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Hoover Dam, Boulder City, NV

Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicHistory Buff

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam Access Rd · Boulder City, NV

Why you should go…

Completed in 1935, Hoover Dam holds back the Colorado River to form Lake Mead and remains one of the great feats of American engineering. Visitors can walk across the dam and visitor overlook for free, or book a guided tour down into the power plant to see the massive turbines. The drive from the Strip takes about 40 minutes.

  • #dam
  • #engineering
  • #day-trip
  • #colorado-river
  • #tours

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 Hoover Dam, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

    Free

    Walk the sidewalk of this arch bridge 890 feet above the Colorado River for an elevated view of Hoover Dam.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    $25–$50

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

    3.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Boulder City

    Free

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

    5.6 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.

    6.0 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.

    6.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Springs Preserve

    Under $25

    Museums, botanical gardens, and desert trails built around the natural springs that gave Las Vegas its name.

    27 mi awayMore like this