Hoover Dam Visitor Guide 2026: Tours, Prices and Tips from Vegas

Hoover Dam is the easiest big day trip from Las Vegas. The Bureau of Reclamation, which runs it, puts it 30 miles southeast of the city on the Nevada-Arizona border, and you can see it in a morning: walk across the top for free, take one of three paid tours inside, and look back at it from the bridge that now carries the highway over Black Canyon.

This guide covers what each tour includes and costs, when things are open, how to get there, and how to fit in Lake Mead and Boulder City. Prices, hours and rules were checked on the Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service websites in September 2026. Tour prices rose since older guides were written: the Powerplant Tour is now $25, not $15, and the Dam Tour is $40 and sold only on site.

Hoover Dam at a Glance

The Three Tours Compared

All three are run from the Visitor Center on the Nevada side. Children 3 and under are free on every tour.

Self-Guided Visitor Center Tour ($15)

The cheapest way in. You get the narrated exhibits, a 360-degree observation deck over the dam, the lake and the canyon, and a 3D model of the dam. It suits a quick visit or anyone who wants the story without going underground. Note that the Visitor Center is a paid ticket; it is not free to enter, as some older guides say.

Guided Powerplant Tour ($25)

The most popular choice. A guide takes you through construction-era tunnels to a viewing platform over one of the 30-foot-diameter penstocks, the huge pipes that carry water to the turbines, and then to the powerplant, where you see eight of the generators. It includes Visitor Center access, and it is the only guided tour open to wheelchairs, scooters and strollers. You can buy online and upgrade on site.

Guided Dam Tour ($40)

The fullest tour, and it includes everything on the Powerplant Tour. Reclamation says it adds the historic tunnels, a ride in the original elevator to the top of the dam, the inspection tunnels inside the dam itself and views of the Colorado River. It is sold only at the dam, first come first served, so arrive early if you want it, especially on weekends and in holiday periods. Strollers and motorized wheelchairs cannot go on this tour, and the tunnels are narrow.

Which tour should you pick?

• Short on time or on a budget: walk the top for free and skip the tours, or add the $15 Visitor Center.
• First visit: the Powerplant Tour gives you the generators and penstocks at a mid price, and it can be booked ahead.
• Engineering fans: the Dam Tour, if you can get there early enough to buy a place.
• With a stroller or wheelchair: the Powerplant Tour or the self-guided Visitor Center.

Reclamation warns that tour activities may be limited around busy periods: two weeks either side of Easter, early August, after Thanksgiving, and from late December into early January.

What You Can Do for Free

• Walk across the top of the dam. The walkway runs between Nevada and Arizona, with Lake Mead and the intake towers on one side and the drop to the river on the other.
• Cross a time zone. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so for most of the year (roughly March to November) the Arizona side is on the same clock as Nevada; in winter it is an hour ahead.
• See the memorial. The Winged Figures of the Republic and a plaque honour the men who died building the dam.
• Walk the bypass bridge (below) for the classic view down on the dam.

The one cost you can't avoid if you drive to the Nevada-side garage is the $10 parking fee.

The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Opened in 2010, the bridge carries I-11/US-93 across Black Canyon just downstream of the dam, so through traffic no longer drives over the dam itself. It has a pedestrian walkway, and the view from the middle, looking down on the whole dam face with Lake Mead behind, is the photo most people come for. The walkway is reached from a parking area and path on the Nevada side of the bridge. There is little shade, so avoid midday in summer.

Reclamation's directions note that if you want to drive into Arizona after visiting the dam, you go back into Nevada and cross the bridge; not every vehicle is allowed across the dam roadway.

A Short History

The dam was built to tame the Colorado River's floods and store its water for farms and cities in the Southwest, and to generate power that paid for the project. According to Reclamation:

• It stands 726.4 feet from its foundation to the roadway on top.
• The dam contains three and one-quarter million cubic yards of concrete, and 4.36 million cubic yards including the powerplant and related works.
• Concrete placement began on June 6, 1933, and finished on May 29, 1935. The whole project was complete by March 1, 1936.
• The official number of deaths is 96, counted as "industrial fatalities" at the dam site from drowning, blasting, falls, rockslides, equipment and truck accidents.

One persistent myth is worth putting to rest: no one is buried in Hoover Dam. Reclamation explains that the concrete was placed in interlocking blocks a few inches at a time, with workers watching every pour, which made it virtually impossible for anyone to be entombed.

The dam also created Lake Mead, now the centre of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area that surrounds it.

Getting There from Las Vegas

Driving

Take I-11 South/US-93 South past Boulder City and leave at Exit 2. Go through the traffic circle onto NV-172 and follow Hoover Dam Access Road to the security checkpoint and the Visitor Center parking garage. Reclamation warns of periodic delays, especially in holiday and summer periods, so allow extra time.

• Security: vehicles pass a security checkpoint before the Visitor Center.
• Parking: $10 per vehicle in the Nevada-side garage.
• RVs and oversized vehicles: must use the Arizona-side lots: Lot 9 is $10, and Lots 13 and 14 are free.

Organised tours

Many Las Vegas tour companies run half-day trips to the dam, often with hotel pickup, and some combine it with the Grand Canyon West Rim or a helicopter flight. Check whether a dam tour ticket is included, whether time on site is enough for the tour you want (the Dam Tour sells out on the day), and the total price with fees. Our Grand Canyon tours guide and helicopter tours guide cover the combination trips.

Public transport

There is no practical public transport from the Strip to the dam. Drive, take a tour, or use a ride-hailing service and arrange the return trip before you go, since phone signal and pickups at the dam are not guaranteed.

Planning Your Visit

How long to allow

• Quick stop, 1 to 2 hours on site: walk the top, see the memorial, and walk out on the bridge.
• With a tour, 2 to 3 hours on site: add the Powerplant or Dam Tour and the Visitor Center deck.
• Half day or more: add lunch in Boulder City or a stop in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

When to go

Arrive when the Visitor Center opens at 9 a.m. if you want the Dam Tour, and remember the last tour leaves at 4:10 p.m. Summer is dangerously hot in the canyon: the National Park Service warns that temperatures in the area can reach 120 degrees F in the shade, so do the outdoor walks early and the tour in the heat of the day. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, and weekdays are quieter than weekends.

What to bring

• Water, a hat and sunscreen: there is little shade on the dam or the bridge.
• Comfortable closed shoes for the tunnels and walkways.
• As little as possible: you go through a security checkpoint, so leave large bags in the car.
• A card or cash for parking.

For tour questions, Reclamation lists a toll-free number, (866) 730-9097.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

The dam sits inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which the National Park Service manages. Entering the recreation area beyond the dam, for its beaches, marinas, scenic drives and trails, needs a park entrance pass. The NPS lists these fees:

The America the Beautiful interagency pass is accepted. The NPS notes that navigation apps may label park roads as toll roads because of the entrance fee.

Popular stops near the dam include Boulder Beach and the Historic Railroad Trail, a walk along the old construction railroad grade and through its tunnels. The NPS advises against daytime hiking in summer and recommends November to March, when ranger-led hikes are also offered. Our Las Vegas hiking guide and outdoor adventures guide have more ideas.

Combining It with Other Trips

• Boulder City: the town built for the dam's workers is on the way, with a small historic downtown that is good for lunch before or after the dam.
• Grand Canyon West: many tours pair the dam with the West Rim. It makes a very long day; see our Grand Canyon West Rim guide.
• Valley of Fire: reachable via Northshore Road through the recreation area, but it is a long day, and many of its trails close from May 15 to September 30. See our Valley of Fire guide.
• Red Rock Canyon: west of the city, the opposite direction, so it is better as a separate trip. See our Red Rock Canyon guide.

A Sample Half-Day Plan

• 8:15 a.m.: leave the Strip; allow 45 minutes to an hour including the checkpoint.
• 9:00 a.m.: park, then buy Dam Tour tickets on site as the Visitor Center opens (or use a pre-booked Powerplant Tour).
• Late morning: after the tour, walk across the top of the dam and see the memorial.
• Around noon: drive to the bridge parking area and walk out onto the bridge.
• Lunch: stop in Boulder City on the way back.

For more ideas for your trip, see our best things to do in Las Vegas.