Lake Mead NRA cools down, hiking heats up
The country's first designated national recreation area recently turned 57. Lake Powell hardly celebrated by sharing a drink. VP Harris visits today.
So I’m a little late to the party.
Happy belated birthday, Lake Mead.
You’re definitely beginning to look your age, at 57. You look a little empty around the edges, too. What’s the matter, isn’t Lake Powell making your cup runneth over?
It’s a tough time being an artificial lake in the Southwest Desert these days, what with a shortage of Colorado River water that shows no sign of ever returning to the old days.
Despite the well-chronicled bath tub ring for Lake Mead, the national recreation area still packs in the visitors. The booming population of southern Nevada, plus the return of visitors to the Las Vegas Strip, keeps the target for another visitor day count of 8 million this year in the NRA.
People still want to see Hoover Dam, plus the modern Interstate 19 highway bridge nearly 900 feet above the Colorado River in front of the dam.
The summer heat has subsided and camping, biking, hiking, fishing and other water sports are in prime season.
Be sure to bike or walk the Historic Railroad Trail through four tunnels from the Lake Mead NRA Visitor Center below Boulder City to Hoover Dam. It’s a classic recreation experience, one of the best in the National Park Service system.
And there still aren’t many architectural icons in the United States with the wow factor of Hoover Dam, completed in 1936.
A special guest today (Monday, Oct. 18) is Vice President Kamala Harris. She will be all business as see inspects the water situation in Lake Mead.