Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Transportation

Access off Interstate 15 in Nevada; U.S. Highways 93 and 95 in Nevada and Arizona.

To Park: air to Las Vegas (25 miles from Lake Mead NRA), air to Bullhead City, AZ (10 miles from Lake Mead NRA on Lake Mohave); personal vehicle, tour bus.
In Park: personal vehicle, tour bus.

Visitor Center/Exhibits: Alan Bible Visitor Center off U.S. Highway 93 near Boulder City. Contact stations on Lake Mead at Overton Beach, Echo Bay, Callville Bay, Las Vegas Bay in Nevada, and Temple Bar in Arizona. Contact stations on Lake Mohave at Cottonwood Cove in Nevada, Katherine, and Willow Beach in Arizona.

Trails, Roads: State roads lead to major sites. Several established hiking trails. Substantial number of approved backcountry roads.

Camping and Lodging

In the Recreation Area —Nine developed areas on Lake Mead and Lake Mohave offer a wide range of accommodations and services year-round. All lodges, trailer villages, and marinas are run by concessionaires. Contact the recreation area for a list of concessionaires and addresses. Each developed area is easily accessible by car and boat. Five motels are located on the lakes. Reservations are recommended. Overnight camping, with hookups for water, sewer, and electricity, is offered at all concession trailer villages. All villages take reservations.

All developed sites but Willow Beach and Overton Beach have campgrounds. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each area has picnic tables, fire grills, water, restrooms, and a trailer sewage dump. Overnight fees are charged. No utility hookups are provided.

Backcountry camping is allowed along shore on both lakes and in designated sites along unpaved backcountry roads.

Near the Recreation Area —Motels, hotels, restaurants, groceries, and gasoline stations are available in Las Vegas, Boulder City, Henderson; Laughlin, Searchlight, and Overton in Nevada: Bullhead City and Kingman in Arizona; and Needles, California.

Safety Tips

Water: Carry plenty of water, at least one gallon per person per day, whether you are hiking or driving. Don't ration your water. It will do you good only if you drink it.

Heat: Protect against heat exhaustion. Do not overexert yourself. Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid extreme midday temperatures in the summer. Wear a hat and lots of sunscreen. (GORP has an excellent article on preventing heat stroke and dehydration).

Abandoned Mines: Abandoned mines pose several dangers: explosives, concentrations of toxic materials, mine shafts, etc. Stay out and stay alive. (Mineshafts are a major danger in Death Valley National Park, too.)

Flash Floods: Don't camp or park your vehicle in a wash or stream bed, and avoid hiking in narrow slot canyons when rain is a possibility. A dry wash can flash flood in minutes, even if you do not see a cloud in the sky.

Gasoline: Make sure you start with a full tank of fuel.