Lake Mead National Recreation Area Information and Administrative Offices — Attraction in Boulder City

Established as the Boulder Canyon Recreation Area in 1936 (after the creation of Hoover Dam and the subsequent Lake Mead), the official name changed to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 1964. At that time, Lake Mojave was added to its NPS jurisdiction.

Lake Mead NRA currently protects 1.5 million acres. In that, the park contains 290 sq miles of water surface. As storage from the Colorado River backed behind the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead is the largest capacity water reservoir in the US.

Boating is certainly the most popular recreational activity for visitors here. Four marinas are located on Lake Mead: Las Vegas Boat Harbor, Lake Mead Marina, Callville Bay, and Temple Bar. Fishing, swimming, sunbathing and water skiing are other popular activities.

If looking for a beautiful scenic drive (not suggested during oppressive, excessive summer heat), take the Lake Mead Parkway (near Las Vegas/Henderson) to the Lake Mead NRA. After the entrance station (fee area), Northshore Drive winds through the Pinto Valley. There is absolutely beautifully-colored geologic strata along the way..

The Redstone Trail is located at milepost 27, a short 0.5 hike winding through brilliant red sandstone formations. A picnic area is also here. Other more extensive hiking opportunities/trails occur along Northshore Drive.

If not continuing to Overton or Overton Beach, the scenic loop can continue through the Valley of Fire, a Nevada State Park and fee area. This is a gorgeous park with many vista and hiking opportunities. The Valley of Fire Visitor Center can provide additional information.

After visiting Valley of Fire, and on this scenic loop, continue on NV Hwy 169 to I-15. From the Interstate, drive towards North Las Vegas.

There is so much more to Lake Mead NRA than water. To discover additional (non-summer) activities, the Lake Mead Visitor Center is located outside the park boundaries (no fee area) near...

17 of us took the Lake Mead Dinner Cruise. ..FANTASTIC It was a surprise farewell for a great friend & it was EVERYTHING she had wanted. The dinner menu came with 3 selections; Salmon {my pick 😋}, Prime Rib ~ yep that's right! {her pick n 1 of my Pastors, who by the way wanted an "end-cut" n the server was able to obtain it for her😳😋}, Chicken {a pick by 1 of my Pastors who is pregnant 😋}. ..all were seasoned to perfection n came with the tastiest hand smashed potatoes & fresh green beans. Oh, my, I almost forgot the Dessert cakes; {secret} chocolate n strawberry shortcake...both had us all wanting to "finger lick" our plates! Coffee too, constantly fresh. And a bar. We were on the Middle deck, our Server & service was top notch. Views were splendid & the October night air had a warm gentle breeze to it. ..most enjoyable. Much of the time, we couldn't even tell that we were moving, it was such a smooth n quiet ride.

This cruise has stood the test of time in Vegas, not my 1st time, & it's no wonder why. There are 3 times to choose from too & a Local's Discount🌟 ...go n see...

Rude . Rude . Rude . We have been to almost every National Park... Basically everything from the staff & park rangers to the campgrounds and restrooms are just rude. There are signs posted everywhere in the campgrounds about "don't do dishes or bath", but they do not provide campers that are NOT in RVs any options for showers or access to these necessary things while camping. The staff is rude... Except for 3 ticketing staff at the kiosks and one at the park store, the staff is just rude at this park. As for the park police... The park rangers are next level vicious. Just don't. Lake Mead is by far one of the ugliest of all the National Parks and it just isn't worth the drama of dealing with the rudeness you will most likely be faced with while there. Go to Utah or California for better experiences... And...