Hoover Dam

Standing watch over the Colorado River, Hoover Dam draws more than seven million annual visitors and remains one of the West’s most visited attractions. This modern marvel lies at the intersection of the southeast corner of Nevada and the northwest corner of Arizona and forms Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir by volume in the United States when full. Impressive in size, scope, and scale, Hoover Dam can be reached by traveling from Las Vegas to Boulder City via Highway 93 South.

Sightseeing at Hoover Dam

Visitors can walk or drive across the 45-foot-wide top of Hoover Dam. Vehicle thru-traffic is no longer permitted, though, so you’ll start and end on the Nevada side of the dam. More than 20,000 cars a day take this one-way trip, so give yourself enough time for security checkpoint inspections and periodic traffic delays. 

Don’t miss the large, bronze angel statues titled, “Winged Figures of the Republic.” Many visitors like to rub the base of these sculptures for good luck.

Hoover Dam Tours

Get the full Hoover Dam experience on a fun and interactive tour. Visitors get to see lesser-known parts of the dam and walk in the footsteps of engineering history. Tickets for Hoover Dam tours are sold in the visitor center, which features exhibits, 1940s-era artifacts, and a rooftop observation deck. If you just want to visit the Hoover Dam Visitor Center and not take a dam tour, admission is $10.

Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

In addition to the dam itself, visitors marvel at the massive Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Opened in 2010, this was the first concrete and steel composite arch bridge built in the U.S. The bridge—named in honor of soldiers from Nevada and Arizona—towers nearly 900 feet above the Colorado River and spans 1,060 feet. Visitors who aren’t afraid of heights can walk across the bridge for some great photo opportunities of Hoover Dam and Black Canyon below.

Hoover Dam Activities

Beyond Hoover Dam, visitors to the area can enjoy endless outdoor fun. Kayak, canoe, raft, or paddleboard along the Colorado River with outfitters like Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures and Desert Adventures. For a bird’s-eye view of Hoover Dam, take to the skies aboard one of several daily helicopter tours with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. Keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife, including desert bighorn sheep, the official state animal of Nevada.

Hoover Dam Hikes

Popular hikes abound near Hoover Dam and Boulder City. The Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead National Recreation Area features miles of well-maintained, level paths through gigantic tunnels carved from the surrounding mountainside. Trains carrying Hoover Dam construction supplies originally passed through these tunnels.

More advanced hikers won’t want to miss Gold Strike Hot Springs. After descending 600 feet over 2.5 miles—and using fixed ropes to navigate house-sized boulders—you’ll end up at a section of the Colorado River packed with grottos, hot spring pools, and small waterfalls.

Things to Do Near Hoover Dam

Visit Lake Mead

Is there a Hoover Dam lake? There most certainly is. Cap off your trip with a visit to Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This body of water was formed when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation chose to create Hoover Dam on the Black Canyon portion of the Colorado River. Lake Mead is now the largest manmade reservoir (when full) in the nation, covering 110 miles across Nevada and Arizona. Fish, boat, or swim on Lake Mead’s placid waters, or choose from plenty of camping spots on the beach.

Visit Boulder City

Swap the glitz and neon of Las Vegas for the small town, Art Deco charm of Boulder City. Shop cute boutiques, dine at Food Network-featured restaurants, and dive into history and culture at the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum and the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Boulder City offers a low-key getaway with plenty to see and do. 

Visiting Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam to Las Vegas Day Trip

Las Vegas is just 36 miles away from Hoover Dam, or roughly 40 minutes by car. Head out to the dam in the early morning or afternoon and return to Las Vegas at nightfall as the lights of the city cast an electric glow against the brilliant shades of the sunset. A Las Vegas to Hoover Dam day trip surely won’t disappoint.

Hoover Dam Lodging

With Boulder City a stone’s throw from Hoover Dam, great lodging options abound. Boulder Dam Hotel, Hoover Dam Lodge & Casino, Milo’s Cellar & Inn, and El Rancho Boulder Motel are just some of our favorites.