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Willow Beach sits at the top of Lake Mohave in Arizona, deep in Black Canyon about 14 miles below Hoover Dam and roughly an hour from Las Vegas. Here the Colorado River runs cold and clear between towering canyon walls, which makes Willow Beach the jumping-off point for Emerald Cave, the Black Canyon Water Trail and some of the best trout fishing in the area. We offer the best boats, jet skis and water toys at Willow Beach, ready and waiting for you right at the lake.
Willow Beach at a Glance
- Where: the north end of Lake Mohave on the Arizona side, about 14 miles below Hoover Dam off US 93
- Drive time: about an hour from Las Vegas and about an hour from Kingman
- The water: cold, clear river water released from deep in Lake Mead, chilly even in the middle of summer
- At the harbor: a marina, launch ramp, beach and fishing pier, plus a campground and RV park
- Fishing: rainbow trout, raised at the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery right next door
- Black Canyon rules: no water-skiing, wakeboarding or houseboats upriver of Willow Beach, plus seasonal limits on motors and jet skis
Boat and Jet Ski Rentals at Willow Beach
A jet ski is the best way to see Black Canyon in the summer: from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day you can ride up the canyon toward Hoover Dam Tuesday through Saturday. For skiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing, take a wake boat or ski boat downriver toward the open lake, and bring tubes, wakeboards and wakesurf boards. Rather have a captain? Book a private boat charter.
Kayakers and paddlers love this stretch too, especially on Sundays and Mondays, when motors are not allowed in the canyon above Willow Beach. See all of our houseboating lakes for more trip ideas.
Where to Go from Willow Beach
Willow Beach sits right where Black Canyon meets Lake Mohave:
- Emerald Cave. About 2 miles upriver, this small cave glows green when the afternoon light hits the water. Back in slowly and have your camera ready.
- Black Canyon. Head up toward Hoover Dam between sheer, colorful cliffs, past beaches, hot springs and an old river gauging station from the dam-building days.
- Downriver to the open lake. Below Willow Beach the canyon slowly opens into Lake Mohave, with more room to spread out.
- Eldorado Canyon. About 13 miles downriver, the end of the Black Canyon Water Trail, with the old mining town of Nelson a few miles up the canyon.
Black Canyon Boating Rules
From Hoover Dam down to Willow Beach, the canyon is managed for a quieter, wilder experience. Houseboats, water-skiing and wakeboarding are never allowed there. On Sundays and Mondays all year, motors and jet skis are not allowed at all. From the day after Labor Day through the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, boats are limited to 65 horsepower Tuesday through Saturday and jet skis are not allowed. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, Tuesday through Saturday, there are no horsepower limits and jet skis are welcome.
Our Boats and Jet Skis
Getting to Willow Beach
From Las Vegas, take I-11 and US 93 south across the Hoover Dam bypass bridge into Arizona, then take the Willow Beach turnoff and follow the paved road about 4 miles down to the river. It is about an hour from Las Vegas and about an hour north of Kingman. Lake Mead National Recreation Area charges an entrance fee, which you pay at the entrance station.
Good to Know at Willow Beach
- Arizona boating rules: Arizona does not require a boating license, but no one under 12 may drive a boat or jet ski over 8 horsepower unless an adult 18 or older is on board, and jet skis cannot be ridden between sunset and sunrise. Our rental drivers must be 18 or older.
- Two states, one lake: Lake Mohave sits on the Arizona and Nevada line, and boaters are expected to follow the rules of both. Nevada requires a boater education card for anyone born on or after January 1, 1983 who drives a jet ski or a boat over 15 horsepower.
- Life jackets: everyone on a jet ski must wear a life jacket, and so must children 12 and under while the boat is moving.
- Cold water: the river here stays cold all year, so wear your life jacket and be careful swimming, even on hot days.
- River current: the Colorado River moves quickly through Black Canyon, so watch your speed and give kayakers and paddlers plenty of room.
- Desert heat: summer days often top 100 degrees, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen and shade.
- Clean, drain and dry: if you bring your own boat, paddle board or kayak, clean, drain and dry it before you come and before you go to another lake.
- Book early: summer weekends and holidays fill up fast.
More Lake Mohave Marinas
- Cottonwood Cove, mid-lake on the Nevada side near Searchlight
- Katherine Landing, at the south end of the lake near Laughlin and Bullhead City
For the whole lake, see our Lake Mohave boat rentals guide, or head over the dam to Lake Mead. See all of our Arizona lakes.
