Railroad Tunnel Trail at Lake Mead
While on my way to explore the scenic Las Vegas Boat Harbor, I decided to make a quick stop at the Harbor House Cafe for a cup of coffee. Although my original plan was to stay for just a few minutes, I ended up striking up a conversation with some friendly locals. As I sipped on my coffee, I listened to a gentleman who had recently retired affectionately called the boat club, “The Polish Navy". I found myself engrossed in their stories and anecdotes. They left and I continued to sip my coffee. One of the staff members refilled my cup and we continued the conversation.
I was the only customer at this time and I started talking to two staff, Tania and Courtney. Courtney had done a lot of traveling around the United State. She had worked at music festivals and had traveled around the country. Tania hadn’t done as much traveling and said that our conversation sparked an interest in seeing more of the country. My five minute coffee break turned into an interesting 90 minute conversation.
Tania (l) and Courtney (r)
I hadn’t been to the area in many years and the first thing that struck me was the water level of Lake Mead and how low it was. The last time I was here the water was 170 feet higher. Google maps showed my location somewhere in the center of the lake. I walked around and took in the surroundings before heading off for my bike ride.
Above the marina area is the trailhead for the Railroad Tunnel Trail. This is an 8.2 mile, out-and-back easy hiking and mountain biking trail. The Railroad Tunnel Trail at Lake Mead is a scenic ride that offers a unique glimpse into the history of the area.
The trail follows the old railroad bed that was used to transport supplies and equipment during the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The railroad bed is compacted stone that winds its way through towering canyon walls and through five tunnels that were blasted through the rock to make way for the tracks. The entire trail is very well maintained.
The last tunnel on the trail is known as the "Red 5 Tunnel" and is a popular spot for photos. All the tunnels are about 300 feel long and 25 feet in diameter. As you continue along the trail, you'll come across other tunnels, each with their own unique characteristics. The "First Tunnel," is the longest and required significant effort to construct. The dark interior of the tunnel provides a welcome respite from the hot desert sun and the cool air inside makes it a great spot for a rest. Be aware of people speeding by on e-bikes.
All along the trail are plaques describing the effort that went into constructing the railroad and the life of the families that lived there during the construction. The dam was constructed in the early 1930s and was a monumental engineering feat that required an enormous amount of manpower and resources. The construction of the dam was only made possible with the help of a vast network of railroads that were used to transport massive amounts of building materials and equipment to the construction site. The work was backbreaking, dangerous, and required workers to endure long hours in extreme temperatures.
Many of the laborers who worked on the railroad and the dam lived in nearby towns, such as Boulder City, which were built specifically to house the workers. Despite the grueling conditions, the workers persevered and their tireless efforts helped to create one of the most impressive engineering achievements in American history.
The trail comes to an end above the Hoover Dam surrounded by transformers, grid work, and old parks from the dam (with plaques describing the parts). There was a sign indicating bikes were not permitted beyond that point to the dam. I didn’t bring a lock and decided to turn back. Shortly after turning around, I had a flat back tire. I’m usually pretty fast with fixing flat tires, but I didn’t have an air pump and had to blow the tube up with my mouth. After about 45 minutes, I had the tire repaired and tried to fill it with a 16 g cartridge I had which wasn’t enough to fill the big tires on a mountain bike. At this point, I decided to walk the bike back to the car.
As I walked with my half inflated tire, a few people offered assistance. Luckily, I eventually found someone with an air pump about half a mile away, and I was able to fully inflate the tire. They mentioned taking the road down to the dam with a speed limit of 25 mph and a wide berm all the way down. Intrigued, I decided to turn around and take that route to the dam. I rode down and paused to take a multitude of pictures.
It was beginning to get crowded after lunch time. It was still March, and I wondered to myself what it must be like during the summer. I took my time riding back to the car, stopping to take more photos. The light was beginning to change. The hill from the dam was steep and there wasn’t much traffic.
It was a fun day and I was headed to my sister’s house in Hurricane, NV. I made various stops along the way for coffee and snacks and pulled in around 7:30 pm. I don’t remember what she made for dinner, but I do remember eating a lot. I would sleep well tonight.