The photocatalytic activity of GaN nanowires was investigated for the use of GaN nanowires as photocatalysts in harsh environments. GaN nanowires with diameters of 20-50 nm and lengths of 4-6 microm were prepared by Ni catalyst-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Comparisons of GaN nanowires with GaN submicron dot arrays and thin films showed that GaN nanowires exhibit much better photocatalytic activity, resulting from a high surface-to-volume ratio. In addition, GaN nanowires exhibited good ability to photodegrade organic dye at various pHs, even under strong acidity and alkalinity. The photocatalytic activity of GaN nanowires was also compared with that of ZnO and TiO(2) nanowires.