Lake Mead National Recreation Area

About Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead was created by the 1936 completion of Hoover Dam and remains the largest reservoir in the United States by volume, even after two decades of drought have dropped the water line by more than 150 feet. The recreation area covers 1.5 million acres straddling the Nevada-Arizona border. Boulder Beach and Boulder Harbor are the closest swim and launch points to Las Vegas — about 25 minutes from the Strip. Lake Mead Marina offers boat rentals, and Black Canyon kayak tours below the dam are the most popular paddling trip in the area. The Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail walks 7.5 miles round trip past five 1930s-era railway tunnels with dam views. Entry fee is $25 per vehicle for seven days. Check current water levels on the National Park Service site before driving down to a launch ramp — several have been closed and reopened over the past decade as the lake receded.