Historic Railroad Hiking Trail

The Historic Railroad Trail is a 3.7-mile out-and-back walk on a flat, wide gravel path from the Alan Bible Visitor Center to a viewpoint above the Hoover Dam parking area. It follows the old construction railway, which means a comfortable grade and five enormous tunnels cut into the cliff above Lake Mead. The tunnels are dark but not threatening — bring a torch if you want to read the construction graffiti on the walls.

The views across the lake are excellent throughout, and the trail is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible. It can be brutal in summer afternoons (no shade and reflective rock), so go early or in the cooler months. The trailhead is a few minutes east of Boulder City on the road to the dam; there is parking and a visitor centre.

things to do sight hiking historic
A story
The trail follows the bed of the U.S. Construction Railroad, which carried supplies and concrete to Hoover Dam between 1931 and 1961. Five massive tunnels were blasted through the rock above Lake Mead to keep the gradient gentle — they are wide enough to drive a truck through, and you walk straight along the old rails.

Other places in Things to Do