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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

Boat, fish and camp on Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, or hike and drive desert canyons near Hoover Dam.

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

About Lake Mead National Recreation Area

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.

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  • #boating
  • #lake
  • #hiking
  • #hoover dam

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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.

  • Nightlife

    Hoover Dam Lodge

    Check prices

    A hotel and casino in Boulder City, Nevada, a short drive from Hoover Dam.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Boulder City

    No admission fee

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

    2.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    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.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    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.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Iconic

    Hoover Dam

    No admission fee

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

    3.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Clark County Wetlands Park

    No admission fee

    A large county park on the east side of the Las Vegas Valley, pairing trails and wildlife habitat with an outdoor classroom.

    14 mi awayMore like this

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