Wuhai Lake, a reservoir formed by the Haibowan Dam on the Yellow River, is the geographic centrepiece of Wuhai and the destination that the city's tourism infrastructure has been built around. The lake occupies a narrow channel between desert dunes on the west and sandstone cliffs on the east, producing a landscape of unusual visual drama: sand meets water meets cliff in a sequence that seems implausible until you see it. Summer evenings at the lake, when the light turns the dunes orange and the water goes still, justify the trip from wherever you came from.
The lake has been developed with a promenade along the eastern shore, several boat launch points, and the Jinsha Bay resort complex on the western dune shore. Boat trips on the lake are available from multiple points; the forty-minute circuit around the main body of water gives the best overview. The lake is also a reasonable birdwatching destination — grebes, diving ducks, and waders use the shallow margins, and the cliff faces on the east shore host breeding swifts and kestrels.