Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the wet counterpoint to Nevada's desert reputation — 550 miles of shoreline pooled behind Hoover Dam and slicing through basalt canyons that plunge straight into 500 feet of turquoise water. It's the closest big-water swim to the Strip, the country's first National Recreation Area (1936), and the setting for one of the great American road trips: the Northshore Road curves 60 miles between red cliffs, empty coves and old wagon-road remnants. The pale 'bathtub ring' on every cliff marks where the water once reached — a stark, honest record of the West's changing climate.

Boulder Beach is the easiest swim, ten minutes from Boulder City with paved parking and grills. Willow Beach on the Arizona side rents kayaks for the 12-mile downstream paddle through Black Canyon past three natural hot springs (Ringbolt, Boy Scout, and Arizona). The Historic Railroad Trail — five old rail tunnels bored through the cliffs during dam construction — runs 3.7 miles flat from the Alan Bible Visitor Center to the top of Hoover Dam. Callville Bay and Temple Bar marinas rent houseboats by the week; Lake Mead Cruises runs 90-minute paddlewheeler tours from Hemenway Harbor.

Come October to April for hiking; May to September for water. Summer temperatures hit 115°F on the water and heatstroke sends visitors to Boulder City ER every weekend — bring one gallon of water per person. The Hoover Dam tour ($30) is separate from the park fee but sits inside the recreation area; book on usbr.gov. Skip Boulder Beach on Fourth of July when it triples in crowd. Boulder City itself (5 miles from the entrance) is a dry town with 1930s workers' housing turned into cafés and antique shops.

Hours & entry

Free entry on Veterans Day, MLK Day, National Public Lands Day and the first day of National Park Week

Park open 24 hours daily · Alan Bible Visitor Center Mon-Sun 9:00-16:30 · Marinas 8:00-17:00

What to see

• Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail with dam views — Trailhead at Alan Bible Visitor Center, 10 Lakeshore Road
• Kayak from Willow Beach to Emerald Cave — Willow Beach Marina, Arizona side of Black Canyon
• Northshore Road scenic drive with Redstone loop — Northshore Road mile marker 27, park at the Redstone picnic area

Tips from the ground

• The $25 vehicle fee covers seven days — do Lake Mead one day and Hoover Dam the next.
• Hot springs downstream of Willow Beach are best visited November-March; algae blooms make them off-limits in summer.
• Boulder City's Milo's Best Cellars has decent tacos and $15 flights of Nevada wine — 6 miles from the visitor center.