Giant Mantaray SUP Tour to Emerald Cave — Willow Beach & Black Canyon
Difficulty
easy
Duration
3 hours
Fitness Level
Suitable for most fitness levels; participants should be able to sit, stand, and paddle intermittently for several hours.
Overview
Paddle a four-person Mantaray SUP through Black Canyon to Emerald Cave on a relaxed, beginner-friendly 3-hour tour from Willow Beach—stops for swimming, caves to explore, and desert-canyon scenery make this a social, scenic float on the Colorado River.
Giant Mantaray SUP Tour to Emerald Cave — Willow Beach & Black Canyon
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The sun is a hard, white coin against the desert sky as a line of oversized Mantaray boards slides from Kayak Beach into the Colorado River. Laughter and the soft slap of paddles break the canyon’s hush; the boards barely dip under the weight of four people, a design that turns first-timers into instant confidants on the water. On this three-hour, four-mile loop from Willow Beach, the river pulls visitors into narrow side canyons where sunlight filters green through mineral-rich walls and caves gleam like hidden rooms.
Adventure Photos
Adventure Tips
Arrive early for check-in
Plan to arrive 20–30 minutes before departure to pay the Lake Mead entry fee and meet guides at Kayak Beach.
Bring reef shoes
Rocky shorelines and slippery cave floors make water shoes useful for entering coves and climbing onto banks.
Sun protection is critical
Wear a hat, polarized sunglasses, and reef-safe sunscreen; the canyon amplifies sun exposure on flat water.
Share the weight
Distribute weight evenly on the giant SUP and communicate with teammates when standing or swimming to keep the board stable.
Local Insights
Wildlife
- Desert bighorn sheep
- Peregrine falcon
History
Black Canyon’s river corridor served Indigenous communities and later river pilots and prospectors; Willow Beach became a recreational launch point with the construction of nearby Hoover Dam and Lake Mead’s development.
Conservation
This area is managed as part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area—practice leave-no-trace, pack out trash, and use reef-safe sunscreen to protect aquatic life.
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Adventure Hotspots in Boulder City, NV
Frequently Asked Questions
Recommended Gear
Water shoes
Protects feet on rocky shorelines and inside caves.
summer specific
Wide-brim hat & sunglasses
Shields face and eyes from intense desert sun reflected off the water.
summer specific
Light dry bag or phone case
Keeps electronics and keys protected during paddling and swims.
Electrolyte drink or tablets
Useful on hot days to replace salts lost while paddling and swimming.
summer specific