I visited the Hoover Dam once as when I was 11 years old, and I still remember it as being a spectacularly awesome site. I was utterly impressed by the massive curved arc of concrete spanning between two steep canyon walls. In my memory, that giant wall dropped down for miles. I was truly fascinated by the experience. And why shouldn’t I be? The Hoover Dam is one of those man-made marvels – like the Golden Gate Bridge or Mt. Rushmore – that just sticks with you.

Fast forward a few decades to 2019. We returned to the desert Southwest for the fall/winter, and I found myself wanting to revisit Hoover Dam. Part of me needed to see if it’s as truly impressive as that imprint left behind in my childhood memory. Would it seem smaller, and perhaps a bit less remarkable, when viewed all these years later? So with this question nagging the back recessing of my mind, we set off for Boulder City, Nevada and the home of the Hoover Dam.

The majority of tourists visiting Hoover Dam arrive by car from nearby Las Vegas. They drive across the road atop the dam, or maybe stop for a bit to take photos, and then return to their hotel having ticked off another historic site. Meanwhile, I wanted to linger and share this experience with my own teenage son. So, why not get the full experience by cycling to the dam along the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail?

Building a Dam

The Hoover Dam was built in the stark Nevada desert between 1931 and 1936. Transporting supplies and machines to create this massive structure wasn’t easy though. Thirty miles of railroad lines had to be built from Boulder City down to the facilities in the valley below where the dam would eventually be built. The majority of these rail beds are now submerged under Lake Mead or lost to development around the area. But a few miles still remain behind to remind modern visitors of the historic legacy of building this 20th century engineering marvel.

Part of the trail’s allure is the series of tunnels that pass through the side of the mountain as it approaches the dam. The five tunnels, each of which is 300 feet long and approximately 25 feet high, were built to help transport the large metal penstocks and equipment to the dam as it was being built. The size of these tunnels really impresses upon you the enormous scale of the building project.

Each tunnel was dug through hard volcanic rock in the sweltering 100 degree temperatures of the southern Nevada desert. The crews built them by and hand and with jackhammers, and the tunnels’ rough hewn sides tell the tale of the immense effort required to bore through these hills.

Humans aren’t the only visitors exploring the trail these days. Mexican free-tailed bats take up residence in the tunnels between May and October each year, basking in their cool respite from the brutal sun. Other small wildlife can be spotted between the tunnels including rabbits, lizards, and ravens. I even spotted one tarantula walking across the path during our visit!

The Trail

Since the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail follows the old railroad bed, it’s very level and flat, making it ideal for hikers of all ages and abilities. We decided to spend a week camping inside Lake Mead’s National Recreation Area, where snowbirds often come to visit the campground or even boondock in various areas in the desert.

The Lake Mead Recreation Area has a 34-miles of multi-use trails, and we stayed at one of the campgrounds adjacent to the paved cycling path. Thus, it was a mere 2-mile ride up to the beginning of the Historic Railroad Trail, and from there, it’s another 3.75 miles between the trailhead and Hoover Dam. All in all, an uncomplicated 10-mile (roundtrip) afternoon bike adventure.

The Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail’s surface is mostly hard compacted dirt, and the trail is quite wide. This is a major advantage, since it tends to be fairly heavily-trafficked with walkers, hikers, and families with strollers. We opted to ride to Hoover Dam in the late afternoon to time our arrival when most tourists were departing for the day. This also meant we were able to ride the trail during non-peak hours and didn’t have to weave around the crowds.

The first four tunnels appear in rapid succession as you work your way through the side of the mountain. Each one is long enough to plunge you into darkness, with just the end of the tunnel backlight as your target. Then you pop back out trying to blink away the sharp transition back into the bright desert sun. Looking out to our left, Lake Mead looked like a shimmering topaz of blue against the desolate moon-like landscape.

After 2.2 miles on the dirt trail, we were completely through the tunnels. From here, the dirt trail passed through a gated area and continued for another 1.5 miles over rolling hills toward the Hoover Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation refers to this section as the “equipment boneyard” and you can inspect a collection of old dam parts and pieces along the route.

Finally, near the terminus of the trail we passed beside a tall forest of metal towers and transmission lines that promptly remind us Hoover Dam is more than a just a breathtaking tourist site. It’s real purpose it to harness enough hydroelectric power to serve the electric needs for more than 8 million people in Arizona, Southern Nevada and Southern California. You can virtually feel the electricity buzzing through the lines as you pass beside them.

Hoover Dam Revisited

Once the end of the trail, it was time to give our bikes a rest and walk down the immense 5-story parking structure to visit Hoover Dam. True to it’s origins in the 1930s, the vast majority of the dam’s signs, artwork, visitor center, elevator towers and nearby statues are done in sleek Art Deco styling.

Looking at Hoover Dam, it was exactly as impressive as I remembered. Nervous jitters still crept up my neck as I inched toward the edge. And peeking over the wall toward the steep drop down brought the same thrill and awe. The bike ride back along the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail made it even sweeter, allowing us to appreciate the dam’s dramatic results while riding along the edge of Lake Mead.

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about tackling the Historic Railroad Trail on an upcoming visit, here’s a few extra nuggets you may want to know before you go:

• Parking. There’s a medium-sized trailhead parking area located just before the entrance for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. In addition, you can find a larger parking lot at the Lake Mead Visitor Center. Parking in both lots is free.
• Hike before 10 am. The National Park Service urges special caution for hikers attempting this trail during summer months. Park rangers have to respond to hikers suffering from heat exhaustion EVERY DAY during the summer. So, unless you plan to hike this trail during the winter months, it’s best to complete your hike before 10 am.
• Bring plenty of fluids. Because of the low humidity in the desert, it’s common for the sweat to evaporate off your body as soon as it hits the air. As a result, you may not realize how hard you are working or how dehydrated you’ve become while exercising. Make sure to carry water and/or an electrolyte drink during your hike.
• Bathrooms. There are pit toilets in the parking lot near the Alan Bible Parking Center (at the start of the trail) and bathrooms with flush toilets located on the lowest level of the Hoover Dam parking structure at the opposite end of the trail.
• Watch the weather. Monsoon season brings heavy rains to the Nevada and Arizona desert between mid-July and early September. Make sure to bring a poncho or rain jacket if you intend to hike during these months.

Want to know more about the Historic Railroad Trail?

Check out these local resources:

• Historic Railroad Trail (National Park Service)
• Hoover Dam – Official Site (Bureau of Reclamation)
• Trail Map for Historic Railroad Trail (All Trails)

Interested in some other great cycling adventures?

Here’s some other of my blog posts on the subject:

• Biking on the Trans Canada Trail…20 km down, 23,980 to go
• An Afternoon Riding on Acadia’s Carriage Roads