wading through it.

I backtracked to a junction near the head of Grotto Wash's narrows, heading south up another side canyon. This one was also pretty and had some interesting features, and included a Class 3 move that can be avoided. At the head of this wash I inspected the cliffs surrounding me, but fortunately the route I'd plotted wasn't a cliff, just a steep Class 2 slope. I gained a couple hundred feet to higher ground, where I got a brief view toward the Colorado River before dropping down into another drainage. Still heading south, I took this drainage to its head, which widened into the east ridge of Peak 1927. I was exposed to the view I'd been excitedly hoping for, a head-on lookout of the Colorado River draining into Lake Mohave. I continued west toward the summit, wrapping around a minor cliff band on the right. The summit is rounded, but being at a bend in the Colorado River meant I could see hints of it snaking around. Spirit Mountain lay on the horizon, and other obscure Lake Mead summits like Peak 2720 poked out across the river. I walked a bit closer to the edge of the cliffs to look down to the water below.

Rather than backtrack through Grotto Wash, I wanted to see if I could take another route to make a loop. After enjoying the summit, I took my time strolling east through the tame desert. I could see Malpais Flattop Mesa hovering above. I tried to plan the best route I could to dip in and out of a couple of drainages efficiently, and I think I managed to do a good job. Nothing exceeded Class 2, though I did need to ascend quite a bit to a high point on one of the little ridges. This was a really nice outing in a remote part of the park to see some things that were much more beautiful than I anticipated.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Peak 1712
1712 ft
352 rise
2
Peak 1927
1927 ft
367 rise

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From the pull-out, along a less-good road to the start of Peak 1712, seen center.
From the pull-out, along a less-good road to the start of Peak 1712, seen center.
Up a wash, then to the gully seen center.
Up a wash, then to the gully seen center.
We dropped into another drainage, following it north.
We dropped into another drainage, following it north.
Some nice features along the way.
Some nice features along the way.
Obstacle ahead.
Obstacle ahead.
Peak 1712 poking up on the left.
Peak 1712 poking up on the left.
Some short narrows.
Some short narrows.
Scrambling  out of the narrows.
Scrambling out of the narrows.
Peak 1712, center.
Peak 1712, center.
An interesting pinnacle.
An interesting pinnacle.
Fun, but avoidable Class 3 up a dryfall.
Fun, but avoidable Class 3 up a dryfall.
View back down the wash.
View back down the wash.
We took the most pleasant-looking ridge option.
We took the most pleasant-looking ridge option.
Peak 1712 ahead.
Peak 1712 ahead.
View back down, our wash ascent seen center.
View back down, our wash ascent seen center.
On the east ridge, heading up,
On the east ridge, heading up,
Class 2+ around an outcropping.
Class 2+ around an outcropping.
Peak 1712 summit. Colorado River and Peak 1927 (next up) top center.
Peak 1712 summit. Colorado River and Peak 1927 (next up) top center.
View northwest.
View northwest.
Back at the pull-out, I dropped into a wash.
Back at the pull-out, I dropped into a wash.
And headed up another wash.
And headed up another wash.
Keep right here, leaving the main wash.
Keep right here, leaving the main wash.
I took the lesser drainage to its head. View back, Peak 1712 seen left of center, Willow Beach Peak right.
I took the lesser drainage to its head. View back, Peak 1712 seen left of center, Willow Beach Peak right.
Descending into Grotto Wash. Peak 1927 seen center.
Descending into Grotto Wash. Peak 1927 seen center.
Entering Grotto Wash.
Entering Grotto Wash.
Narrows ahead.
Narrows ahead.
Entering the narrrows.
Entering the narrrows.
View back up as I avoid a dryfall.
View back up as I avoid a dryfall.
Grotto Wash looks exciting!
Grotto Wash looks exciting!
Some pretty narrows.
Some pretty narrows.
View back as I head deeper through the narrows.
View back as I head deeper through the narrows.
A series of shallow pools.
A series of shallow pools.
Grotto Wash opens up briefly.
Grotto Wash opens up briefly.
And then narrows significantly.
And then narrows significantly.
A hairpin turn.
A hairpin turn.
Gorgeous volcanic walls.
Gorgeous volcanic walls.
Image 36 from gallery
Image 37 from gallery
Image 38 from gallery
Image 39 from gallery
Image 40 from gallery
Some flowing water within Grotto Wash.
Some flowing water within Grotto Wash.
Image 42 from gallery
Image 43 from gallery
Grotto Wash narrows open up into a cattail-filled cove. No thanks.
Grotto Wash narrows open up into a cattail-filled cove. No thanks.
I returned to here within Grotto Wash, taking the right side-drainage now.
I returned to here within Grotto Wash, taking the right side-drainage now.
Some cool features within the side-drainage.
Some cool features within the side-drainage.
I headed up the slope on the right since there were cliffs on the left.
I headed up the slope on the right since there were cliffs on the left.
View back down into the drainage I came out of.
View back down into the drainage I came out of.
Down into another drainage. Peak 1927 seen center.
Down into another drainage. Peak 1927 seen center.
Fun formations within this drainage.
Fun formations within this drainage.
Ascending to the east ridge of Peak 1927.
Ascending to the east ridge of Peak 1927.
Gorgeous view toward Lake Mohave.
Gorgeous view toward Lake Mohave.
Peak 1927 ahead.
Peak 1927 ahead.
Summit of Peak 1927, view toward the western side of the Colorado River.
Summit of Peak 1927, view toward the western side of the Colorado River.
Shot down toward the river.
Shot down toward the river.
Summit of Peak 1927.
Summit of Peak 1927.
View north. I came up the drainage seen center.
View north. I came up the drainage seen center.
Onward to the east. Malpais Flattop Mesa seen center.
Onward to the east. Malpais Flattop Mesa seen center.
View back toward Peak 1927 through lovely desert.
View back toward Peak 1927 through lovely desert.
Then up and down a bunch of ridges/drainages to get back to my car.
Then up and down a bunch of ridges/drainages to get back to my car.
On top of a larger ridge, almost back in Grotto Wash, completing my little loop.
On top of a larger ridge, almost back in Grotto Wash, completing my little loop.

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