Family-Friendly Ways to Explore Hoover Dam

Planning a family trip near Las Vegas or Northern Arizona? Visit Hoover Dam for breathtaking views and fascinating history.

On our last road trip through Nevada, we decided to stop by the famous Hoover Dam, the most well-known and now the second-largest dam in the United States.

The Hoover Dam is an incredibly impressive sight and absolutely worth a visit. It also has a fascinating history that you can learn about when visiting the site.

The dam sits on the Colorado River, right on the border between Nevada and Arizona. Many visitors from Las Vegas include a stop at Hoover Dam in their trip, as it’s just a little over a half-hour drive from the city.

Hoover Dam

Built between 1931 and 1936, the Hoover Dam was the largest concrete dam in the United States when it was completed. Construction took five years and was finished during the Great Depression.

The dam’s main purpose is to generate power for Nevada, Arizona and Southern California. Even before construction began, the Colorado River was seen as a valuable resource for many purposes. It even flows all the way to Mexico.

At one point, water from river was diverted to irrigate farmlands in California. Unfortunately, this caused severe damage when fertilizers and pesticides carried by the water killed nearly all life in California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea. We’ve actually visited there once, and it’s a haunting place to see.

Thousands of workers were involved in building the Hoover Dam, and 112 men lost their loves on the job. Most deaths were caused by falls, drowning, or other accidents, and some workers also died from illnesses that spread at the site. A few even took their own lives.

To give you a sense of scale, the dam is often compared to a 60-story building. Workers would climb the canyon walls suspended by ropes while shaping the rock for construction with almost no safety equipment. Eventually, they were given hard “protective hats” to protect them from falling rocks, which was quite an innovation at the time.

A total of 3.4 million cubic meters of concrete was used to build the dam. Rumor has it that a few workers accidentally fell into the wet conrete during the pour and are now forever entombed inside the structure.

The dam’s original name was Boulder Dam, as it was initially part of the Boulder Canyon Project. However, Congress changed the name in 1947 to honor President Herbert Hoover, who played a major role in its creation.

Today, Hoover Dam is also a major tourist attraction, drawing nearly seven million visitors every year. In 2007, locals voted it as one of Arizona’s Seven Man-Made Wonders. It includes places like the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, London Bridge, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, Petrified Forest National Park, and the Montezuma Castle National Monument.

Visiting Hoover Dam

After breakfast in Las Vegas, we hit the road toward Hoover Dam. It’s such a popular destination that the last stretch of the drive took much longer than expected. Although it’s only about 35 minutes from Vegas, it ended up taking well over an hour to actually get there because of the long security check point line.

Cars were randomly pulled from the queue for inspection, and of course, we were one of them. Maybe it was the tinted rear windows, or maybe we just looked suspicious… who knows! But it did seem like they were mostly checking SUVs and larger vehicles.

Thankfully, the inspection itself was quick. The officer peeked inside the car through the windows and asked us to pop the trunk open. Our trunk was completely packed, so they just gave it a quick glance before they waved us through.

When we finally arrived to Hoover Dam, the place was packed. There were cars everywhere, and even the huge parking garage was almost full. Luckily, someone was just leaving, and we managed to grab their spot. Parking cost $10.

One fun fact about Hoover Dam is that if you walk across it, you actually cross from one state to another; from Nevada to Arizona. The time zone changes too! For a moment, you can set your clock one hour ahead, then walk back across and turn it right back again.

 

From the top of the dam, you get breathtaking views of the Colorado River and the new bridge built in 2010. The Hoover Dam Bypass was designated to ease traffic for those who just want to cross the area without stopping. When you look down, you can really grasp the massive scale of concrete pured into this engineering marvel.

Visitors can also join a guided tour that takes you inside the power plant and to the visitor center. Unfortunately, when we visited, the visitor center was under renovation, and the tour had been shortened to just a small section of the power plant. We also had a toddler with us, so we figured that just walking around the dam will be enough for us. And it really was!

The first place we headed over was the viewing point. Honestly, I found the viewing platform even more impressive than standing on top of the dam itself. It’s actually located on the bridge you see in the photos above, offering a totally different perspective of the whole area. My husband disagreed, he preferred the dam. I guess it’s all a matter of taste!

Access to the viewing platform is from the road leading to the dam, just before you actually reach it. Follow the sign for the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge Plaza. From there, you can also snap a photo right next to the iconic “Welcome to Nevada” sign.

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After our family adventures in Las Vegas and our stop at Hoover Dam, our road trip continued into Utah, where we explored Cedar Breaks National Monument. From there, we crossed back into Nevada to visit the Great Basin National Park, and finally drove home along Highway 50, also known as “The Loneliest Road in America”.

In my opinion, Hoover Dam is one of the best day trips from Las Vegas, right up there with the world-famous Grand Canyon and the stunning Valley of Fire. It’s an easy drive, and perfect for a short adventure before heading back to Sin City.

You can also visit the dam on guided tours from Las Vegas. It’s a great option if you don’t feel like driving yourself.

Our visit to Hoover Dam was such an interesting experience; it’s not every day you get to see a structure of this scale up close! If you’re ever in the area, it’s absolutely worth the stop even with the kids.