Since we were staying with a view of Lake Mead, of course we had to go down to the lake edge. Plus, we visited the nearby Hoover Dam, which created and feeds from the lake.

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is “America’s first and largest national recreation area”.

We drove to the lake:

The lake is at a record low level due to the ongoing drought, so much of the road is actually below where the water level should be:

A life jacket loaner station:

A long walk to the lake edge:

The current lake edge:

Not entirely sure what this structure is; seems to be pipes. There is a sewage treatment plant nearby, so probably related to that:

Blowing dust:

Then we drove along the road that should be just above the water level:

A glimpse of our RV in the campground:

The boat ramp, which has been extended several times as the water receded:

On the way back up, we noticed signs indicating the water line over the years. I’m including a picture of each sign, and the metadata map indicating where it is. Note that the water line indicated by the map isn’t current; it’s lower than shown. Here’s 2018:

2008:

2002:

2000, about where the water should be at capacity:

We stopped by the Lake Mead visitor center:

Visitor center store:

Lake model:

Then we continued on to Hoover Dam.

On the way to the RV park, we went over this bridge in our coach, the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. When Jenn saw it from below, she said she was very glad she hadn’t realized how high it was at the time. That Wikipedia article says it “incorporates the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere. At 890 feet (270 m) above the Colorado River, it is the second highest bridge in the United States”:

Leaning towers hold the electrical cables away from the canyon wall:

We drove over Hoover Dam:

One of two spillways, that haven’t been used in decades:

After driving across and back over the dam, we parked, had a snack in the cafe, went to the gift store, then the visitor center. Which wasn’t worth it; I’d recommend skipping it unless you’re really interested. There were few displays, and about half were out of order. And they charged $10 each to get in… plus you have to go through a security checkpoint (that made me remove my fabric belt, for some reason).

But one exhibit that was somewhat interesting was a video showing the dam being built, which I recorded and made into an animated GIF:

Another display:

The visitor center also had an observation deck with a good view of the dam:

Wide angle:

Top of the dam:

Power house:

Valve house:

Bridge:

Power houses:

Oh dam:

Dam selfie:

Bridge and river:

Then we walked over the dam:

Power houses:

Bridge and visitor center:

Dam:

Plaque:

Bridge and river:

Wide angle:

The parking garage and visitor center:

A high-and-dry spillway:

Back of the dam:

Lake Mead, and one of four intake towers:

Wide angle:

Back of the dam:

Arizona-side intake towers:

Lake Mead:

A plaque halfway across:

And the divider between Nevada and Arizona:

Windy selfie:

Nevada-side intake towers:

Lake Mead:

Exhibits building (which was closed):

Spillway house:

Back of the dam:

Wide angle: