Hoover Dam & Lake Mead

30 miles SE of Las Vegas

This is one of the most popular excursions from Las Vegas. Hoover Dam is visited by as many as 3,000 people daily. Why should you join them? Because Hoover Dam is an engineering and architectural marvel, and it changed the Southwest forever. Without it, you wouldn't even be going to Vegas. Kids may be bored, unless they like machinery or just plain big things, but expose them to it anyway, for their own good. Buy them ice cream and a Hoover Dam snow globe as a bribe. If you are visiting Lake Mead, it's a must.

Getting There -- Drive east on Flamingo Road or Tropicana Avenue to U.S. 515 S, which automatically turns into I-93 S and takes you right to the dam. This involves a dramatic drive as you go through Boulder City and come over a rise, and Lake Mead suddenly appears spread out before you. It's a beautiful sight. At about this point, the road narrows to two lanes, and traffic can slow considerably. After the 2010 opening of a bypass bridge (dramatic on its own for its soaring height over the canyon), vehicles no longer pass directly over the bridge to get from Nevada to Arizona, but despite hopes that the bypass would make the commute better, it hasn't helped much. On a normal day, getting to the dam will take about an hour.

Go past the turnoff to Lake Mead to Nevada State Route 172, the well-marked Hoover Dam Access Road. As you near the dam, you'll see a five-story parking structure tucked into the canyon wall on your left. Park here ($7 charge) and take the elevators or stairs to the walkway leading to the visitor center.

If you would rather go on an organized tour, check out Gray Line (tel. 800/634-6579; www.grayline.com), which offers a half-day tour of the dam from $60 or a daylong tour that includes a paddleboat cruise of Lake Mead and a tour of the Ethel M Chocolate factory from $92.

Hoover Dam

There would be no Las Vegas as we know it without Hoover Dam. Certainly, the neon and glitz that we know and love would not exist. In fact, the growth of the entire Southwest can be tied directly to the electricity created by the dam.

Until Hoover Dam was built, much of the southwestern United States was plagued by two natural problems: parched, sandy terrain that lacked irrigation for most of the year and extensive flooding in spring and early summer, when the mighty Colorado River, fed by melting snow from its source in the Rocky Mountains, overflowed its banks and destroyed crops, lives, and property. On the positive side, raging unchecked over eons, the river's turbulent, rushing waters carved the Grand Canyon.

In 1928, prodded by the seven states through which the river runs during the course of its 1,400-mile journey to the Gulf of California, Congress authorized construction of a dam at Boulder Canyon (later moved to Black Canyon). The Senate's declaration of intention states, "A mighty river, now a source of destruction, is to be curbed and put to work in the interests of society." Construction began in 1931. Because of its vast scope and the unprecedented problems posed in its realization, the project generated significant advances in many areas of machinery production, engineering, and construction. An army of more than 5,200 laborers was assembled, and work proceeded 24 hours a day. Completed in 1936, 2 years ahead of schedule and $15 million under budget (it is, no doubt, a Wonder of the Modern Fiscal World), the dam stopped the annual floods and conserved water for irrigation, industry, and domestic uses. Equally important, it became one of the world's major electrical-generating plants, providing low-cost, pollution-free hydroelectric power to a score of surrounding communities. Hoover Dam's $165-million cost has been repaid with interest by the sale of inexpensive power to a number of California cities and the states of Arizona and Nevada. The dam is a government project that paid for itself -- a feat almost as awe-inspiring as its engineering.

The dam itself is a massive curved wall, 660 feet thick at the bottom, tapering to 45 feet where a road crosses it at the top. It towers 726 feet above bedrock (about the height of a 60-story skyscraper) and acts as a plug between the canyon walls to hold back up to 9.2 trillion gallons of water in Lake Mead, the reservoir created by its construction. Four concrete intake towers on the lake side drop the water down about 600 feet to drive turbines and create power, after which the water spills out into the river and continues south.

All the architecture is on a grand scale, and the design has beautiful Art Deco elements, unusual in an engineering project. Note, for instance, the monumental 30-foot bronze sculpture, Winged Figures of the Republic, flanking a 142-foot flagpole at the Nevada entrance. According to its creator, Oskar Hansen, the sculpture symbolizes "the immutable calm of intellectual resolution, and the enormous power of trained physical strength, equally enthroned in placid triumph of scientific achievement."

Seven miles northwest of the dam on U.S. 93, you'll pass through Boulder City, which was built to house managerial and construction workers. Sweltering summer heat (many days it is 125°F/52°C) ruled out a campsite by the dam. The higher elevation of Boulder City offered lower temperatures. The city emerged within a single year, turning a desert wasteland into a community of 6,000. By 1934, it was Nevada's third-largest town.

Touring the Dam

The very nice Hoover Dam Visitor Center, a vast three-level circular concrete structure with a rooftop overlook, opened in 1995. You'll enter the Reception Lobby (bags have not been allowed inside since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but ask about current security measures, as they may have changed), where you can buy tour tickets; peruse informational exhibits, photographs, and memorabilia; and view three 12-minute video presentations about the importance of water to life, the events leading up to the construction of Hoover Dam, and the construction itself. Exhibits on the Plaza Level include interactive displays on the environment, habitation, the development of the Southwest, the people who built the dam, and related topics.

Yet another floor up, galleries on the Overlook Level demonstrate, via sculpted bronze panels, the benefits of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to the states of Arizona, Nevada, and California. The Overlook Level additionally provides an unobstructed view of Lake Mead, the dam, the power plant, the Colorado River, and Black Canyon. There are multiple photo opportunities throughout this trip.

You can visit an exhibit center across the street where a 10-minute presentation in a small theater focuses on a topographical map of the 1,400-mile Colorado River. It also has a cafeteria. It costs $8 to visit just this portion, but for an extra $3 you can get the Powerplant tour as well . The center closes at 6pm, and 5:15pm is the last admission time, though hours vary seasonally.

There are two tours available, the Powerplant Tour and the Hoover Dam Tour. The cost of the former is $11 for adults; $9 for seniors, children 4 to 16, and military personnel and their dependents; and free for children 3 and under and military in uniform. It is self-guided and takes about 2 hours if you really stop to look at and read everything (less if you're a skimmer). The more extensive Hoover Dam Tour includes the self-guided portion but adds an hour-long guided tour into the deeper recesses of the facility. It is $30 per person; no children age 7 and under are allowed. Tickets for the Hoover Dam Tour must be purchased at the Visitor Center, while admission to the Visitor Center and tickets for the Powerplant Tour are available online. Parking is $7 no matter which tour you take, and the lot takes cash only. There is no need to call ahead to reserve a place, but for more information, call tel. 866/730-9097 or 702/494-2517.

At this writing, because of post-September 11 security measures, tours of the dam are somewhat restricted. It's no longer the nifty, and lengthy, experience it once was because access is so limited. On the Powerplant Tour, visitors go to the center, see a movie, and walk on top of the dam. While both tours include a 530-foot descent via elevator into the dam to view the massive generators, the Powerplant Tour is a self-guided tour aided by the occasional information kiosk or guide/docent stationed at intervals along the way; the pricier Hoover Dam Tour offers the same attractions and viewing opportunities, but it is guided, lasts an hour, and is limited to 20 people. If you plan on taking that tour, be aware that it covers over a mile and a half of walking on concrete and gravel, with no handicapped access. The Hoover Dam Tour is offered every half-hour, with the last tour at 3:30pm, while the final Powerplant admission is at 5:15pm.

Some fun facts you might hear on the tour: It took 6 1/2 years to fill the lake. Though 96 workers were killed during construction, contrary to popular myth, none were accidentally buried as the concrete was poured (it was poured only at a level of 8 in. at a time). Look for a monument outside dedicated to the workers who were killed -- "they died to make the desert bloom" -- along with a tombstone for their doggy mascot who was also killed, albeit after the dam was completed. Compare their wages of 50¢ an hour to those of their Depression-era peers, who made 5¢ to 30¢. For more information on the dam, and sometimes discount coupons, visit www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Under the auspices of the National Park Service, 1.5-million-acre Lake Mead National Recreation Area was created in 1936 around Lake Mead (the reservoir lake that is the result of the construction of Hoover Dam) and later Lake Mohave to the south (formed by the construction of Davis Dam). Before the lakes emerged, this desert region was brutally hot, dry, and rugged -- unfit for human habitation. Today, it's one of the nation's most popular playgrounds, attracting millions of visitors annually. The two lakes comprise 247 square miles. At an elevation of just over 1,000 feet, Lake Mead itself extends some 110 miles upstream toward the Grand Canyon. Its 700-mile shoreline, backed by spectacular cliff and canyon scenery, forms a perfect setting for a wide variety of watersports and desert hiking.

Having said all that, Lake Mead is in the beginning stages of a crisis so large that if unchecked, it would spell the end for Vegas entirely. The nation's largest reservoir has experienced a severe drop-off in levels since 2000, a combination of drought, global warming, and increased use. Whole portions of the lake's edges are now dry, in the process exposing the remains of some of the small towns that were flooded to build the thing in the first place. These have become tourist spots themselves. In 2010, the lake was at 39% of its capacity and hit a record low height of 1,083 feet above sea level. According to a research study published in 2008, there is a 50% chance the lake will go dry by 2021 and because it supplies water to Las Vegas (not to mention hydroelectric power), that has grave implications for that city. Let's encourage those fancy new hotels to put in drought-tolerant plants instead of more grass. And don't ask for your towels to be changed every day.

Keep in mind that if the lake water shortage continues, many of the following activities will probably be affected in one way or another, if they aren't already.

The Alan Bible Visitor Center, also known as the Lake Mead Visitor Center, 4 miles northeast of Boulder City on U.S. 93, at NV 166 (tel. 702/293-8990), can provide information on all area activities and services. You can pick up trail maps and brochures here, view informative films, and find out about scenic drives, accommodations, ranger-guided hikes, naturalist programs and lectures, bird-watching, canoeing, camping, lakeside RV parks, and picnic facilities. The center has some sweet exhibits about the area and is staffed by friendly folks full of local pride. It's open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

For information on camping, boat rentals, fishing, tours, and more, visit the National Parks Service website at www.nps.gov/lame.

The entry fee for the area is $10 per vehicle, which covers all passengers, or $5 per person if you're walking, motorcycling, or biking in. Entry fees cover 1 to 7 days and yearly passes are available for $30 per vehicle or individual.

Boulder City

You might want to consider poking around Boulder City on your way back to Vegas. Literally the company town for those building Hoover Dam, it was created by the wives who came with their husbands and turned a temporary site into a real community, since aided by the recreational attractions and attendant businesses of Lake Mead. It doesn't look like much as you first approach it, but once you are in the heart, you'll discover that it's quite charming, an old-fashioned town all the more preserved and quiet due to its status as the only city in Nevada where gambling is illegal. It's worth getting out and taking a little stroll. There are some antiques and curio shops, and a number of burger and Mexican-food joints and family-style restaurants, including the Coffee Cup Diner, 512 Nevada Hwy. (tel. 702/294-0517; www.worldfamouscoffeecup.com), which is right on the road to and from the dam. A '50s diner in looks and menu, it has the usual burgers, shakes, and fries, plus complete breakfasts, and is inexpensive, friendly, and a good place to take the kids. Note: The restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch, from 6am until 2pm.

Where to Stay -- There are no hotels on Lake Mead proper anymore, so if you want to do an overnight visit that doesn't involve a tent, your closest options include the resorts at Lake Las Vegas or nearby Boulder City. The latter offers several small no-frills motels, RV parks, and a couple of noteworthy accommodations, including the historic Boulder Dam Hotel, 1305 Arizona St. (tel. 702/293-3510; www.boulderdamhotel.com), which was built in 1933 as a place for high-level government supervisors to stay during construction of the dam; and the Hoover Dam Inn, 110 Ville Dr. (tel. 800/934-8282), formerly a Best Western, which offers a host of up-to-date amenities and some pretty good views of the lake.

For more information on Boulder City accommodations, call the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at tel. 877/847-4858.

Leaving (Lake) Las Vegas

Originally created as a playground for the rich and famous (Céline Dion has a house here), Lake Las Vegas is a man-made reservoir created in a formerly dry, dusty valley about 20 miles east of the city on the way to Lake Mead. Surrounded by multimillion-dollar houses and rambling upscale condominium complexes, the bulk of the area is privately owned; but curving gracefully around the western lip of the lake is MonteLago Village, an homage to an Italian seaside community that features accommodations, dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation options for those with a taste (and a budget) for the finer things in life.

But the area has been hit hard by the global economic recession and many of the reasons to visit have vanished. The fantastic Ritz-Carlton hotel, the casino, and two of the three golf courses have all closed. While a stripped-down version of the casino reopened in May 2011 with fewer slots and no live table games, the area is still a shadow of its former self.

There are still several shops and restaurants at MonteLago Village, 75 Strada Nathan, Henderson (tel. 866/752-9558; www.montelagovillage.com), and the Loews Lake Las Vegas, 101 MonteLago Blvd. (tel. 702/567-7000; www.loewslakelasvegas.com) is still up and running. The latter is a true resort facility that may look familiar if you remember the Julia Roberts/John Cusack movie America's Sweethearts, which was largely filmed here. The entire property has a subtle Moroccan design scheme that flows from the public areas to the more than 500 rooms. With a spa, several pools, restaurants, recreation programs, kids programs, and more, you won't be lacking in things to do here or in ways to be pampered.

The former Ritz-Carlton was purchased by the luxury hotelier Dolce Group and reopened in 2011 as Ravella. Though not much has changed in the room and amenities department, a focus on the business traveler has diminished some of the personal touches that made it special. There is also talk of the casino reopening at some point.