The Hoover Dam is considered an engineering marvel. Impressive considering the dam was constructed in the 1930s, prior to the design of many engineering tools and techniques that would be made this work easier and safer. In a five year span, approximately 21,000 workers would place 5 million barrels of concrete to construct the dam. At the time, the entire project cost 49 million dollars. If constructed today, it’s estimated the dam would cost 750 million dollars to complete. A visit to the dam is a unique opportunity to learn about the flood controls, hydroelectricity as well as wildlife and recreation opportunities the dam provides.
The Hoover Dam harnesses the Colorado River, which straddles Nevada and Arizona. This means that when you walk the rim of the dam, you cross state lines. Plus, since Arizona does not observe daylight savings, you may be changing time zones. Pictured below are the boys; one standing in Arizona and the other in Nevada. They thought it was fun to be right beside each other yet in different states.
Hoover Dam just recently re-opened guided tours to visitors after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. We were lucky enough to arrive just a few weeks after the re-opening. Though excited to participate in a guided tour, it was frustrating that online reservations were not available. As of April 2022, guided tour tickets were available first-came, first-serve and only at half-capacity. I was nervous we’d be turned away when we arrived.
Guided Dam Tour
We got lucky. When we arrived at Noon guided tour tickets, with a stop at the power plant, were still available but not until three-thirty. At first I thought we’d struggle to fill the time until the tour started. As it turned out, the wait was about the right amount of time to grab lunch, see the dam movie, walk through the narrated exhibits and fully explore the rim of the dam.
Our one hour guided dam tour began with an elevator ride to the bottom of the dam. While waiting for the elevator, a look out the wall of windows gave perspective on the dam’s grandeur. In a few short minutes, we traveled 726 feet to the bottom of the dam and arrived at the Nevada Powerhouse. The power plant guide gave excellent information on how power in generated using turbines on each side of the river. Ultimately, the power needs of Arizona, Nevada and most of Southern California are met with electricity generated at Hoover Dam.
After the power plant tour, we continued on into the belly of the dam for a walk through the inspection tunnels and ventilation shafts. Sticking our arms out the grates of the ventilation shaft was a tour highlight as was learning about how cracks and seepage in the dam or managed and maintained.
Our trip to Hoover Dam was a pit stop on the way home from time spent in Petrified Forest and Joshua Tree National Parks. The trip was the first ever in our camper van. We hope to take many more adventures as a family.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle