Motorcycle · Boulder City
Riding to Hoover Dam
Taking a motorcycle to Hoover Dam from Las Vegas: dam hours, the Nevada security checkpoint, $10 parking, no stopping on the dam, and tour prices.
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · 2 sources · motorcycle
Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Each stat shows its source. We only list figures a land manager or named source publishes; a missing stat means we found no published figure.
Conditions at the start
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Map
Skip the map
On the map
This page is about access and parking at the dam, not a route, so the map shows the visitor center and parking.
Rules, fees and who runs it
- Managed by
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- Dam open
- Daily, 5 a.m.–9 p.m.
- Visitor center and tours
- Daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- Parking
- $10, Nevada-side garage; Arizona Lots 13 and 14 free
- Checkpoint
- All vehicles subject to inspection, Nevada side
- Prohibited
- Firearms, drones, stopping on the dam
Hoover Dam is the classic half-day ride from Las Vegas: out past Henderson and Boulder City, down to the Colorado River, and across the top of the dam into Arizona. It’s federal property run by the Bureau of Reclamation, with a police department and a security checkpoint, so it has more rules than a typical scenic stop.
Hours
Reclamation says the dam is open to the public daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. The visitor center and tours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. For questions, Reclamation lists (702) 494-2517 or (702) 494-2901.
The security checkpoint
Every vehicle, motorcycles included, is subject to inspection at the Nevada Security Checkpoint before the dam. Reclamation says inspectors may ask you to open compartments and storage areas, so expect to open saddlebags, top cases and tank bags. If you decline the inspection, you won’t be let past the checkpoint.
Firearms, explosives and fireworks are prohibited at the dam under 43 CFR 423.30. If you carry on the road, leave it at home for this ride, or you’ll be turned away. Drones are prohibited too.
No stopping on the dam
Reclamation prohibits stopping on top of the dam, including dropping off or picking up passengers. If you want photos, park first. Pedestrians aren’t allowed on top of the dam or on the bypass bridge after dark.
Parking
The Nevada-side garage near the visitor center charges $10 per vehicle. On the Arizona side, Lot 9 is $10, and Lots 13 and 14 are free. Reclamation lists the garage and Lot 9 hours as 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Tours
Reclamation sells visitor center and Power Plant tour tickets online. The guided Dam Tour can only be bought in person on site, first come, first served, and Reclamation says it routinely sells out. You have to clear a security screening, with a metal-detector wand or a pat-down, before you can buy tickets. Food, gum and drinks in cups aren’t allowed on tours, but water bottles are.
Make a loop of it
Lake Mead National Recreation Area borders the dam area. The park charges $20 for a 7-day motorcycle pass that covers up to two motorcycles; see the Lake Mead page for entrance stations and closures. Nevada’s helmet law applies the whole way; see Nevada motorcycle laws.