Easy ride · Gravel
Historic Railroad Trail by bike
Riding the Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead: five tunnels, 3.7 miles each way on fine gravel, parking, fees, light rules and when it's too hot to go.
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · 7 sources · gravel, e-bike
Photo: Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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- Distance
- 3.7 mi one way, 7.5 round tripSource: NPS: Bike the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail
- Climbing
- 11 ft elevation changeSource: NPS: Bike the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail
- Surface
- Level, hardpacked fine gravelSource: NPS: Hike the Historic Railroad Trail (surface, shade, summer advice)
- Best season
- Fall, winter and spring; not recommended in summerSource: NPS: Hike the Historic Railroad Trail (surface, shade, summer advice)
Conditions at the start
NWS forecast for this spot ↗The live National Weather Service forecast for the start of Historic Railroad Trail by bike loads here. If it doesn't, use the NWS link.
Route map
Skip the map
- Mapped distance
- 3.6 mi, start to finishMeasured along the OpenStreetMap line; published figure: 3.7 mi one way, 7.5 round trip
- Start
- Historic Railroad Trail trailhead, below the Lake Mead Visitor CenterMap start: the Historic Railroad Trailhead parking lot below the Lake Mead Visitor Center
- Elevation
- 1,303–1,719 ftLow and high points, USGS 3DEP
- Surface
- 92% unpaved, 8% not taggedFrom OpenStreetMap surface tags
Slide or use arrow keys to read the elevation at any point.
Turn by turn
- 0.0 miStart at the Historic Railroad Trailhead parking lot below the Lake Mead Visitor Center. Head east on Historic Railroad Trail.
- 1.2 miContinue onto Railroad Tunnel Trail.
- 2.7 miPass the junction with Boulder City Branch.
- 3.6 miThe mapped trail ends; turn around and ride back to the trailhead.
Directions are generated from the OpenStreetMap ways on the map. Check signs and closures with NPS: Bike the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail before you ride.
Download GPX for Historic Railroad Trail by bikePlan your own ride
Rules, fees and who runs it
- Managed by
- National Park Service (Lake Mead NRA)
- Bicycle entry
- Lake Mead fee applies to bikes ($15)
- Tunnels
- 5, each about 25 ft wide and 300 ft long
The Historic Railroad Trail follows the bed of the railroad that hauled materials to build Hoover Dam. It runs from a trailhead below the Lake Mead Visitor Center to the dam, through five big tunnels cut in the rock above Lake Mead. It’s flat, short and not technical, and it’s the easiest ride in the Las Vegas area that still feels like a destination.
The numbers
The National Park Service lists the trail at 3.7 miles one way, or 7.5 miles round trip, with an elevation change of 11 feet. The surface is level, hardpacked fine gravel that the agency describes as easy for bikes and wheelchairs. A road bike with skinny high-pressure tires will cope, but wider tires are far more comfortable. Any hybrid, gravel bike or e-bike is a good fit.
The five tunnels are each about 25 feet wide, 30 feet high and 300 feet long, according to the NPS history page.
A little history
In 1931 the federal government and Six Companies, Inc. built nearly 30 miles of railroad connecting Hoover Dam and Boulder City with the cement plants, gravel sorting plant and quarries the dam needed. The tracks came out in 1962. The trail opened in 1992, and the connection through to Hoover Dam opened to the public in 2007. Tunnels 2 and 5 were damaged by fires in 1990 and 1978, which is why parts of them are lined with sprayed concrete instead of the original timber supports.
Parking and facilities
Park in the lot below the Lake Mead Visitor Center on Lakeshore Road. The trailhead has accessible pit toilets, trash cans and a self-service bike repair station, per the NPS trail page. There’s no water listed on the trail itself, so bring all you need.
The River Mountains Loop Trail meets this area near the visitor center, so it’s easy to add paved miles if you want a longer day. See the River Mountains Loop page.
Fees
The trail is inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and the NPS biking page says bicycles are subject to the park’s entrance fees. A pass for one person on a bike costs $15 and is good for 1 to 7 days. Annual passes work too. Keep the pass on you while you ride. Passes are not sold at the visitor center; see Lake Mead fees and roads for where to buy one and the full fee table.
Rules that apply to bikes here
The NPS biking page lists these federal prohibitions:
- No riding through a tunnel, in low visibility, or between sunset and sunrise without a white light or reflector visible from 500 feet ahead and a red light or reflector visible from 200 feet behind. The tunnels are short, but a light is worth having.
- No riding side by side unless the superintendent has authorized it.
- No riding while drinking alcohol or carrying an open container.
It’s a shared trail with lots of walkers, especially on weekends. Slow down past people and dogs, and call out before you pass.
When to go
October through April. The NPS says the trail is not recommended in summer because temperatures run 100 to 115°F and there’s no shade for the first 1.5 miles. If you do ride it in warm months, go at first light. The heat guide has the warning signs to watch for.