Hoover Dam - Boulder City (Las Vegas), Nevada

Address:US Highway 93 at the Nevada-Arizona border
Nevada
Tel: (702) 494-2517

Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of its time. The dam straddles the border between Nevada and Arizona on the Colorado River, 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. This massive public works project was built between 1931 and 1935 and was named after President Herbert Hoover who played an instrumental role in its construction. The dam's construction created Lake Mead, which extends for 110 miles behind the dam, and provides boating, fishing and other water activities for vacationers, who come from all over to avail themselves of the attractions. Awe inspiring views abound – of the structure itself, of the Colorado River rushing through it, of deep blue colored Lake Mead, and of the surrounding desert.

Please note that following ramped-up security measures in the wake of 9/11, it is no longer possible to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. You can, however, take a surface tour that leaves regularly every half an hour from the visitor center. The full tours last about 2 hours and it is recommended that visitors arrive by 3pm. Even if you didn't plan to visit Hoover Dam, you may end up there anyway – US93, which passes over the dam, is the only road crossing the Colorado River for a stretch of hundreds of miles.