Leave Las Vegas
US 93 towards Boulder City, then exit onto NV 172. About 55 km, under an hour.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Current weather
Hoover Dam
Data will appear when this section is open.
Weather model data for the area shown. In summer the concrete crest and the bridge feel noticeably hotter than the shade.
The dam in photos
Click a thumbnail to see the full image.
About an hour is enough for the dam and the bridge. With the drive from Las Vegas and back it takes 3–4 hours, so Hoover Dam fits easily into a short gap in your day.
Sources checked: . Hours, tours, parking and security rules according to the Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the dam. Check current notices before you go.
EntryWalking across the dam and on the bridge is free. The dam is open daily 5:00–21:00.ParkingGarage by the Visitor Center, Nevada side: 10 USD per car. Free parking for the bridge.Time neededAbout 1 hour for the crest and the bridge. With the drive from Las Vegas, 3–4 hours.
From my experience: perfect for arrival day. I stop here on every trip to the West. We usually land in Las Vegas around 10–11 in the morning, and hotel check-in starts at 15:00. Those few hours are enough to drive to the dam, walk across the crest, go up onto the bridge, take photos and get back to the hotel. We spend perhaps an hour at the dam itself, and you do not need more. We do not go inside: after the flight we prefer to rest before an evening on the Strip. I pay nothing to drive in, only 10 USD for parking at the dam.
Getting there and security
From Las Vegas take US 93 towards Boulder City and exit onto Nevada State Route 172, which leads to the dam. It is about 55 km, usually under an hour's drive.
About 1.5 km before the dam there is a security checkpoint, where your car may be inspected, including the trunk. Firearms and explosives are not allowed, and drones are banned. The dam is no longer a through route: after crossing to the Arizona side you have to turn around and return to Nevada.
Bureau of Reclamation — visitor information ↗Parking
The most convenient option is the multi-level garage by the Visitor Center on the Nevada side: 10 USD per car. RVs, vehicles with trailers and other oversized vehicles must park on the Arizona side, in lot 9 (10 USD) or lots 13 and 14 (free).
The bridge has its own free parking lot by the road to the dam, on the Nevada side. From there you reach the bridge by stairs or a gentle paved path.
Bureau of Reclamation — parking ↗The bridge over the canyon
The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge opened in 2010, so that US 93 traffic no longer had to cross the dam. It stands about 270 m above the Colorado River. A sidewalk runs along the bridge, and the best view of the dam, the power plants and Lake Mead is from roughly the middle. You do not need to cross to the other side.
You cannot see this view from a car, so it is worth stopping and walking up. There is no shade on the bridge, it is often very windy and the traffic is loud.
Bureau of Reclamation — Hoover Dam ↗Inside tours (optional)
The Visitor Center is open daily 9:00–17:00, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The last tour leaves at 16:10. Prices according to the Bureau of Reclamation: self-guided Visitor Center 15 USD, Power Plant Tour 25 USD (children 4–16: 15 USD), Dam Tour 40 USD. Children 3 and under are free.
The Dam Tour is sold only on site, first come, first served, and it often sells out. The America the Beautiful pass is not accepted. Entering the buildings involves airport-style screening, and knives of any size, even small pocketknives, are not allowed.
Bureau of Reclamation — tours and tickets ↗Heat and two time zones
In summer the canyon can be over 40 °C, and the concrete on the crest and the bridge radiates heat. There is no shade. Bring water, since bottles are allowed, and a hat.
A curiosity: the Nevada–Arizona state line runs through the middle of the dam, and the two intake towers carry clocks showing each state's time. Arizona does not use daylight saving time, so in winter the clocks differ by an hour, while in summer they show the same time. The dam's opening hours are given in Nevada time.
When to visit the American West →Lake Mead and the surroundings
The dam creates Lake Mead, which when full is the largest reservoir in the USA. The pale band on the rocks around the lake marks the former, higher water level, a result of the long-running drought in the West.
If you want to drive down to the lake's beaches or viewpoints in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, you need a park pass: 25 USD per car for 7 days, or the America the Beautiful pass. On the way from Las Vegas you pass Boulder City, the town built for the workers who built the dam.
NPS — Lake Mead fees ↗How to plan it — step by step
Roadside security check
A short stop at the checkpoint about 1.5 km before the dam. No drones or weapons in the car.
Park and walk the crest
The garage by the Visitor Center costs 10 USD. Walk across the crest to the Arizona side and look down into the canyon.
Walk onto the bridge
On the way back, stop at the free bridge parking lot. The middle of the bridge gives the most famous view of the dam.
Head back or keep going
Return to Las Vegas or continue to Boulder City, Lake Mead, or towards Arizona, Route 66 and the Grand Canyon.
What to see on site
Times are approximate and do not include the drive from Las Vegas. Tour prices according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
The dam crest30–45 min · free · easy
Time30–45 minCostfree (only parking is paid)Difficultyan easy walk on a flat sidewalkHoursdaily 5:00–21:00
A walk along the whole length of the dam, from one state to the other. On one side you see Lake Mead and the intake towers, on the other a 221 m drop to the power plants and the river.
Bureau of Reclamation ↗Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Bridge20–40 min · free · stairs or ramp
Time20–40 minCostfree, with free parkingDifficultystairs or a gentle paved path from the parking lotBest viewfrom roughly the middle of the bridge
This is where the best-known photo of Hoover Dam is taken, with the dam, the power plants and the lake in one frame. There is no shade on the bridge and it is often windy.
Visitor Center and Power Plant Tour15–25 USD · tickets online · wheelchair accessible
Visitor Center15 USD, self-guidedPower Plant Tour25 USD, children 4–16 15 USDAccessibilityaccessible for wheelchairs, scooters and strollersHours9:00–17:00, last tour 16:10
The Power Plant Tour takes an elevator down into the dam to the generator hall. Tickets for these two options can be bought online.
Bureau of Reclamation — tickets ↗Dam Tour40 USD · on site only · tunnels and elevators
Cost40 USD per personBuyingon site only, first come, first served; the whole group must be presentAccessibilityno strollers or motorized wheelchairsIncludeshistoric tunnels, inspection tunnels, the ventilation shaft and the Power Plant Tour
The most complete tour of the inside. It often sells out, so arrive in the morning.
Bureau of Reclamation ↗Hoover Dam is a regular arrival-day stop on my Chicago & the American West trip, before we check in at the hotel in Las Vegas. If you are planning on your own, the dam combines easily with Valley of Fire or with a drive towards the Grand Canyon.
Additional sources: Bureau of Reclamation — Hoover Dam ↗ · NPS — Lake Mead National Recreation Area ↗