Hoover Dam Bypass

I spent my teen years in Las Vegas Nevada and made many trips across NV-AZ border via Hoover Dam to visit family in AZ. From LV to Hoover used to time consuming: 4 lane road thru Henderson, up hills past Railroad Pass, turning into Boulder City for left turn down a hill to sprawling Lake Mead, then tortuous 2-lane winding road down to Hoover Dam, across the dam and a couple of switchbacks up to the plateau. God forbid you followed a big truck or car pulling a trailer. Sometimes we would park and walk the walkway along "Boulder Dam" built in 1936 for a scary view down the steep concrete sides. In 2010 a $240 million project was completed that bypassed Boulder City, replacing the winding descent with a big bridge across the Colorado River above Hoover Dam. Since we had lived in the East from 1998-2015, my first trip across the Bypass about 2016 was a surprise. Subsequent visits, including this recent trip from Idaho to Phoenix via Nevada, still always surprise me. Here we were, winding our way thru Vegas on the 515 belt route, whipping along Henderson seeing nothing but new houses, noting the Boulder City turn off and pretty houses on a distant hill, and then somehow magically we were in Arizona! I love it for quick travel but I do miss the windy road and the scary dam views.

We drove over to the Dam from Vegas and found it well worth the time and effort. You should plan to wear comfortable shoes and clothes if you want to the the walking tour. We paid extra for the "Hard Hat" tour and it was well worth the small extra charge. This structure was built in the first half of the 20th Century and still rivals anything we can build with today's CAD Engineering Systems. Plan for a full day if you make the drive over from Vegas.

We were about to drop it out of our to-visit list fue to time constraints but ended up staying one extra day. Definitely worth the visit as the 200m dropdown is way more impressive to see in real life than in photos. In the low season parking is available for free on the Arizona side of the Dam so that will save you some USD.

Worth visiting the new bridge too for a more impressive even view, and to stop in other viewing areas around Lake Mead.

This is the vehicular bridge spanning the dam, now Interstate 11. Has an exit for the dam proper, where your vehicle will have to pass a security check. There will be a couple of parking areas before getting to the towered parking adjoining the dam site. The second parking area offers a short uphill walkway where you can walk across the I-11 bridge. From here you get really great views of the dam structure, geology, and the lake. I would opt for this if you have the energy. Once you drive down to the dam and park (there is a fee) you can walk around and explore the exterior surroundings as well as enter the facility and take a guided tour. However, I must caution old timers that you can no longer exit the dam by vehicle into Arizona via the access road. You must use I-11 now.

The Hoover Dam is located about 45 minutes drive away from downtown Las Vegas. So you'll decide if you want to rent a car or book a tour. When you drive your car across the Hoover Dam Bypass, you cannot see the dam or the water below. The cross winds are sometimes frisky. There is a one hour time change when traveling across this bypass because Nevada is in the Pacific time zone and Arizona is in the Mountain time zone. From the bypass, which is I-11, follow the signs to the dam. You can drive your car across the dam between Arizona and Nevada or you can park your car and walk across the dam using the pedestrian walkways. There is a gift shop, cafe, and restrooms as well as a monument with recorded dictation and bronze inscriptions. All of this is free. If you wish to take a tour inside, you can stop into the tourist information center or ask for directions at the gift shop. This site is well worth the visit for school age kids, young people as well as seniors. Keep in mind that if you're visiting in the summer, it is hot, hot, hot outside. And in the winter, the cold winds can be biting. So dress accordingly. Take lots of pictures and when you leave Hoover Dam, you can query the internet for additional information.

The Hoover Dam has always been a favorite tourist stop in Las Vegas. While you are there, take the time to walk the Pat Tillman bypass bridge. It is accessible by wheelchair via a switchback ramp, or you can take the stairs. Once on the bridge, there are bronze plaques describing the step by step bridge construction time line. The views from the bridge are jaw-dropping. If you are lucky, you might see some big horned sheep grazing on the hills nearby. It is a leisurely walk taking about an hour to cross the bridge and return.

thought it was not worth the $10 admission no tours so just walk around would take a pass next time and just walk around myself .
He also asked if we were over 61 but then charged us the full fare I asked him so no discount for over 61 and he said no only on the tours and they are not operating at the moment.
So why ask I asked him he said just habit

Hoover Dam has been seen by me 3 times and it never grows old.
The vision that it holds in the valley of rocks is truly amazing. The history of the people who died and lived while building this Hoover Dam. Our tour guide Adam Klasfeld was well informed and very dramatic in telling us the stories. I definately would take Grand Canyon Tours again as their vehicle was exceptional for comfort and getting in and out of the vehicle at our stops.

We drove our rental car from Vegas to the Hoover Dam on Jan 2, the busiest week of the year to visit, according to an employee there. The drive was pretty easy and close enough for a half day trip. There was sooooo much traffic and we had to go farther and farther and farther away. Ready to throw in the towel, they had opened the parking garage for additional vehicles just as were going to leave. You can walk around on your own or pay for tours. There were a few different options based on your budget and what you wanted to see. We just did the visitor center and exhibits as we had lost a lot of time driving around the area. Great exhibit on the construction of the dam and amazing views. Glad we were able to get in there to get a little more out of our visit.

It’s cool to walk over this bridge. The architecture is amazing. The way they built the memorial bridge roadway. There is a switchback to walk up or stairs. Makes it easier if you can’t climb stairs easily. Strollers and wheelchairs fit as well. There are informational boards along the way so you can learn all about the build and also the two men the bridge is named after. I knew all about Pat Tillman but not about Mike O’Callaghan so it was nice to read about his accomplishments. The railing along the bridge is high enough that I didn’t feel weird about being so high. I felt safe and secure. The views are amazing. The mountains are beautiful and surreal. It wasn’t a bad walk but we didn’t go all the way into Arizona as we didn’t feel like it. But it was a nice walk after learning about the Hoover Dam.