Hoover Dam + Eldorado Canyon

Hoover Dam

After a long day on the road yesterday (Death Valley) we decided to stick a little closer to Las Vegas for Day 2.  First on our list was Hoover Dam.  Although, Amanda and I have been here before, we wanted to take the kids and do the paid tour of the dam’s power plant, which we had not done before.  Once we arrived, we were disappointed to see that the tours were shut down that day.  If not doing the paid tour, the only costs associated with the visit is $10 parking.

The drive in has some amazing views of Lake Mead off in the distance, which almost makes the short trip worth it in itself.  Once there, you can walk from one side of the dam to the other, walking from Nevada into Arizona, which also changes timezone.  There is a clock on each side – one displaying Arizona time and the other Nevada.  Girls thought is was cool to walk from one state to the other. The dam offers some pretty spectacular views, since you are perched up high above the water below.  Other than walking from one side of the dam to the other, there’s not much more here to offer, unless taking a tour and/or taking a peek in the visitor center (fee required).  It’s a stop that will take an hour, at most, but definitely worth seeing this engineering marvel, if you’ve never been before.

 

Eldorado Canyon Gold Mine

Next on the list was Eldorado Canyon Gold Mine, which is about 45 minutes from both Vegas and Hoover Dam.  I figured this would be a good stop, but wasn’t sure it would be as entertaining as I hoped it would be.  This FAR beat my expectations.

As you approach, you see an old vacant mining town, full of old cars, buildings, and other odds and ends.  Some of the buildings you could navigate on your own and others were locked.  I thought it was set up pretty nicely.  There was an office/store, where you could buy a few souvenirs and limited refreshments.  This is also where you book your mine tour.  We were there in the off peak season (hot summer) and we were barely able to snag a spot in an already full tour.  If you plan to do the tour, I would recommend reserving it (here), else risk getting there and not get an open spot.  Do not skip the tour.  It’s very reasonably priced at only $15 for adults and $10 for kids.  The tour lasts a little over an hour, which does include a short video and your guide explaining a lot of history before the actual tour of the mine.  All of the information was presented well and the kids were not bored or restless listening to them talk.

Ok, now for the actual tour.  As we entered the mine, the temp instantly dropped about 30 degrees (which felt great, by the way).  There was also a steady breeze running through it.  The guide took us down several narrow paths, while explaining the process and history.  The miners tunneled every which way, chasing veins of gold and silver throughout the mountain.  There were several vertical shafts mined out, stretching as high as the flashlight beam would reach, all connected by a series of wooden ladders secured into the walls.  Oh, how I would have loved to explore this place on my own.  The tour stayed in the main tunnel areas, which were all on the same level, so this tour accommodates pretty much everyone, regardless of how fit they are.  There is no elevation climb and they only take you back about 1/4 of a mile.  All-in-all, we were  very satisfied with the tour and was one of the highlights of our trip.

If you have time after your tour, I would recommend spending time at the Colorado River.  The road at the mine tour dead ends into the river about 3-4 minutes down the road.  The scenery is very beautiful and there are places to swim and cliff jump for the more adventurous.  We had commitments afterward, otherwise, would have stuck around.

 

So, if you have a day that you want to stick a little closer to Vegas, I would definitely check out Hoover Dam and Eldorado Mine Tours for an easy day trip.  If you are limited on time and had to pick between the two, Eldorado would be an easy win, especially if you have kids.

 

 

 

Arizona Clock

Nevada Clock