All parks › Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area: fees, hours, camping and when to visit
- Private vehicle, 7 days
- $25[1]
- Busiest month (2025)
- May[2]
- Recreation visits, 2025
- 6,135,586[3]
- Campgrounds
- 19[4]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a National Park System unit in Arizona and Nevada[5]. NPS lists a private vehicle entrance fee of $25[1], and the park is open around the clock[6].
Entrance fees and passes
Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.
| Fee or pass | Price |
|---|---|
| Private Vehicle[1] | $25 |
| Motorcycle[7] | $20 |
| Per Person[8] | $15 |
| Non-commercial Groups[9] | $15 |
| Annual Entrance - Park[10] | $45 |
The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here[11].
Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)[12].
America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Annual Pass[13] | US citizens and residents | $80 |
| Non-Resident Annual Pass[13] | Non-US residents | $250 |
| Senior Annual Pass[13] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $20 |
| Senior Lifetime Pass[13] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $80 |
| Military Annual Pass[13] | Current US military and dependents | Free |
| Military Lifetime Pass[13] | Gold Star Family members and veterans | Free |
| Access Pass[13] | US citizens and residents with permanent disability | Free |
| 4th Grade Pass[13] | US 4th graders | Free |
| Volunteer Pass[13] | Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours | Free |
When to visit and hours
NPS says the park itself is open all day and night, every day of the week, while the visitor center keeps set hours[6]. In 2025 the busiest month was May with 613,549 recreation visits, and the quietest was January with 374,370[2]. NPS lists summer (July, August and September) daytime highs of 89 °F to 103 °F and says it can reach 117 °F[14]. NPS warns that summer heat can be dangerous and that some trails are closed for public safety[14]. Fall (October, November and December) has daytime highs of 59 °F to 83 °F and nighttime lows of 32 °F to 50 °F[14]. Winter (January, February and March) has daytime highs of 57 °F to 69 °F[14].
Show visits by month
| Month, 2025 | Recreation visits |
|---|---|
| January | 374,370 |
| February | 394,204 |
| March | 529,109 |
| April | 595,513 |
| May | 613,549 |
| June | 589,016 |
| July | 612,359 |
| August | 566,976 |
| September | 504,043 |
| October | 528,410 |
| November | 415,593 |
| December | 412,444 |
Camping
NPS and Recreation.gov list 19 campgrounds in the park[4]. The largest listed is Katherine Landing Campground with 173 sites, followed by Boulder Beach Campground with 136 sites[4]. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees of $20[4]. Site counts can differ a little between the two sources, so check the booking page[4].
- Katherine Landing Campground, 173 sites[4]
- Boulder Beach Campground, 136 sites
- Lake Mead RV Village, 115 sites
- Las Vegas Bay Campground, 86 sites
- Las Vegas Bay Campground, 85 sites
- Cottonwood Cove RV Park, 72 sites
- Temple Bar Campground, 71 sites
- Temple Bar Campground, 71 sites
- Echo Bay RV Park, 55 sites
- Callville Bay Campground, 52 sites
- Echo Bay Campground, 52 sites
- Cottonwood Cove Campground, 45 sites
- Echo Bay Campground, 37 sites
- Willow Beach RV Park, 28 sites
- Katherine Landing RV Park, 24 sites
- Temple Bar RV Park, 10 sites
- Willow Beach Campground, 9 sites
- Boulder Beach Group Campsites, 5 sites
- Callville Bay RV Park, 5 sites
Pets and dogs
The national NPS rule says that where pets are allowed, they must be kept in a crate or cage, or on a leash of six feet or less[15]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings or on designated swimming beaches, and service animals are excepted[15]. Each park can close more areas to pets[15]. NPS marks pets as permitted on all 34 of its listed things to do here, but check the official page before you go[16].
Before you go
- Entrance fees here are cashless, so bring a card or use mobile payment, according to NPS[12].
- The park accepts the America the Beautiful pass for entrance[11]. NPS lists the Resident Annual Pass at $80 and the Senior Annual Pass at $20[13].
- The Annual Entrance - Park pass costs $45 and covers only this park, not other federal lands[10].
- NPS lists 2 visitor centers[17].
- Fees and hours change, so confirm them on the official NPS park page before a trip[1].
Questions people ask
- How much is the entrance fee at Lake Mead National Recreation Area?
- NPS lists $25 for a private vehicle for 1 to 7 days[1]. A motorcycle is $20[7] and a person on foot or bicycle is $15[8].
- What is the best time to visit Lake Mead?
- In 2025 the busiest month was May and the quietest was January[2]. NPS notes summer heat can be dangerous and some trails close then[14].
- Is Lake Mead open 24 hours?
- NPS says the park is open all day and night, every day, but the visitor center runs on its own schedule[6].
Facts and sources
- Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $25. National Park Service
- NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 7,603,474, 2022: 5,578,226, 2023: 5,798,541, 2024: 6,412,854, 2025: 6,135,586. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- Campgrounds in Lake Mead National Recreation Area (list on this page). National Park Service
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Recreation Area) in Arizona and Nevada. National Park Service
- Operating hours, All Park Hours: Lake Mead National Recreation Area is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note that while the majority of the park is accessible at all hours, our Visitor Center operates on a specific schedule. Be sure to plan your... National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $20. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Per Person: $15. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Non-commercial Groups: $15. National Park Service
- Annual Entrance - Park: $45. National Park Service
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
- Entrance fees at Lake Mead National Recreation Area are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
- America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
- NPS weather and seasons overview for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. National Park Service
- National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
- NPS lists 34 things to do at Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Hike the Liberty Bell Arch Trail, Hike the Arizona Hot Springs Trail, Hike the Goldstrike Canyon Trail, Hike the White Rock Canyon Trail, Hike the Lone Palm Trail, Picnic at Katherine... National Park Service
- Visitor centers listed by NPS: 2 (Lake Mead Visitor Center, Lake Mead Headquarters Information Kiosk). National Park Service