Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Nevada & Arizona

Lake Mead National Recreation Area also includes the Black Canyon of the Colorado south of Hoover Dam and all of Mohave Lake, created by the building of Davis Dam in 1950. The elevation of Mohave Lake is such that from Davis Dam to Hoover Dam, the Colorado River is nearly as smooth as a piece of glass. This means that rafting in Black Canyon is more like a simple float trip on a slowly flowing river (although the canyon scenery above the river is pretty wild).