Wondering what things to do in Boulder City, Nevada? Camp, hike to hot springs, mountain bike, take a nature-themed sculpture walk, kayak, explore a rail trail, hike to a natural arch, check out street art, visit a dam good brew pub, investigate a hidden museum, or wander through a bowl of fire! All of this in a post chock full of the details you need to customize your own active RV travel adventure. It’s right next door to – but a world away from – Las Vegas!
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A Wealth of Things to Do in Boulder City
Leaving Kingman, Arizona, we should have been heading to Utah according to group plans made the night before, but I woke up wondering why we are heading north so fast. We have more time to explore before we finish up in southern Nevada and head up to Utah.
Why not stop in Boulder City first? There are plenty of things to do in and around the Lake Mead Recreation Area. In fact, it’s one of the best outdoor adventure locations we’ve found. Hiking, biking and water – win, win, win.
It took less than a minute to convince our travelling cohorts to revamp plans!
We stop in Boulder for a night – and leave a week later. Whether you love history, enjoy active RV travel adventure, or simply want to mix and match your activities depending on the day, Boulder City – and surrounding area – has everything you need.
Camp in Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Boulder Beach Campground is conveniently located about 3 miles (5 km) from main street Boulder City. Tucked in Lake Mead Recreation Area, you will need a valid National Park Pass to access.
Arriving late morning, we are a little worried as the campground seems quite full. There are no reservations here; it’s all first come, first served. Fortunately, two spots come open. We set up camp and pay for two nights.
Update: Camping again in January 2023, the camping system has changed at Boulder Beach. Now only sites 1-9 are first come, first served. The remainder require a reservation.
The campground is an oasis in the desert – full of lush vegetation and overlooking the clear waters of Lake Mead and distant, colourful mountains. Washroom blocks have flush toilets but no showers. At $20/night (plus park pass), it’s still a steal of a deal.
Cycle A Historic Rail Trail
Wolfing down a quick bite of lunch, we unload the bikes and head out for a sweet cycle up the paved path to the Historic Railroad trailhead (1.8 miles/3 km one-way). On the level railroad grade, we cycle out another 3 mi (5 km) above the lake.
It’s a sweet ride through colourful volcanic rocks and five tunnels. A sign explains how ‘round the clock shifts of workers completed the railway in 1931 in a mere five months. The railroad tracks were removed in the 1960s and the route opened for recreational use in the mid-1990s.
All the interpretive signage along way is appreciated – especially the sign with the image of Rock Island in 1985 and Lake Mead with no white bathtub line. You can continue biking down through the small canyon to the Hoover Dam itself (about another 1 mile/1.6 km one-way) and search for the bronze statue of the rock scaler.
Up Your Biking Game in Bootleg Canyon
As easy as the rail trail is to bike, we want a bit more of a challenge for our next biking adventure so the next day we head over to Bootleg Canyon. It’s a short 15-minute drive from our campsites to the Bootleg Canyon trailhead with pavilion shelter and washrooms. From here it’s a rough dirt road up to our objective – Outer Caldera parking lot.
Find biking gear at MEC!
Within minutes of unloading the bikes and setting out, the first fall happens. Out comes the water to rinse and bandaids to help control our friend’s road rash bleed. One down. Now it might be time to note that Outer Calera is rated ‘advanced’ in the first section. It says blue, but I’m thinking more like a deep dark indigo so close to black that it might as well be black.
We did a lot of hike-a-bike off the parking area. Finally, a spot to ride but I take a loose rocky corner with my seat too high and lose control. After the blue air dissipated, out comes the water to wash away the trail dust and assess the damage. Ouch. Two down.
Not five minutes later our other friend gets a little close to the edge and goes over – but manages to catch himself before any serious damage was done. Three down… but thankfully that’s the final score. Brad comes out unscathed.
Getting Into the Flow
Outer Caldera has one nice flowy downhill section after the first tough bit, and then it climbs back up and down with a few more hike-a-bike sections in between.
The guys opt to climb up Boy Scout trail to the peak for a view. We girls head back to trucks and down Girl Scout to the lower parking area and pavilion – a sweet end to a rocky start!
More Cool Things to Do in Boulder City: Side Trip to the Nature Discovery Park
Of all the things to do in Boulder City – this is one of the quirkiest! Waiting for the guys to drive down with the truck, my friend and I head downhill to big metal bike sculpture in roundabout for the not-to-miss photo op.
When the guys drive down, we load up bikes and head downhill to the second roundabout and onto gravel road to try and find the Nature Discovery Park. There’s an easier paved road entrance, but we take the back way in.
Whether you’re biking or just wanting to take a stroll, the giant wildlife statues in this Discovery Park are quirky good fun. There’s a giant bunny, scorpion, Gila monster, rattlesnake, horny road, roadrunner, and desert tortoise. Each one has a plaque offering natural history information. And as you wander, each statue provides another awesome opportunity for goofy pics!
Hike to Arizona Hot Springs
Looks like we’ll need to pay for another night or two! The nice thing about Boulder Beach Campground is that once you have a site (#1-9 only – the rest are reservation only), if you pay for another night before checkout time, you can stay for up to two weeks. Perfect for those of us who keep find more adventures that can’t be missed.
We’ve got a hot springs hike on the agenda for today. It’s a 15 to 20-minute drive from our campsite to the Arizona Hot Springs trailhead at Mile 4 on AZ 93 passing by Hoover Dam on the way.
This trail is quite exposed and can be deadly hot. Early spring temps are normally lower, but we want to get a jump on the heat. We’re hiking under clear, blue skies by 8:45 a.m. It’s a super scenic walk down through multi-coloured rock canyon along Hot Springs trail to Arizona Hot Springs. Beauty day with warm but not hot temps as we scramble down a few low dryfalls.
“Wow”
“Ohhh!”
“I love it!”
Naked Guy in a Hot Pool
Think our friends were liking the adventure – but it’s about to get even more exciting! When we reach the upper pool, I think our friends almost squeal with happiness. The first pool is much deeper than we remember, reaching almost to my waist.
Daypacks held high, we climb over a pile of white sandbags and into the second pool. It’s almost up to my armpits – although thankfully cooler than the upper hot pool.
In the third pool there’s a naked, fully tanned, mid-50ish guy sitting with a glass of red wine. It’s 10:00 am! He chats nonchalantly with one our friends, giving him a biz card in a plastic sleeve. Didn’t want to think where that came from! John Blackwell, hot pools creator. Now we know why the water levels are higher than last time we were here.
Climbing down the 20-foot (6 m) ladder with water – cooler now – still dripping over the edge, we make our way down to the base of rock with care. We splash through water for a couple hundred feet before it disappears completely in the sand and rocks.
Time for a snack of oranges and apples sitting beside the Colorado River watching canoeist and kayakers come and go and a washroom break at the pit toilet next to river. We’re ready for the return hike back through White Rock – a slight scramble on a signed trail across rock to the next canyon upstream. By 2 pm we’re back at the car with smiles on our faces after a delightful 6.6-mile (10.7 km) loop.
One of the Best Things to Do in Boulder City: Enjoy Patio Time at Best Dam Brew Pub
All this outdoor activity and exercise makes a person a little hungry and thirsty. Good thing there’s Boulder Dam Brewing Co and its brew pub with a sweet outdoor patio waiting for us!
Historic pieces of equipment used in the construction of the dam are scattered around the property. Inside the brewpub, artwork reflects construction of the Hoover Dam.
But enough of the décor, it’s time to settle in with a flight of hand-crafted beers. Powder monkey pilsner, anyone? Ahhhh!
Tour the Dam Museum in the Historic Boulder City Hotel
After the pub, we strolled across the street to check out the historic Boulder Hotel and walked inside. Desk clerk said museum still open as he hadn’t closed it yet if we wanted to have a look. Museum? And it’s free? Ummm… yes, we want to see it!
It’s a hidden gem. The museum includes the history of building the dam, excellent interactive displays and a slightly dated but still worthwhile 1970s era film. So many dam facts and photos!
Stroll Past Boulder City’s Street Art
We couldn’t resist ending the day with a short stroll down main street to revisit some of our favourite bronze sculptures that grace the corridor. Don’t miss Alabam. He’s the Toilet Paper Hero of Hoover Dam. With thousands of workers involved in the Hoover Dam – clean, well-stocked toilets were a must-have amenity!
Be sure to check out this free walking guide to all of the downtown Boulder City murals and sculptures.
Another Day, Another Wander: Hike to Liberty Bell Arch
Up 6:15 a.m. and on the trail at 7 a.m. – what are we thinking? Basically we’re thinking of avoiding the heat on this short and scenic but completely exposed hike up to an American classic – the Liberty Bell… Arch.
One other man is hiking down as we approach the top shortly after 8 a.m. Keener was there for sunrise. It’s an easy walk up past old mine site and along what remains of haul road. We stop for photos at the arch before continuing up to the summit overlook of the Colorado River. The early morning light softens the colours on the canyon walls to muddy brown, burnt orange, white, olive green, beige, buff, red…
Spectacular – and worth the every moment of that early morning start. Besides, now we’ve the rest of the day for laundry and groceries… or another bike ride or hike!
Kayaking Black Canyon of the Colorado
It’s possible to float the entire length of the Black Canyon from the dam to Willow Beach but there’s a caveat. You need to get a Parks permit ($15) through a guide who will take you down the road from the dam to the water ($50). It also takes 48 hrs to get parks permit as they need to do a records check.
We decide to save the 12-mile float for another visit when we have more time. Instead we’ll paddle upstream from Willow Beach (roughly a 30-minute drive from camp) and explore a little on our own.
Find inflatable kayaks at Aquabatics!
The cool thing about this stretch of the river is that on Sunday and Monday, no motorized boats are allowed upstream of Willow Beach. We pull into the parking lot to discover dozens of people in tour groups putting in at the paddle launch/takeout. Driving past, we put in at the boat launch near the restaurant – and have it almost to ourselves.
On the Water in the Desert
Our pace is relaxed with some light paddling, a lot of photo-taking, and a little birding. There are lots of birds on water – from the ubiquitous coots and mallards to cormorants and grebes and more.
It’s an easy 1 ¼ hours to Emerald Cave. Note that this cave with lime green-coloured water is an extremely popular tour group stop. There is a lineup of almost 20 kayakers waiting for their turn to paddle into the cave for a photo op. We keep paddling upstream.
Looking for more places to paddle in Arizona? Check our guide for 9 of the best places to kayak!
Along the way, historic remains of a wooden catwalk and two cable car trams are spotted on the canyon walls. The “gauger” was employed to measure river depths. He walked 1 ½ miles from home to his worksite in the canyon, along the catwalk and pulling himself across the ravines in the trams each way, every day!
Lunch Time!
Spotting a sandy strip of short beach on left we pull out and stretch. It turns into chairs being set up with feet in the water while we take turns stand up paddleboarding on our friend’s new Origami kayaks!
Heading back down towards Willow Beach, we explore a tiny “emerald” cave on right (across from big on). There’s still a lineup waiting to go into the cave for their pic. We keep paddling.
Kayaking the Black Canyon – what a cool adventure!
Warm Up with a Walk in Bowl of Fire
Time to turn up the heat. Our last big adventure in the Boulder City area is hiking into a bowl of fire. Seriously – that’s the name of the area! Driving north along Lake Mead Parkway, we continued on Northshore Rd. to a pullout between mile 18 and 19 (no signage here!). It’s about a 35 to 40-minute drive from camp.
A well-beaten path leads into a wash and the first dry waterfall. It’s not difficult to scramble over and there’s also a bypass to left. We set out to explore and complete a heart-shaped meander through and up over and down and around the red and beige and green and brown rocks. It takes 5 1/2 hours for a 9.7 km loop. So much to see as we tiptoe through (actually around) the crypto. As my friend says, it’s a “wander through the wonder!”
Note for Explorers
Crypto is cryptobiotic soil – an extremely fragile, dark-brownish, sponge-like looking crust that breaks easily when stepped on. It’s created by living organisms such as algae, cyanobacteria, and fungi. It’s an important part of this ecosystem as it helps bind the soil in place. Take care to avoid walk on it whenever you can.
When You Go to Explore Boulder City and Area
We came planning to spend a couple of days camping and exploring around Boulder City – and ended up leaving a week later! Give yourselves enough time to appreciate all the amazing things that this outdoor adventure place has to offer.
For more information, start with the Travel Nevada website.
The Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas is a great resource.
Looking for Even More Nevada Adventures? Check out These Posts!
Valley of Fire: Prospect Trail and Other Hikes
Nevada: Hiking Grapevine Canyon
Put This in Your Pocket: Nevada’s Mount Irish Archaeological Site
3 Cool things to Do in Overton | Nevada
What an amazing summary of a very active and fulfilling week!!! Love it!!!
We were with the most amazing adventure buddies – always helps make the story sing!