Touring America 2023

The Hoover Dam was created to tame the Colorado River. As a result the water collected behind the dam formed a lake, flooding all of the lands located in the flood plain created by the construction of the dam. This lake is Lake Mead, this country's largest reservoir. When full this lake is massive. 120 miles long, 550 miles of shoreline and 247 square miles of surface area. Maximum depth is 500 feet. One interesting note is on the bottom of the lake lies a B-29 Superfortress which crashed into the lake in 1948. No lives were lost and the plane sits relatively intact on the bottom. The Superfortress had a wingspan of 141 feet ! Jagged mountains surround Lake Mead and serve as a dramatic backdrop for the lake. Besides providing water for Nevada, Arizona and California, Lake Mead serves as a mecca for almost any type of water sports. Because of it's size and depth, almost any size vessel can be powered or sailed on it's waters. Congress designated Lake Mead as a National Recreation Area in 1964, the first such designation bestowed as such in the United States.

Entrance to the Lake Mead NRA

The Lake as viewed from the Scenic Overlook near Hoover Dam

Along the Lake Mead Scenic Corridor, Nevada Side

Near Boulder Bay in Nevada

Mountains in the distance that surround the Lake

Rock outcroppings that are covered when the Lake is near capacity

One of the many inlets of the Lake, popular with houseboaters

The sun sets on the mountains in the distance.

There are many places to camp around the Lake, including State campgrounds, Arizona and Nevada, and numerous private ones. Some are accessible only by boat, some are limited to smaller RVs or tents and some can accommodate the largest RV.  Many have full hookups. It does get very hot during the summer months but during the winter, the areas around the Lake are pleasant. Of note to boaters is the fact the wind does pick up almost every evening on the Lake, sometimes very strong.  The camping areas, not so much.