Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Near to the Hoover Dam is another natural looking man-made attraction…Lake Mead is the reservoir created from the back up of the Colorado River, when the dam was constructed, and is the largest reservoir in the USA.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
The 300 sq mile lake forms the major component of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 1.5 million acres that extends quite far south and includes 25 miles of the Colorado River plus the smaller Lake Mohave.
What Can You Do There?
Lake Mead provides year round recreational opportunities. Its huge lakes provide areas for water sports, boating and swimming, while its desert is a haven for hiking, camping, wildlife photography and sight seeing, all of which draw 9 to 10 million visitors a year. The lake has a beautiful array of various breeds of fish. Many types of vessels are available for rental, from houseboats to speedboats and lake cruises on larger vessels are also available, including dinner cruises. The weather is usually sunny and hot, up to 110 °F in midsummer when the water temperature reaches the mid 80's. The scenery is amazing with clear blue water beneath gaunt, rocky cliffs, but much can only be appreciated using a boat as the majority of the innumerable sheltered coves and flooded canyons, often with clean, empty beaches for camping, are usually inaccessible by road.
Exclusive Flora and Fauna
Three of America's four desert ecosystems, the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Sonoran Deserts, meet in Lake Mead NRA. As a result, this seemingly barren area contains a surprising variety of plants and animals, some of which may be found nowhere else in the world.
Campsites
There are a number of free primitive campsites, for example at Stewart's Point, near Overton Beach at the north end of the lake. Here, camping is allowed on a large area of the shoreline, which is flat, sandy and sheltered. The sites nearer Las Vegas tend to be crowded and full of litter but far fewer people drive further north so camping here is very peaceful and secluded.
The Shoreline
There are also several roads leading to beaches on the south edge of the Lake Mead, at Temple Bar, reached by a lonely 28 mile drive along a side road off US 93 south of Hoover Dam, there is a lively marina with an RV site and plenty of colourful desert scenery. Further east, a longer road leads through forests of Joshua trees to Pearce Ferry, at the far east of the lake where the Grand Canyon begins (or ends). However, the northeast section of shoreline between the Virgin and Colorado rivers remains virtually unvisited, it may only be reached by driving along many miles of dirt roads across the Shivwits Plateau in northwest Arizona, land which is part of the new Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.
Further Information
Located 25 miles from Las Vegas at 410 Nevada Highway, Suite 140 in Boulder City, Nevada.
Open year-round, 24 hours, 7 days a week with peak use in the summer
The visitor centre is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. everyday except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Open year-round, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Visitor centre: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sturdy shoes, brimmed hats, sunscreen recommended year-round.
No admission fees to enter the park area. Reservations are accepted only for group campsites. Individual sites are all on a first-come, first-served basis. No backcountry permits are needed. Call the Recreation Area for more information.
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