If you're in Las Vegas and looking for a suggested day trip out of the city, plan to visit the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located less than an hour from downtown. Nearly 1.5 million acres in size, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a startling contrast of desert and water, mountains and canyons, primitive backcountry, and busy marinas. Established as America's first national recreation area, it is a destination for millions of visitors who flock to the desert for water-based recreation.

How to Get to Lake Mead National Recreation Area:

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Park headquarters is in Boulder City, NV, 27 miles southeast of Las Vegas. There are nine paved access roads into the national recreation area. To reach the visitor center from Las Vegas, take Highway 515 south, which becomes US 93. The Lake Mead Visitor Center, also called the Alan Bible Visitor Center, is located off of US 93, four miles southeast of Boulder City. See a park map for directions to all other access points.

Park Size:

1,495,664 acres.

Description:

The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are it's two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Nine developed areas on both lakes offer a wide range of accommodations and services year-round. The national recreation area is situated at the junction of three of America's four desert ecosystems: the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, and the Great Basin Desert. As a result, this seemingly barren land includes a surprising variety of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Things to Do at Lake Mead National Recreation Area:

With Lakes Mead and Mohave as the central focus, visitors to Lake Mead NRA are able to enjoy a variety of water-based recreation activities in a rugged and picturesque setting.

Lakes Mead and Mohave offer some of the country's best sport fishing. Boating and water-skiing are also favorite activities on the broad expanses of open water, along with kayaking and canoeing.
Several paved roads wind through the dramatic desert scenery of Lake Mead NRA country, offering views of stark mountains, plateaus, desert basins of cactuses and creosote bush, and vertical-walled canyons. Shaded picnic areas with tables, water, fire grills, and restrooms are located throughout the area. Short desert hikes lead to places you will never see from a boat or car. Longer hikes demand careful planning; consult a topographical map and a park ranger. Always carry water; one gallon per day per person is advised.

Recommended Nearby Points of Interest:

Valley of Fires State Park - Nevada's oldest and largest state park is located in southern Nevada, only 55 miles from Las Vegas and 6 miles from Lake Mead. It derives its name from the valley's red sandstone formations and the stark beauty of the surrounding Mojave Desert.
Hoover Dam - Completed in 1935, the Hoover Dam created Lake Mead and is located within Lake Mead NRA. Tours of the dam and the Hoover Dam Visitor Center are managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

Contact the Park:

Lake Mead National Recreation Area
601 Nevada Way
Boulder City, NV 89005
702-293-8907 click for more images courtesy of the National Park Service If you're in Las Vegas and looking for a suggested day trip out of the city, plan to visit the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located less than an hour from downtown. Nearly 1.5 million acres in size, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a startling contrast of desert and water, mountains and canyons, primitive backcountry, and busy marinas. Established as America's first national recreation area, it is a destination for millions of visitors who flock to the desert for water-based recreation.

How to Get to Lake Mead National Recreation Area:

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Park headquarters is in Boulder City, NV, 27 miles southeast of Las Vegas. There are nine paved access roads into the national recreation area. To reach the visitor center from Las Vegas, take Highway 515 south, which becomes US 93. The Lake Mead Visitor Center, also called the Alan Bible Visitor Center, is located off of US 93, four miles southeast of Boulder City. See a park map for directions to all other access points.

Park Size:

1,495,664 acres.

Description:

The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are it's two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Nine developed areas on both lakes offer a wide range of accommodations and services year-round. The national recreation area is situated at the junction of three of America's four desert ecosystems: the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, and the Great Basin Desert. As a result, this seemingly barren land includes a surprising variety of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Things to Do at Lake Mead National Recreation Area:

With Lakes Mead and Mohave as the central focus, visitors to Lake Mead NRA are able to enjoy a variety of water-based recreation activities in a rugged and picturesque setting. Lakes Mead and Mohave offer some of the country's best sport fishing. Boating and water-skiing are also favorite activities on the broad expanses of open water, along with kayaking and canoeing.
Several paved roads wind through the dramatic desert scenery of Lake Mead NRA country, offering views of stark mountains, plateaus, desert basins of cactuses and creosote bush, and vertical-walled canyons. Shaded picnic areas with tables, water, fire grills, and restrooms are located throughout the area. Short desert hikes lead to places you will never see from a boat or car. Longer hikes demand careful planning; consult a topographical map and a park ranger. Always carry water; one gallon per day per person is advised.

Recommended Nearby Points of Interest:

Valley of Fires State Park - Nevada's oldest and largest state park is located in southern Nevada, only 55 miles from Las Vegas and 6 miles from Lake Mead. It derives its name from the valley's red sandstone formations and the stark beauty of the surrounding Mojave Desert.
Hoover Dam - Completed in 1935, the Hoover Dam created Lake Mead and is located within Lake Mead NRA. Tours of the dam and the Hoover Dam Visitor Center are managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

Contact the Park:

Lake Mead National Recreation Area
601 Nevada Way
Boulder City, NV 89005
702-293-8907