April 29, 2013

Boulder Beach Campground

 Lake Mead Recreation Area

 Boulder City, NV 

 We decided to take a bike ride down to the water so Monte took the bikes down off the rack and checked the tire pressure.

 

 

 

 

 

The sun was already pretty intense and it was only 8am as we made our way downhill to the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After breakfast, we drove the short distance to Boulder Harbor to check out the launching facilities for our kayak. 

 

 

 

 

 

I had packed us a lunch that we ended up eating at the picnic area next to our campground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between the intense heat and our exhausting bike ride we didn’t have much ambition so we decided to take a ride to Historic Boulder City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boulder City is charming with its antique shops, restaurants and sidewalk sculptures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped in at the headquarters for Lake Mead National Recreation Area because we wanted to cool off in the air conditioned office.  We spoke to the Ranger on duty who suggested we check out Willow Beach for a possible place to launch our kayak. 

 

 

We drove 15 miles on highway 93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 and turned off at the sign for Willow Beach. 

 

 

 

 

 

The curvy road took us 4 miles down into a valley. 

I was beginning to think we had missed our turn along the way when all of a sudden the water came into view. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before stopping at the marina we continued on the road to check out the campground. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was curious to see what it looked like.  It was too barren for my taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back down at the water we noticed a group of kayakers just coming ashore.  Monte inquired about rate for portage and was given a flyer with the telephone number of the company running the service.

He found out that there is a $17 permit fee required to put in just past Hoover Dam that would run down to Willow Beach.  But the real kicker is that access is only available by hiring a porter at a rate of $49 a person (using our own Kayak).  To rent a kayak would come to close to $200 per person factoring in the permit fee. 

I guess we are going to go with Plan A –just put in near where we are staying at no cost.  It might not be as pleasant as drifting down the Colorado River but we are trying to stay in a budget and $400 for one day of kayaking is definitely not in the budget.