Lake Mead
Boulder Beach
Public national recreation area; entrance pass required
Not determined here; check NPS alerts, weather, and posted signs
Swimming is generally allowed at Boulder Beach unless an NPS closure or posted restriction applies. The shore is rocky, there are no lifeguards, and swimming is prohibited at harbors, marinas, mooring areas, and launch ramps.
Plan the access
- Access status
- NPS-listed beach area; general swimming rule applies unless closed
- Who can use it
- Public national recreation area; entrance pass required
- Manager
- National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Published hours
- Beach described dawn to dusk; vehicle access 6:00 a.m. to dusk in the compendium
- Published fees
- $25 private vehicle, $20 motorcycle, or $15 individual for 1–7 days
- Reservation
- No ordinary beach reservation stated
- Lifeguards
- None anywhere in Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Parking
- Day-use vehicle access ends at dusk; shoreline position changes
- Water conditions
- Not determined here; check NPS alerts, weather, and posted signs
Confirm before leaving
Open official manager page ↗Check condition source ↗Official pages and signs override this guide.
Why this page avoids “designated beach”
The current superintendent's compendium calls North and South Swim Beach at Boulder Beach designated swim areas. A current NPS safety page says there are no designated swim beaches. Until NPS resolves that conflict, this guide uses the narrower description “NPS-listed beach area.”
Places you may not enter the water
Lake Mead rules prohibit swimming and wading in harbors, marinas, mooring areas, and launch ramps. A convenient paved launch is not a substitute for a shoreline entry point.
Access facts last checked against the linked manager on 2026-08-02. This date is not a water sample or a promise of present conditions.