Sauna Cave Bouldering

This destination, which is more adventure hike than climbing, was drilled by miners working on the construction of Hoover Dam. The Sauna Cave is a 50' tunnel cut into a wall of Black Canyon on the Nevada side that ended up tapping into a hot spring. At the end of the tunnel the water is too hot to touch, so planks have been placed to reach the back where air temperatures are about 120-130F (depending on the season). The water is of a tolerable temperature by the time it reaches the entrance, which is a few feet above the sandy bank behind some tamarisk. A low concrete wall channels the water through a spillway and forms a small waterfall here. Blocking this spillway (with your body) makes a shallow, but nice and hot pool.