Lake Mead, the blue jewel of the desert, Las Vegas

At first glance, you see the incredibly deep blue color of the water. It appears to be suspended between the surrounding mountains that are adorned in captivating shades of red and brown. And you catch your breath with the absolute wonder of it all.

Whether for the first or the 100th time, when you see Lake Mead, you experience an incredible feeling of awe. Here you are, in the Mohave Desert, and the blueness and vastness of the water strikes you as impossible. How can so much water be in a desert? Is it a mirage?

No. It's not a mirage.... Lake Mead is Las Vegas's private water wonderland. It's the "locals" escape from the heat, the dust, the concrete, light-filled city we all love; and the tourist’s adventure of a lifetime. The Lake is our "Grand Dame". A man-made wonder that never ceases to amaze or entertain us. And we, as locals, take refuge in it every chance we can.

The Lake Itself

Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the world with over 150,000 acres of water, and is made up of five sections of basins and arms. You could spend days on the Lake and never see it all. We've tried!

Lake Mead is located about 30 miles from Las Vegas; a 35 minute (20+/- miles) drive from the Las Vegas Strip.

"The Lake" (as we locals call it) is an astounding feat of ingenuity. There are over 550 miles of shoreline. It offers a variety of things to do including boating, swimming, skiing, sunbathing, and fishing. The photo opportunities are endless! The desert surrounding Lake Mead is filled with hiking trails, and you never know when you're going to see one of our infamous animal neighbours like a squirrel or Big Horn Sheep or mountain lions on one of your hikes.

As you enter the Lake Mead Recreational Park (after you pay your $5 admission fee to the National Park Service that is good for up to five days admission), start your adventure at the  Lake Mead Marina

Lake Mead Marina

Park your car, and walk atop the wooden dock that (for the most part) allows you to side-step the very loud quacking and honking ducks and geese, and walk over the hundreds of striped and wide-mouthed bass, carp, channel cats and sunfish begging for popcorn, bread and leftover foodstuffs.

The marina gift shop is filled with postcards, books, maps and souvenirs, plus a variety of food and drink. Take a minute and buy some popcorn, and then feed the ducks and geese and fish. If you have a video or camera with you, make sure you use it. The wide-mouthed fish begging for their daily influx of popcorn is a sight to see! And you'll be showing those pictures or videos to everyone for years to come.

Lake Mead Marina is also the closest marina to Hoover Dam. (If you intend to launch or rent a boat and visit Hoover Dam from the Lake, this is the best place to start.) There are excellent facilities here. There's a lodge with a swimming pool and a great view of the lake; a full-service marina with a large rental fleet of almost every type of boat including personal watercraft; and the marina features slips, moorage, repair facilities and gas dock. Plus there's a bait and tackle shop for the fishermen of the group.

The 'floating' restaurant at the Marina has delicious food and very reasonable prices. It's not gourmet, but it's plentiful and hits the spot. Depending upon the season, service can be quick or slow, but once you're at the Lake, it doesn't matter anyhow. The stress that kept your shoulders tucked around your ears has already begun to ebb out of your body. Tension? What's that? Put your watch away! There's no such thing as "time" at the Lake.

Sit in the shaded outdoor dining area behind the restaurant that faces the Marina, and check out the hundreds of beautiful boats moored within your sight. The array of power and sail boats is unlimited; the variety of styles and colours unbelievable. And the names of the boats will sometimes make you laugh. People DO have such imaginations!

If you're feeling a little envious of the boat owners, don't! The Marina rents all types of boats, so if you want an adventure on the water, rent one! Its fun, not expensive, and your fun will add value to your memory banks.

Lake Mead is a "Must-Not Miss" part of your trip to Las Vegas. Go ahead... Have Fun! Make A Memory!