Page last update: 14 May 2025
How many people visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area each year?
Around 5-7 million people visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area each year.
Numbers have been fluctuating in recent years:
- 7,499,049 visitors in 2019
- 8,016,510 in 2020 (highest in the last decade)
- 5,578,226 in 2022 (down 25.6% from 2019)
- 5,798,541 in 2023
- 6,412,854 in 2024.
How much do visitors spend at Lake Mead National Recreation Area each year?
Visitor spending at Lake Mead National Recreation Area averages around $300 million annually.
- $335.80 million in 2019 (pre-pandemic)
- $373.67 million in 2021 (highest in recent years)
- $279.85 million in 2022 (down 16.7% from 2019)
- $292.46 million in 2023
Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visits in 2025
1,296,490 people visited Lake Mead from January to March 2025.
How many tourists visited Lake Mead NRA in 2025
| Month | Recreational Visit |
| Jan | 374.37 K |
| Feb | 394.19 K |
| Mar | 527.93 K |
How many people visited Lake Mead NRA in 2024?
- 6,412,854 people visited Lake Mead in 2024, a 10.6% increase from 2023 but 14.5% lower than 2019.
How many people visit Lake Mead NRA per day?
- 17,521 people visit the Lake Mead recreation area daily (based on data from 2024), however numbers fluctuate seasonally.
How much does it cost to visit Lake Mead NRA?
Entry fees in 2024 were as follows:
- $25 (7-day pass) or $45 (annual pass) for private vehicles
- Motorcycle: $20 (7-day pass)
- Individual (walking/bicycling): $15 (7-day pass)
- National Parks Annual Pass: $80 (all national parks)
When is the peak season at Lake Mead National Recreation Area?
Spring and early summer are the peak seasons.
- An increase in visits starts in March
- April to July sees the most tourists (600,000 to 700,000 visitors per month).
How popular is Lake Mead National Recreation Area?
- Lake Mead is the most visited national recreation area in the USA
- It ranked #9 among all National Park Service sites in 2024.
Learn more about which states have the most national parks here.
Top 10 Most Visited Parks in 2024
| Rank | Park | Recreation Visitors |
| 1 | Golden Gate NRA | 17,187,508 |
| 2 | Blue Ridge PKWY | 16,733,639 |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains NP | 12,191,834 |
| 4 | Gateway NRA | 8,929,035 |
| 5 | Lincoln Memorial | 8,479,349 |
| 6 | Gulf Islands NS | 7,801,176 |
| 7 | Natchez Trace PKWY | 7,364,833 |
| 8 | George Washington MEM PKWY | 6,782,717 |
| 9 | Lake Mead NRA | 6,412,854 |
| 10 | Vietnam Veterans MEM | 5,295,711 |
Why do people visit Lake Mead NRA?
Popular activities and sites at Lake Mead National Recreation Area include:
- Boating and water sports
- Hiking and camping (750+ miles of shoreline to hike and camp)
- Hoover Dam (famous man-made wonder)
- Wildlife viewing (bighorn sheep, coyotes and many bird species).
Lake Mead Travel Resources
- Las Vegas RV rentals (or private rentals)
- Palm Desert RV private rentals
- Prescott RV private rentals
- Flagstaff RV private rentals
- St George RV private rentals
Camping Statistics for Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Popular forms of camping at Lake Mead NRA in 2024 included:
- Concessionaire Camping: 184,209 campers
- RV Camping: 58,841 campers
- Tent Camping: 46,232 campers
- Backcountry Camping: 29,848 campers
- Concessionaire Lodging (Cabins, lodges): 8,674 stays
What are the most common causes of death at Lake Mead NRA?
From 2007 to August 2024, 350 deaths were recorded in Lake Mead NRA, with the leading causes being:
- Drowning: 117 deaths
- Motor Vehicle Crashes: 76 deaths
- Undetermined Causes: 40 deaths
- Suicide: 34 deaths
- Medical Emergencies (Non-activity related): 26 deaths
- Medical Emergencies (During physical activity): 13 deaths
- Other Transportation Accidents: 12 deaths
- Falls: 8 deaths
- Environmental Causes: 8 deaths
- Unknown Medical Conditions: 8 deaths
- Poisoning: 5 deaths
- Homicide: 3 deaths
Park & Memorial Statistics
- Blue Ridge Parkway Statistics
- Castle Clinton NM Statistics
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP Statistics
- Delaware Water Gap NRA Statistics
- Gateway NRA Statistics
- George Washington MEM PKWY Statistics
- Glen Canyon NRA Statistics
- Golden Gate NRA Statistics
- Gulf Islands NS Statistics
- Korean War Veterans MEM Statistics
- Lincoln Memorial Statistics
- Natchez Trace PKWY Statistics
- Vietnam Veterans MEM Statistics
- World War II MEM Statistics
References
NPS: National Park Visitation Statistics