Lake Mead is the 16th largest man-made lake in the world and the largest man-made lake in the Western Hemisphere. It was created by the Hoover Dam along the Colorado River. It occupies about 1.5 million acres -- twice as much as Rhode Island -- and about 820 miles of shoreline.
The National Park Service established Lake Mead as a national recreation area in 1964. Lake Mead offers year-round recreation, everything from boating to swimming to hiking to wildlife viewing.
Located at the junction of three desert ecosystems -- the Mojave, the Great Basin and the Sonoran deserts -- Lake Mead is home to many animal species and plant varieties, some which are exclusive to this area.
Lake Mead is surrounded by red sandstone and black lava rock in the 1.6 billion-year-old Black Canyon. Some of the lava hills are about 6 million years old.
Lake Mead facilities include eight campgrounds, five motels, seven RV campgrounds with hookups, five marinas, boat and jet ski rentals, beaches, restaurants, cafes, snack bars and a visitors center. For more information, visit the official Lake Mead Web site.
