Vegas visitors can shuttle to see Boulder City, Hoover Dam starting at $25
For $25 round trip, visitors to southern Nevada can get off the Strip and head to Boulder City, a laid-back small town about 30 miles east that’s full of little-known attractions and one huge one.
It’s known for Hoover Dam, the massive wall of concrete completed in 1936 and designed to harness the Colorado River in Black Canyon. Boulder City Express, a new round-trip shuttle service between Vegas and Boulder City, drops passengers at the dam, but also offers stops at often-overlooked places around the town of 16,000.
Other attractions accessible from shuttle stops include:
►Downtown Boulder City. In this designated historic district, the streets are full of antiques stores, galleries, restaurants and a museum. A walking audio tour is available as well.
Get oriented by visiting the Chamber of Commerce, 465 Nevada Way, Boulder City.
►Adventure stop. On the western edge of town, travelers can alight for outdoor pursuits such as zip-lining and kayaking. A short walk away, the Nevada Southern Railway/Nevada State Railroad Museum has diesel-powered train rides plus a chance to ride the rails using pedal power. The museum’s Rail Explorers operate like paddle boats, but on tracks instead of water.
►Lake Mead Visitor Center. Guests learn about how villages were buried beneath water after the damming of the Colorado River. Sprawling Lake Mead is a boater’s delight, and there are plenty of recreational activities on land too.
Guests who want to spend more time off the Strip can consider booking overnight accommodations at the Boulder Dam Hotel, in the historic center of town, or at the Hoover Dam Lodge, a hotel-casino east of town.
Gambling within the city limits of Boulder City has been prohibited since its creation in 1931. That is when thousands of people headed west for jobs building the dam.
Boulder City Express requires reservations for pickup at any of nine resorts along the Strip and in downtown Las Vegas.
The $25 round-trip tickets to Boulder City increase to $35 for Hoover Dam and $40 for Lake Mead because of government-imposed admission fees.
Info: Boulder City Express
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