Las Vegas: Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Audio-Guided Tour

Begin your adventure by downloading the Action Tour Guide app; a one-stop solution functioning as your personal tour guide, audio narrator, and interactive map.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Your journey to the colossal Hoover Dam begins on the Las Vegas Strip. As you drive through the Las Vegas Valley, delve into the city's wild beginnings, from its inception as a modest railway town to its early years as a bustling gambling hub. Hear how the Hoover Dam helped the later-struggling city survive.

Behold the mighty Colorado River and follow the struggles to channel its raging power. Become spellbound by the challenges and the creativity used to make the dam a reality.

Meet the significant figures behind the Hoover Dam project, including the dynamic Frank "Hurry Up" Crowe and the consortium called the Six Companies.

The next stop is Boulder City, a federally-funded city, established for the Hoover Dam construction. Hear about the rugged and harsh conditions in which its workers lived.

The Lake Mead Viewpoint offers captivating views of the man-made lake born from the Hoover Dam.

If you wish, take a hike on the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail that follows an old railroad route. Proceed to the Lakeview Overlook, another magnificent vantage point to appreciate Lake Mead's grandeur.

As the dam draws near, opt for a stop at the Boulder Dam Bridge Overlook for a breathtaking view of the Hoover Dam. You can either drive across the dam or park and walk along its impressive rim!

Finally, arrive at the Hoover Dam Lookout on the dam's far side and consider its impact on the Southwest and its future. Your captivating tour of the dam concludes here.

For Lake Mead, your tour commences at the visitor center. Hear stories of geological history and metamorphosis, while viewing multicolored rock formations. Unearth Indian tribes and admire how they diverted water for survival! Also pass the hot springs which Paleo-Indians deemed therapeutic and sacred.

Proceed past the Las Vegas Wash, a valuable stopping point and which helped early farmers and miners eke out a living.

Bring to life explorers like John Wesley Powell, who bravely explored the uncharted portions of the Colorado River. Uncover how Lake Mead namesake Elwood Mead went against the grain pushing for revolutionary water management practices.

Unveil more of the river’s wildness by bringing the Imperial Valley Disaster to life.

Observe increasingly rare mesquite trees, which helped tribes sustain life, cradling newborns and helping them cook!

See the Hamblin-Cleopatra Volcano, and discover how it broke into three distinct pieces over time!

Learn of the Puebloans and their unique world, including the clay domes with which they covered their homes!

Track down the animals that call this area home, including tarantulas and Gila Monsters.

You’ll also be chilled by tales of plane crashes and murder in the area!

The journey comes to an end near the White Dome Trail, full of short slot canyons and behemoth sandstone formations.