Colorado River Exploration Tour
Coming in the fall of 2012!
Visitors will be picked up in Las Vegas, then proceed to the historic Eldorado Canyon Mine, 30 miles south of the valley. Along the way, you will learn about the early explorers of the Las Vegas Valley and how the Colorado River helped or hindered their exploration.
The Eldorado Mine experience will include a guided above and below ground mining tour will take you into the Techatticup mine and the history of the oldest and most famous gold mine in Southern Nevada. It is said that "man per man and mile per mile Eldorado Canyon has a wider range of historical events than anywhere in the Wild West". You will explore a short length of the mine and actually see the veins of ore the miners chased while being regaled with stories of the past and present. The air temperature in the mine is a cool and comfortable 70F year around. Photo opportunities abound of the numerous historical buildings in the area.
After the mine experience, visitors will proceed to Nelson's Landing at the Colorado River for a 2 ½ hour river smooth-water river adventure into the Black Canyon. Visitors will board a large, motorized raft and follow the same route that early explorers on steamboats plied in their attempt to find gold, transportation routes and adventure. A veteran raft pilot will tell stories of early river explorers, point out interesting geological formations, and provide information of the local flora and fauna. Lunch is included.
Be prepared to see historical buildings, an actual mine, geological wonders, native desert big horn sheep and experience the cool, clear water of the Colorado River.
After arriving at Willow Beach Marina, visitors will return to Las Vegas via a stop at Hoover Dam, a modern civil engineering wonder and icon of the Southwest. A short stop at the dam will give visitors plenty of photo opportunities of Hoover Dam and the amazing Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, winner of the 2012 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award for superior engineering achievement from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
