Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

We’ve been busy hiking and exploring Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Leaving our gravel ground in Needles, CA and heading into Lake Mead seemed like paradise. As soon as I set eyes on the beautiful blue water, in the desert no less, I wished we’d come sooner.

Yes, the lake is really, really low. Much lower than when I was here in 2003. But it still beautiful and has enough water to tease your senses. My only disappointment came when I realized that we couldn’t camp in the National Park Service campgrounds. They have zero hook-ups. At a bare minimum, we need electricity. There goes my $10 night, darn.

We took a long hike with our furry crew member shortly after we arrived. It felt awesome to have all this space to stretch our legs out. We didn’t make it all the way down to the lake. It seemed so much closer than it actually was. After a few miles, we turned back around before it got dark.

HOOVER DAM

We made it over to Hoover Dam on Friday. I didn’t want to go on the weekend and I’m glad we didn’t. Friday was crowded enough. We ended up doing the power plant tour. It was pretty interesting. It’s amazing how much the dam changed life for so many.

Before the dam, the Colorado River was an untamed force that provided water for those living in the area. In the spring, the snow would melt and flow down the Rocky Mountains into the Colorado River, flooding the area.

Anything in its path would be engulfed by the mighty waters. They would spill well outside their boundaries and flood houses, fields, etc. It was a force that needed to be tamed in order to improve the lives of those living here.

The dam was constructed in just five years. When it was complete, Lake Mead was a result of the diverted water while the dam was being built. A man-made wonder that brought a reprieve in a harsh environment.

The following states receive water as a direct result of Hoover Dam: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. It also provides power to several states as well.

generators

This is what you get to see while on the power plant tour. This is straight from the Hoover Dam main website:

• Penstock Viewing: This location is atop one (of four) of the huge 30-foot-diameter pipes that can transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each second from Lake Mead to the dam’s hydroelectric generators. An animated display helps describe the complexities of the construction of the dam, and how it presently operates.

• Power plant Generators: A quick elevator ride up to the Nevada power plant balcony takes you to a panoramic view of the 650-foot-long Nevada wing of the power plant and eight of the dam’s 17 huge generators. Also, don’t miss the beautiful and intricate terrazzo floor designs under your feet.

They had a lot of cool hands on things for the kids to do. They were really getting into the stations. One was manning your own power station. The first time, we failed. But the second time was a charm and we were ready for employment.

HIKING HISTORIC RAILROAD TRAIL

On our last day at Lake Mead, we hiked the Historic Railroad Trail. I was glad we did this after we toured Hoover Dam. The Railroad Trail is the remnants of what used to bring in supplies for the construction of the dam. The railroad was shut down after the construction of the dam. Then the tracks were removed and sold as scrap.

So essentially, we were following a trail where tracks used to reside. But what was so neat about it was the tunnels that still remain. They were very tall and wide in order to allow for oversized supplies. I was glad the girls were able to see the size of the generators and equipment beforehand as it gave them a better understanding. In the summer, bats live in the ceilings.

Reminds me of the Painted Desert

What do I love about them? They make for some sweet pictures. I love anything that creates an opening you can look through. Even better, an opening you can frame a subject in. And of course I thought they were cool from a historical perspective.

We could see places along the trails where they threw the railroad ties over the edge of the cliffs. We hiked about five miles of the trail. On the way back, the kids pretty much ran the entire way. I hustled behind with our furry crew member. When we got home, I was calling Loki our Dirty Desert Dog! He had red desert dust on his feet and parts of his face.

LAKE MEAD

View looking down from trail

I really like Lake Mead. I wish we had more time to ride our bikes on one of the paved trails. We did manage to make it to the water with Loki in tow once. He immediately started heading into the water! He hasn’t been able to frolic in a lake since Branson.

I’m not sure if any of the campgrounds owned by the park service have any hook ups. But I do like those campsites much better than the one we’re in. For starters, there are more trees. They’re right next to our RV park so we’ve been walking the dog over there.

One morning on our walk, we saw a woodpecker. I got some video for you but the dog was barking and then moving around so I couldn’t get a good still video. It was a Gilded Flicker Woodpecker. How do I know this? Because of the awesome explorer program they have here.

It’s a whole separate program from the Junior Ranger one. The kids were able to check out a backpack with all kinds of cool things inside. There were bird, plant and animal field guides, a wind meter, thermometer, field notebook, a pencil pouch with pencils/sharpener and more. I found the woodpecker in the field guide.

There was a checklist that provided suggested activities we could do in the park. It was required to do at least three but encouraged to do as many as you could. The kids really enjoyed it. We did this alongside the Junior Ranger program. They are really earning a ton of badges and learning along the way. So am I.

As we bid goodbye to our time here at Lake Mead, we say hello to Vegas baby! The kids are excited as dad and sister will be arriving in on Tuesday. I know what I’ll be doing, dropping them off at the resort with dad and going back to the RV to sleep as long as I want! Then off to hit the Vegas strip. Ah, freedom calls!

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{HUGS} from the Crew!