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Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City, NV

Photo: DylanMoz49, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

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Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead Visitor Center, 10 Lakeshore Rd · Boulder City, NV

Why you should go…

Lake Mead National Recreation Area takes in two Colorado River reservoirs, Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam and Lake Mohave behind Davis Dam, plus about 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons and valleys. You can boat, fish, hike, bike, camp or take a scenic drive, and nine designated wilderness areas lie inside the boundary. Entrance stations take cards only, and the Lake Mead Visitor Center sits just east of Boulder City, a few miles north of the dam. Some trails close in summer heat.

  • #national recreation area
  • #boating
  • #lake
  • #hiking
  • #hoover dam

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Boulder City

    Free

    Nevada's only city without legal gambling, and the gateway to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

    2.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Las Vegas Boat Harbor

    $50+

    Marina on Lake Mead renting powerboats, pontoons, and personal watercraft for a day on the water near Las Vegas.

    3.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Blazin Paddles

    $50+

    Guided kayak tours on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam, including a stop at natural hot springs.

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lake Mead Cruises

    Under $25

    Narrated paddlewheeler cruises on Lake Mead with views of Hoover Dam and Black Canyon.

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Hoover Dam

    Free

    A 726-foot Depression-era dam straddling Nevada and Arizona, with tours deep inside its generators.

    3.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Quirky Fun

    Seven Magic Mountains

    Free

    Ugo Rondinone's stacked, neon-painted boulder towers rise from the desert just south of the Strip.

    24 mi awayMore like this