Hoover Dam and the Colorado River

Route description

From the Las Vegas Strip, head southeast on I-11 to Boulder City, a quiet town built for the workers of Hoover Dam. The 726-foot dam, with Art Deco details, holds back Lake Mead on the Colorado River at the Arizona–Nevada line. Walk out on the bypass bridge to see the dam from above, or drive down to the dam itself, passing a security checkpoint on the way.

US-93 continues southeast across the Arizona desert to Kingman, a town on historic Route 66 with a museum dedicated to the old road. From there, I-40 heads west and AZ-95 south to Lake Havasu City, on a reservoir of the Colorado River.

Lake Havasu City is home to the 1830s London Bridge, bought and shipped stone by stone to Arizona in the 1960s and rebuilt over a channel. The lake is popular for boating, and the town has beaches and parks along the shore. It gets very busy during spring break and on summer holiday weekends.

Summer temperatures often exceed 110°F, so carry plenty of water and avoid hiking in the heat of the day; late fall to spring is the best time. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so its clocks match Nevada’s in summer but are an hour ahead in winter.