Gem of the Southwest: Must-Do Lake Mead

When you get that first whiff of springtime, it’s hard to wait any longer to hit the water and return to your cruising routine! So why should you have to?

While it may take a little while for the rest of the country’s aquatic hotspots to thaw out and return to their summertime brilliance, Nevada’s Lake Mead is just about there already. Balmy daily high temps that hover around 80, and the serene Mojave setting, form the perfect backdrop for springtime cruising. Plus, there’s even more to explore on land!

Read on as we explore this gem of the Southwest, as well as a few attractions to enjoy as you dry off and regain your land legs. Take a look.

Cruising charm

The crowning glory of Lake Mead is, of course, the water itself. With a vivid blue surface, painted against the backdrop of its rocky desert digs, Lake Mead is the perfect place to spend your day—and end it, too, since sunsets here are particularly breathtaking.

When it comes to cruising, you’ve got plenty of room to explore. The lake’s surface spans nearly 250 square miles—and in terms of water capacity, it is the largest reservoir in the United States. Wide-open channels mean that you can enjoy fast-paced runs on the water, soaking in a smooth ride as the desert landscape blurs around you. You can throw on a dry suit or wait until waters warm up a bit to hop in for boarding or skiing fun.

With 550 miles of shoreline, you can also slow things down and explore the coast more closely. Here you will find unique rock formations, cozy on-the-water restaurants like the Harbor House Café, and serene beaches where you can kick back, relax and admire the view.

Visit the Hoover Dam

While Lake Mead is a marvel of its own, another national landmark sits just minutes away. The lake is actually formed by the Hoover Dam, one of the country’s most well-known engineering feats. The Dam is expected to reopen from road maintenance in mid-April, when you will be able to take a tour and see the majesty of Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the Dam from a one-of-a-kind, bird’s-eye perspective that’s sure to make you marvel at just how beautiful—and expansive—the Southwest really is.

Explore a local ghost town

For history buffs and those with a thirst for chilling treks, there’s the ghost town of St. Thomas to explore—it’s like stepping into the Old West, minutes away from the luxuries of modern life on and off the water. In 1935, as Lake Mead began to be filled, residents of small-town St. Thomas were told to leave because their homes would soon be underwater. One waited until the last minute, and actually paddled away from his house when water levels got too high! Today, remnants of the town are back above the surface, and you can stroll through its old roads and look at the ruins of what were once homes, a school, a water tower and even an ice cream parlor—while there’s naturally no ice cream left, you might just find yourself craving some when you head back to Lake Mead on a hot day! Be sure to download the St. Thomas Field Guide from the National Park Service so that you can connect the ruins to their past roles in real-time.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this virtual tour—now discover the mystique of Lake Mead for yourself! From your Vortex, the opportunities are about as endless as the dreamy desert horizon itself.