Question of the Day - 05 November 2017

Yes, you can do both. Driving, however, won't take you anywhere farther.

Through traffic on US 93 has been rerouted across the spectacular Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the longest single-span concrete-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere; you can also walk across the bridge for a stunning view of the dam (except on Monday mornings when the walkway is closed for cleaning).

You can take the Hoover Dam/Bridge Walkway exit off US 93 and travel along the old road to the dam. This has to be done from the Nevada side of the bridge at Exit 2; there’s no access from the Arizona side.

You’ll be stopped by security, where two guards check out your vehicle. This writer was there recently and only had to open the rear window of a mini-van, which took two seconds; both cars ahead in line did the same. However, depending on variables, security might ask you to open your trunk and hood and examine your vehicle's undercarriage. 

Then you can drive to the dam and park in the garage for $10. But you can also drive across the dam (security is tight, so there’s no stopping on top), park in the lots on the Arizona side, and walk back across.   

At peak visiting hours during the day, those lots fill up fast, with many people taking the dam tours, so they don’t return for at least an hour and sometimes much more. But there’s still some turnover of people who just drive across for a look, then leave. So you should be able to find free parking in the lots on the Arizona side.

To get back onto US 93, you have to re-cross the dam, follow the old road up, and get on the highway. From there, you can go north to Boulder City or south into Arizona, both at the Exit 2 entrance ramps.