Engineering landmark & desert history · Nevada

Hoover Dam & Boulder City day trip

Hoover Dam & Boulder City

A road trip from the Las Vegas Strip to Hoover Dam: an early guided tour inside the dam, the walkway across the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge high above Black Canyon, lunch in the dam-builders' town of Boulder City, an old railway museum, a walk through the 1930s railroad tunnels above Lake Mead and a late stop at the lakeshore.

Time
9–10 hour day
Driving
About 1 hour 45 minutes of driving in total
Best time
All year; best October–April
Updated
$4 USD

One-time purchase. You own your guide forever and can return for the latest update any time.

Aerial view of Hoover Dam's pale concrete curve wedged in a red-brown desert canyon, with the arched Memorial Bridge crossing in front and the blue Colorado River below
Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) · CC BY-SA 4.0. September 2017 aerial photograph; resized and displayed with crop.
Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

  • 7:45 amLeave the Las Vegas Strip
  • 8:45 amHoover Dam Visitor Center and tours
  • 11:15 amMemorial Bridge walkway
  • 12:15 pmBoulder City historic district
  • 1:45 pmNevada State Railroad Museum
  • 2:45 pmLake Mead Visitor Center and Historic Railroad Trail
  • 5:00 pmBoulder Beach
  • 5:45 pmReturn to the Las Vegas Strip
Highlights

Worth the trip

  • A guided tour down into Hoover Dam and its power plant
  • The walkway across the Memorial Bridge, high above the dam
  • The Historic Railroad Trail's tunnels above Lake Mead

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

From October to April the Lake Mead area is usually dry and sunny: the Park Service lists fall highs of about 59–83°F and winter highs of about 57–69°F, with cold mornings in the 30s and 40s in winter. Wind can be strong on the bridge and the dam. Spring warms quickly, with highs of 80–98°F, and July to September brings highs of 89–103°F, dangerous heat and occasional monsoon storms with flash flooding on roads and washes. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast the evening before and the morning of your trip.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

A good day, in the bag.

Your guides

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