Just 12 miles south of Las Vegas, Lake Mead has long been a recreational spot for Las Vegas residents yearning for respite from the midnight neon.

Covering the waters of both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, the 2,337-square-mile recreation area also sees the Colorado River cut along the desert border of Arizona, adjacent to the Grand Canyon National Park.

The lake is a perfect spot for camping, its most popular point being the aptly named Boulder Beach, located near the Alan Bible Visitor Center along Hwy 93.

The massive Hoover Dam created Lake Mead and tamed the Colorado River and its tributaries. Taking four years to construct, Boulder Dam, as it was originally called, was completed in 1935 for $165 million.

While this large artificial lake provides outdoor diversion for thousands, it is also a lifeline for the parched desert area. Measuring 110 miles long and over 500 feet deep, the reservoir irrigates hundreds of miles of land extending well into Mexico. It also supplies water and electricity to over 18 million people in the tri-state region that encompasses Nevada, Arizona, and southern California.

At the Hoover Dam Center, visitors can tour the dam’s imposing basement as well as a subterranean station that houses the massive turbine pumps. The admission fee is quite high, but it includes a preview film of the dam’s construction. There are a host of activities available in the park, such as boating, scuba diving, and water-skiing.

For anglers, the lake is laden with catfish and trout. Lake Mead also has many interesting treks, including hikes to the old Mormon town of St Thomas and Wishing Well Cove. There are also many secluded coves suitable for mooring a boat.

The drive along State Route 169 from the lake’s northern boundary is the most scenic. Near the Muddy River is the Lost City Museum, with artifacts of the ancient Anasazi people who erected the Pueblo Grande de Nevada, or the Lost City, at the mouth of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers around AD 1000. Though the Lost City was excavated during the 1920s, remnants from the dig were tragically washed away after the Hoover Dam filled Lake Mead in the 1930s.

Just 6 miles west of Overton are the ancient jagged rock formations and petroglyphs of the Valley of Fire State Park. Once an inland sea, the area has been patterned by wind and sun for over 140 million years. Its uplift of sand became solidified and in time eroded into serrated ridges, which reflect a kaleidoscope of classic desert colors. By mid-afternoon, the sun extracts a stunning medley of scarlet, cinnamon, and magenta hues from the ancient sandstone.

The most spectacular trail lies quite close to the valley’s eastern entrance, where the road leads to a cluster of sandstone bunkers that sit precariously beneath looming boulders. These rough buildings were constructed in 1935 for the maverick travelers who first trekked to the Valley of Fire when Nevada declared the area as its first state park.

Further along the trail is the Petroglyph Canyon Trail, where hikers can view numerous rock carvings dating back to AD 500. Organized park ranger tours take in many of the petroglyphs and native flora. From here the track moves on to Rainbow Vista with a sweeping panorama of the canyon.

At Overton a couple of motels cater to the passing traffic.