Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

A trip to southern Nevada isn’t complete without visiting Hoover Dam—a legitimate modern marvel of the world—or Lake Mead, the nation’s largest man-made reservoir. On the Historic Railroad Trail, both experiences are perfectly combined and an excursion that’s well worth your time.

Visitors can access miles of well-maintained, level trail to a series of gigantic tunnels carved out of the surrounding mountainside. Where the path lies today was formerly miles and miles of railroad track that connected Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Hoover Dam. Now, it’s regarded as one of Nevada’s most unique trail experiences.

When work began on the mighty Hoover Dam, getting supplies in and out of what was then a secluded section of Nevada proved to be very difficult. To expedite delivery of massive building supplies to the construction site, 30 miles of train track was laid down to connect the three sites. Drilling tunnels into the mountainside was a necessity, each one measuring 300 feet in length and 25 feet across.

This railroad was in full swing from the beginning of Hoover Dam’s construction in 1931, running 24 hours a day, until work was completed in 1935. After the route no longer served a direct purpose, it was essentially abandoned until the tracks were dismantled by 1962. In the 1980s, the area was recognized for having significant historical importance, and a trail was built atop the former railroad path. The Historic Railroad Trail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and it’s now the only remaining portion of the Hoover Dam railroad system still accessible.

When visiting today, you’ll notice signs peppered throughout the journey—they’re loaded with tons of interesting facts about Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and wildlife you may see when traversing the trail. It’s not uncommon to see desert bighorn sheep, owls, lizards, and rattlesnakes. Be sure to grab your camera, too: It’s hard to take a bad photo of the tunnels or the trail’s unmatched vantage points.

GETTING THERE

The Historic Railroad Trail can be accessed near Lake Mead’s Alan Bible Visitor Center or via the Hoover Dam parking garage. The total distance from the Hoover Dam parking garage is 3.7 miles. The most enjoyable time to hike the trail is spring and fall, but anytime you can catch a sunset here is certainly time well spent.