8M visitors make Lake Mead 5th busiest national park
8M visitors make Lake Mead 5th busiest national park
March 3, 2021 - 9:07 am
Updated March 4, 2021 - 7:09 am

People walk along a dock at the Lake Mead Marina about the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Tuesday, August 24, 2020, near Boulder City. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

People walk to Boulder Beach at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto
More than 8 million people visited Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 2020, elevating the park from the sixth to fifth on the list of the National Park Service’s busiest sites.
The number of visitors in 2020 increased from 7.5 million the previous year despite the closure of the Nevada side of the park for six weeks because of COVID-19. In addition, millions of visitors continued to travel along main state highways and interstates in the park, including Interstate-11.
“The recreation opportunities at Lake Mead National Recreation Area are endless, making it a fantastic getaway that’s just minutes from Las Vegas,” Superintendent Margaret L. Goodro stated in a news release Wednesday. “We are glad so many more visitors enjoyed the healthy benefits of having fun outdoors hiking, fishing, and enjoying water sports.”
Face masks are required in all National Park Service buildings and facilities. Masks are also required on all federally managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks, and parking lots.
The complete list of park visitation and other visitor-related statistics are available on the National Park Service’s website at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.