Trip Idea

1-4 Hour Hikes at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Multiple Parks

A birds eye view photo looking down along a trail.
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Geology, River and Riparian, Trails, Tunnels, Colonization and Settlement
Activities Front-Country Hiking
Parks Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Historic Railroad Tunnel Birds Eye View
A bird's eye view looking down at the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail as it bends around and overlooks Lake Mead.

NPS/A. Harrison

1-4 Hour Hikes
  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Historic Railroad Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Fall
    A tunnel constructed of wood beams looking out down a trail towards another tunnel.

    The Historic Railroad Trail features incredible vistas of Lake Mead and Boulder Basin and five tunnels – each approximately 25 feet wide.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Northshore Summit Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A cloudy sky over a mountainous landscape.

    A perfect place to take in the desert in all its vastness and striking colors.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Owl Canyon Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A trail cuts through a winding canyon.

    Owl Canyon Trail narrows and deepens into a slot canyon with 100-foot vertical walls in the most confined section.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Redstone Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    Looking out of a cave in a rock formation out into a desert landscape.

    The fiery eroded formations on this trail were once part of a vast desert landscape.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the St. Thomas Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    Old historic buildings left in a desert landscape.

    Today, remnants of the town are now visible thanks to the lowering water levels of Lake Mead.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Wetlands Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A river with bluffs in the background.

    The Wetlands Trail follows a dry dirt trail down to the flowing Las Vegas Wash, where water from the Las Vegas Valley dispenses into Lake Mead and shapes the landscape through erosion.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Lake View Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A cove next to a geologic formation.

    Lakeview hiking trail allows visitors to explore the beautiful mountainous landscape and the desert flora and fauna including creosote, brittle bush.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Fisherman's Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A sandy dunes in a desert landscape with a small body of water

    Fisherman's Trail follows the southern outline of the harbor at Katherine Landing.

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  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Hike the Bluffs Trail
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 1–4 Hours
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    A trail winds above on a high vista overlooking a small stream.

    Bluffs Trail overlooks the Las Vegas Bay and Las Vegas Wash, where visitors can see a stark contrast in vegetation between wet and dry areas.

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Last updated: December 13, 2023