Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Callville Trail (Blog Hike #195)

Trail: Callville Trail

Hike Location: Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Geographic Location: northeast of Boulder City, NV (36.14126, -114.72636)

Length: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: May 2006

Overview: A short climb to an excellent viewpoint of Lake Mead.

Area Information: http://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=130506
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Boulder City, take US 93 south to Lakeshore Rd. and the entrance to Lake Mead National Recreational Area.  Turn left to enter the area, paying the entrance fee at the entrance station.  Take Lakeshore Rd. for 11 miles to Northshore Rd. and turn right on Northshore Rd.  Take Northshore Rd. 11.1 miles to the signed Callville access road.  Turn right on the paved access road.  Take the Callville Access Road downhill for 4 miles to the entrance to the Callville Bay Campground.  Park in the large parking lot to the left of the campground entrance.

The hike: Created in 1935 by the massive Hoover Dam, the deep, clear waters of Lake Mead attract millions of visitors each year.  Many of these visitors come to fish or simply cruise in their boats.  For those without private boats, Lake Mead Boat Cruises, which you will pass on your way to this trailhead, offers narrated cruises of the lake on their paddlewheelers.  Also, no visit to Lake Mead would be complete without a stop to see Hoover Dam, one of the modern engineering marvels.  Without the millions of dollars and man-hours to create this edifice, this hiking opportunity would likely not exist.

What many of these visitors fail to realize is that only 13% of the National Recreation Area consists of Lake Mead.  The remaining 87% consists of desert terrain, most of which lies in Nevada, though some lies on the south side of the lake in Arizona.  For a close-up look at this part of the recreation area, you will need to do some hiking.  Several trails depart from Northshore and Lakeshore roads.  You will have to drive a short distance off of the main road to find this trailhead, but few trails in the recreation area provide such nice rewards for such little effort as this one.

The trail begins at the intersection of the campground road and the main Callville access road.  The dusty trail immediately begins climbing with the marina parking area (where your car is parked) visible downhill to the left.  Notice the black volcanic rocks around you along this trail, a testament to this area's recent geologically active past.

The grade lessens for a short period before reaching the hardest of the climbing.  If you take your time, nearly everyone will be able to make it to the top.  As you approach the top of the hill, some wild trails branch off to the right.  Keep straight and continue climbing toward the nearest summit.  Throughout this hike, keep an eye on the skies for any sign of an approaching thunderstorm.  When I hiked this trail in mid-May, I hiked to the top on a perfect, warm, sunny day, but hiked back down some fifteen minutes later in a gusty duststorm.

View of Lake Mead from Callville Summit

Lake Mead, looking south

            At only 0.25 miles from the start, you will arrive at the summit.  What a view you have from up here!  Immediately in front of you is the sparkling blue lake.  To the right you can see Hoover Dam (which looks small 15 miles in the distance).  To the left of Hoover Dam is Fortification Hill in Arizona.  To the right of the dam is Boulder City and the River Mountains.  To your left you can see the Callville Bay marina immediately downhill and the Black Mountains, made of more of the black, igneous rock that lies underneath you, in the distance.  When you have finished taking in the view, retrace your steps to the trailhead to complete the hike.