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    Evolution Expeditions

    4.5 (179 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Emerald Cove
    Paul C.

    This trip was awesome! One of the highlights of our trip to Vegas. I've been to Vegas many times, and didn't know kayaking on the Colorado was a thing you could do. If you are active and like outdoor activities then this is a must do! Our guide was Faith. She picked us up in a van at the Bellagio. She was knowledgeable about the area, personable, and friendly. Pro tip: go on a Sunday or Monday. Motorized watercraft are not allowed on the river on these days (we got lucky).

    Mary V.

    Great Kayak tour with our guide Calvin! Long drive to WIllow Beach at Lake Mead but definitely well worth the experience! Perfect weather, crystal clear emerald and blue water, but rather chilly water - 51 degrees! Calvin was very professional, friendly and informative about the area and Hoover Dam.

    Green water of emerald cave
    Mackenzie D.

    Booked a kayaking guided trip to Emerald Cave for myself and a few friends. We were throughly impressed with the smooth training and organization of the Evolution Expedition team! Our guide, Chris, was funny and charismatic the entire 4 mile trip. He was informing us of all the wonderful history of the area, as well as the local wildlife. We spotted a bald eagle even! Definitely recommend water shoes or cheap tennis shoes for this!

    David L.

    An easy 5 out of 5 stars! This excursion was one of the best parts of my "first time in Vegas" adventure! The others would be Cirque du Soleil "O" and the Sphere. This was a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of the strip, the heat and all the concrete. If you can request your guide, ask for Faith. She was easily an 8 out of 5! She reached out to us and told us exactly where to meet her to be picked up. Then she gave us lots of cool tidbits as she drove us to their headquarters. There we had a chance to use the restroom and it was also where I had a chance to purchase a waterproof (which also floats - very important!) enclosure for my cellphone. From there we proceeded to our launch point. We met up with a few more people who drove there themselves to the launch point. Together there were 6 kayaks in our group led by Faith. The weather was perfect. The water temperature was around 50 so it was quite chilly. But with the heat, it was welcoming. The kayaks were cool because they had a rudder at the back controlled by foot pedals making it much easier to steer. Faith led us on a paddle up towards the Hoover Dam stopping a couple times for a break and lunch. Our excursion doesn't take us all the way to the Hoover Dam. We kayaked about 2 miles up the Colorado River and then back. The scenery driving to the launch point is rather dismal with nothing green, just brown desert. But on the Colorado river, it was amazing! I will cherish the views and the pictures forever! One of the highlights of the excursion is the "Emerald Cave". Hate to disappoint, but it's not much of a cave (a little bit of false advertising if you ask me) but rather a large hole in the side of a mountain. BUT we did get to see the phosphorous algae at the bottom that gives it it's famous emerald glow. Faith said it's most prominent around 3 in the afternoon when the sunlight hits it just the right angle and it was not 3 o'clock when we were there but we still got to see it a little. Then Faith said to paddle straight across the river to the other side for a surprise. Apparently the way the rock is shaped at that area enables sound to echo up to a mile away. We all shouted "Hello" and we could hear the echo a fraction of a second behind us. You have to experience it to appreciate it. Before the excursion you get to pick out a sandwich lunch which we had at one of our stops. It was September and it was still hot enough where (Faith said) if you leave your chocolate chip cookie in the sun for a few minutes, it will taste freshly baked! She wasn't lying. After lunch we did a very short hike to an elevated spot where the view was breath taking! We also got to see some sheep, a rattlesnake (which is always in same spot) and a bald eagle (very far away) up in the rock face. We had "water guns" in our kayaks and we got to shoot each other with that freezing water. In the heat, it felt good. We saw other groups also kayaking and paddle boarding, but there were no motorized crafts on the water that day because it was Monday (also on Sundays). We were lucky because it would've broken up the peaceful quiet of the trip on the river. Unless you kayak or paddle every day, you'll feel it in your upper body the next few days because you do kayak for a couple miles. After returning to the launch point, Faith brought us to a welcome center type area where you can buy souvenirs and then it was back in the van back to Vegas. Faith was amazing guide. Knowledgeable and so nice. She's so good at what she does. If we ever go back, I want to go on this same excursion again! I highly recommend this company and ask for Faith!

    Stephanie C.

    Such an awesome tour! My LV friend had a student from Japan and he wanted to go kayaking so my friend booked via TripAdvisor. Faith is the best guide! She called and gave us detailed instructions on parking and meeting. Faith adjusted our kayaks and gave us instructions. I've always been an outdoorsy person and have kayaked before, but these kayaks they had, had petals to steer left and right! So much easier than traditional kayaks! As we paddled through the river, Faith pointed out wildlife that we, ourselves, would probably not have spotted. She also had plenty of interesting facts and information during our trek. The cave was underwhelming. It was a small cave and it didn't "glow" it's pretty colors. This only happened when the sun hits it just right, it was still amazing to see and get to go through nature. But.... The opposite side of the cave is another cave that if you yelled, it would echo through the whole canyon, now that was spectacular! I would do this tour again and do their other tours!

    Just would like to thank Faith for the incredible amazing experience I had on my first time kayaking
    Elis M.

    My first time kayaking and I had an amazing time and would like to thank Faith our awesome tour guide

    Kayaking

    Calvin was the best tour guide. He made a great excursion that much better! Highly recommend this excursion!

    One of the caves
    Pam M.

    We are home and adjusted after what can only be called a trip of a lifetime and the highlight was this Kayak trip launching from the Hoover Dam on 4/16 with Faith as our tour guide. Our family of 4, 2 teens and 2 over 50, wanted an adventure and got one. From the amazing feeling of being on the Colorado River and sitting in a kayak while the Hoover Dam soars above you, to the amazing hot springs, the wildlife and the challenge. It was 12 miles down river and on our trip, the wind was not our friend. But Faith made it amazing. She is not only knowledgeable of everything along the river but gave us tips on battling the wind (stay close to the canyon). She took photos of us, taught us about the wildlife and the foliage and engaged everyone of us. Including the teens, if you have some, you know how hard that is! She had us tap into our inner self and listen to the canyon and waters, find strength when the wind was hard, saved a hat or two, let us enjoy the hot springs and a dip by me in the cold Colorado, and encouraged my kids to have a water gun fight at the end. This was a huge huge hit with them. Overall if I could give more stars then 5 I would. Thank you Faith and Evolution, this was an amazing adventure and has encouraged us to kayak more at home and become our own local experts! We highly recommend this trip and especially Faith to everyone.

    Charlene A.

    I loved this trip! Beforehand, I had so many concerns. Am I too old (66), it's too hot (110), I'm a beginner, I'm bringing my grandson! Believe me all of my concerns were quickly put to rest. With Chris's instruction and vote of confidence, we were soon leading the pack! The water is smooth and cooling. There are plenty of breaks. The crew is friendly and well organized. I recommendation wearing suv protective clothing and a hat. It was a beautiful day!

    Ashley B.

    First time ever kayaking & had such an amazing experience ! Starting off with Marnie who booked us, she made sure all my questions were answered and was extremely sweet! We got there a bit late but Ashley, Anthony and Charlie immediately introduced themselves & made us all feel so comfortable getting strapped in and explaining everything clearly. During the ride, they made sure we were good the entire time & even towed my friend and I when we were running a bit behind lol and made us feel safe when the wind picked up! Thank you guys for today, this was one for the books and definitely coming back !

    Beautiful lake with nice Breeze and clear water
    Jessica N.

    I booked a random kayaking tour through Groupon. It was around $80-$90 per person for estimate 3 hours tour. It was like 90 degrees plus outside at 9am. Our tour group was about like 15-20 people. The moment you on the water, it got so much cooler and the breeze was so nice. They also provided bottle of ice water and snack during the tour, which was awesome and very thoughtful. staff: friendly, polite and helpful, some are funny too. Definitely recommend t hi s company when you go to Lakemead for water activities.

    Emerald Cave (the colour is best in the late afternoon)
    Chad R.

    This is a well run organization with knowledgeable and friendly guides. They have excellent equipment and supply you with water to drink. Our guide Skylar was engaging and full of facts about the nature in which we were immersed as well as history, both local and as related to the Hoover Dam. We were treated to a mini hike which included snacks, water, and an elevated view for some amazing pictures as we paddled to the emerald cave! Not settings aside the time to go on and expedition with this outfit while you visiting the are is truly a missed opportunity!

    Colorado river

    I cannot thank Burton, our tour guide, enough! He made this trip so memorable and filled with so much knowledge of the river and the area itself! I selected this tour guide because all the other ones did not allow my active 4 year old to join. Evolution Expeditions had her size life jacket and her little patter to help out. We were given plenty of complimentary snacks and drinks, including Capri sun for the little one! Burton was well equipped for our tour. I highly recommend this company and support our local tour guides!

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    My wife & I went kayaking yesterday with this & was really awesome. Our guides were great !

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Evolution Expeditions

    Review Highlights - Evolution Expeditions

    She moved our group at a leasurly pace, just perfect enough to take in the nature and have time to see the emerald cave.

    Mentioned in 25 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Desert Adventures - Aaah million dollar view

    Desert Adventures

    4.4(189 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    If you're ever in Vegas, but not a "Vegas-ish" type of person, taking a kayak trip with Desert…read moreAdventures is the perfect alternative. Super convenient, and an excellent way to see the beauty of the area, sans glitz and lights. Highly recommended!

    My husband and I did the full-day Black Canyon kayak tour with Desert Adventures and I seriously…read morecan't recommend it enough. I grew up in Vegas and have been on this river a ton by boat, and I've also hiked to both Gold Strike and Arizona Hot Springs. Those hikes are super rewarding but honestly brutal. This experience was completely different in the best way. Being able to get out of the river and be steps away from hot springs was amazing, and the views from the water are hands down the best. We met the team bright and early at 5:30am for launch, and everything was super smooth. They shuttled us, got us fitted for life jackets, handled waivers, and gave a quick safety rundown. Launch timing is strict because of the park service, but they made it feel easy and not stressful at all. Definitely be on time, though, because due to this strict timing, they will leave without you. The kayaks were such a game-changer. They were longer touring kayaks with foot-controlled rudders, dry storage, and actual back support. Super comfortable for me and somehow also worked great for my 6'2" husband (he had a larger boat). Since it was just the two of us, our guide Holmes customized the whole day to our pace. He took us to hidden spots I had never seen before, even as a local, and helped us avoid crowds. We did some hiking, rock scrambling, used ropes at Boy Scout Canyon, and explored hot springs that you can only get to from the river. It felt adventurous but still very safe, and he gave great tips the whole time. He also knew so much about the area. History of the Hoover Dam, plants, wildlife, etc. I learned a ton - even as someone who felt familiar with the area. This is exactly why I'm glad we didn't just rent kayaks. Having a guide made it feel like a next-level experience. We got to relax more while he handled the route and found the best spots. We got lucky with perfect early April weather. No wind, super glassy water, and we could see fish deep in the water. The 12 miles honestly felt way easier than expected, especially with how well Holmes guided us through the current so we could just float and chill a lot of the time. They also packed a great lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. You really just need a sun shirt, hat, sunglasses, swimsuit, water shoes, and sunscreen. They take care of the rest. Even though we leaned a little more adventurous, I could totally see this being doable for beginners, too. You don't need to be super athletic to enjoy it. Pickup and cleanup were easy and seamless. They handled everything while I grabbed a snack and relaxed, which honestly made it feel even more special. This was such a cool experience, and I would 100% do it again. Already recommending it to friends, and I would definitely consider doing the overnight version next time.

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    Desert Adventures - Launch at Hoover Dam

    Launch at Hoover Dam

    Desert Adventures - On the Colorado River. Our second night of the Bighorn Classic 3-day river trip.

    On the Colorado River. Our second night of the Bighorn Classic 3-day river trip.

    Desert Adventures - Fun day, fun times!

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    Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures

    Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures

    4.5(60 reviews)
    5.0 mi

    Book this tour was super easy. Once we made our payment we were emailed instructions on where to…read moremeet. My husband and I went on this tour on a Sunday. We were told that the raft could hold about 32 people, but we were lucky because on tour we had a total of 17, which was nice. We were also given a bag with snacks and a bottle of water, which was great to snack on during the tour. We met our driver at the Hoover Dam lodge. There was a lot of parking available, which made it easy. Our driver was super friendly and very informative. He took us to the raft to meet our tour guide. Our tour guide wasn't welcoming to my husband and I, but as other guests loaded onto the raft, his attitude changed. As we started the tour we stayed at the same spot for 30 minutes. Our guide passed out pictures in sheet protectors and began sharing about the history of the Hoover dam. Throughout the tour, our guide was testing us about our history. We didn't know much of it, that's why we attended the tour to learn. The best part of the tour was us getting out of the raft and landing on a piece of land to touch the water and skip rocks and take more photos. It was nice to see a few mini waterfalls and even a hot spring! I did wished we went deeper into the dam, but I guess that would've been for the longer tour. Also, I wish we could've swam in the lake, but it was very chilly. It was a great experience, however, the initial encounter with our guide was uncomfortable. We learned a lot and the views were amazing.

    This was such a fun excursion. We are locals and have people visiting us from out of town. We have…read morenot done this before, but were curious about the tour - we had previous only been the top of the dam. We had a beautiful 60° day. Kyle was a fantastic guide. Really nice guy and very knowledgeable about the area. Our driver Micheal was also fantastic and helped get us oriented to the dam as we took the drive from the meet up point to the boat. Would highly recommend this tour, especially if you need to get away from the craziness of the strip for an afternoon. We did the hour and a half tour, but I think we will come back for the three hour.

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    Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures - Base of the Hoover Dam

    Base of the Hoover Dam

    Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures - Getting started

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    Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures - Beached at one of the hot springs

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    Beached at one of the hot springs

    Lake Mead Marina - More tables inside

    Lake Mead Marina

    3.9(78 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    Such a peaceful and beautiful spot to look out on the water or rent a boat. There are even a few…read moresmall businesses here were you can buy a bite to eat or key supplies too (depends on the season though). Seeing all the nearby docked boats is quite pretty too. The water is usually pretty calm here and you will see a lot of ducks and fish here.

    I LOVE boat day! We rented another pontoon boat for the day. Aimed for 8am meetup & had to have the…read moreboat back by 5:30pm. Carlton was our Captain & got there a little bit earlier to watch the required boat video when renting a boat. It must be watched everytime even if you've seen it before. Has important rules & info. when out on the lake. We paid $650 to rent a pontoon boat that fits no more than 10 people. Dogs are counted as 1 person per dog. The marina provides life jackets that they will fit you for to get the correct size & must be worn while in the boat. No glass is allowed. You can bring your cooler and there is a small store that sells lake essentials from sunscreen, rope, floats, drinks, alcohol, snacks, ice cream, water shoes, flip flops, towels, etc. Things are a little pricy but it's OK if you forgot something important @ home. There are bathrooms with real flushing toilets at the docks with some lockers upon entering that you would bring your own lock to lock your belongings in. Free of charge. They also have wheel chairs & wheel barrels for you to lug all your items to your boat....free. Staff has always been nice & friendly. They all seem to really enjoy their job. We always make sure to bring a big trash bag to collect our garbage while out on the boat & there are dumpsters/trashcans to drop off on your way out. Please DON'T litter. We have always been able to find nice spots to park the boat @ for the day & hang in the water around our boat. We usually go out about 45-60 minutes away from the docks. Keep track on how long it takes you to get to your chosen spot so you can plan on having enough time to get back by the required time. Gas is included in the rental price & staff fills the boats back up so you don't have to worry about taking the boat to do that prior to returning. This marina isn't far from Henderson area. I live near St Rose Seina hospital & per GPS takes about 30 minutes to get there. I've only been out once this Summer & I'm so sad that was probably it for this Summer. It's such a nice & relaxing day. Don't forget your sunscreen as it's a "hot" toasty day hanging in the lake all day. The pontoon boats do have a partial cover to sit under to get some shade. Grab your friends/family for a nice, relaxing day on the lake! Be careful, be smart when it comes to hanging out in the lake & boating. Have fun! Thank you for this privilege!!

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    Lake Mead Marina - 08/31/2025 monopoly speed boat

    08/31/2025 monopoly speed boat

    Lake Mead Marina - 08/31/2025 wheel barrel to borrow to lug all your stuff to the boat

    08/31/2025 wheel barrel to borrow to lug all your stuff to the boat

    Lake Mead Marina - 08/31/2025 hanging in the water

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    08/31/2025 hanging in the water

    Desert River Outfitters - Loading up for the river

    Desert River Outfitters

    4.3(70 reviews)
    63.3 mi

    If you're even thinking about booking a kayak trip--just do it. And do it with Desert River…read moreOutfitters. My friend and I had the most incredible experience kayaking out of Willow Beach to the Emerald Caves, and I genuinely cannot say enough good things about this team. From the moment we arrived, everything felt organized, welcoming, and thoughtfully run. As a first-time kayaker, I was a little nervous--but that disappeared almost instantly thanks to how clearly everything was explained and how patient and encouraging the staff were. Blair was absolutely amazing--friendly, knowledgeable, and just one of those people who makes you feel at ease right away. And Wolfe (his adorable dog!) completely stole my heart. It honestly added such a fun, personal touch to the whole experience. The rest of the staff were just as fantastic--super attentive, upbeat, and clearly passionate about what they do. The trip itself? Unreal. The water at Willow Beach is stunning, and paddling into the Emerald Caves felt like something out of a dream. The views, the calmness, the whole atmosphere--it was the perfect mix of adventure and peace. What really stood out to me was how safe and comfortable they made me feel the entire time. They took the time to make sure I understood everything, checked in along the way, and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. You can tell they genuinely care about their guests having a great experience. 10/10, beyond worth it, and I would book with them again in a heartbeat. If you want a fun, beautiful, and genuinely memorable day--this is it.

    Blair went above and beyond to accommodate us. We had a large group of 14 and needed a lot of gear…read more(tents, sleeping bags, canoes, coolers, etc.). Blair was extremely communicative and generous with his time leading up to the trip to help us get prepared. EJ and Ignacio were both on it. They were running around helping us get bags into the vans, canoes loaded at the boat ramp, everything. They were 10 minutes early to pick us up from our hotel and 15 minutes early to grab us from the boat ramp. All around rockstar crew. If you're interested in doing this trip but intimidated by the logistics of it all, give Blair a call. I've done a ton of river trips all over the West and I've never had a crew work as hard as these guys did to make sure we were taken care of.

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    Desert River Outfitters - Hoover Dam in the back, awesome view!

    Hoover Dam in the back, awesome view!

    Desert River Outfitters - Camped and admiring everything.

    Camped and admiring everything.

    Desert River Outfitters

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    Evolution Expeditions - rafting - Updated May 2026

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