Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead, which was the nation’s. first National Recreation Area, is extremely popular for boating, fishing, and swimming. The two lakes that make up the Lake Mead NRA were formed by the Hoover and Davis Dams. Surrounding the lakes are the country’s three major desert ecosystems—the Mojave, Great Basin, and Sonoran deserts.

Our drive between the Hoover Dam and Zion National Park took us right past Lake Mead National Recreation Area. My first impression of Lake Mead from the overlook by the Visitor Center was that it seemed fake—more like a painting than reality. It was breathtakingly beautiful and had such an impact because it was the first time we had experienced the striking contrast of desert, water, and mountains in one visual expanse.

Rather than going back to I15, we chose the more scenic drive along the lakeshore. Around lunchtime, we stopped on the northern part of the lake at Overton Beach for a picnic lunch. As it was an extremely hot afternoon, we quickly donned our bathing suits and ran madly into the lake in hopes of some refreshment. However, at about 85 - 90 degrees, the tepid water was hardly refreshing. The water at this beach was quite shallow, probably accounting for its warm temperature. It was great fun anyway and a nice break on our 5 hour drive to Zion.