Hoover Dam: Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Hoover Dam
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Lake Mead National Recreation Area

The Hoover Dam, along with the Davis Dam formed Lakes Mead and Mojave in 1936. Lake Mead National Recreation Area includes both of these reservoirs on the Colorado River. The US Bureau of Reclamation operates the Hoover Dam tours while the National Park Service manages the recreation area.

We stopped at the Dam overlook while on a bus tour to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. We’d already toured the Glen Canyon Dam a few years earlier, so it was enough for us to snap a few photos, stretch our legs and move on the next stop.

bypass

For years, Highway 93 crossed the Black Canyon on top of the Hoover Dam. Authorities deemed this unsafe after 9-11. The Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge over the Black Canyon opened in 2010.

bypass

Lake Mead water levels are low from years of drought. The water used to be just under the walkways that lead to the towers. At the time of this writing, experts predict the lake will fall below 1075 feet in June 2021. This is the negotiated trigger to declare water storages in the seven states that depend on the reservoir.


Location: 1305 Arizona St, Boulder City, NV‎
Designation: National Recreation Area
Date designated/established: October 13, 1936
Date of my visit: April 8, 2017

hoover-overlook

13 thoughts on “Hoover Dam: Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  1. We were lucky enough to visit and tour the dam in the late 1990s. An impressive structure for the time. Hope this drought cycle eases soon. Thanks for sharing. Allan

  2. I have some old b/w photos of the dam when the water was high. Might never see that view again! There are some nice hot springs in the canyon below the new bridge.

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