▲ Nevada
Boulder City
Henderson & Summerlin · from $95/night

Boulder City

The small town built to house Hoover Dam workers — the only city in Nevada where gambling is illegal. Boulder City is 26 miles southeast of the Strip and feels like a different state. Built by the federal government in 1931 to house dam workers, it is the only municipality in Nevada that outlaws gambling. Population 15,000. Downtown is four blocks of Nevada Way with the Boulder Dam Hotel (1933), antique shops, a bookstore, and cafes that close at 3pm. At 9pm the sidewalks are empty. This is the base for Hoover Dam, Lake Mead marinas, and the raft trips through Black Canyon.It suits anyone who wants small-town Nevada, cyclists doing the River Mountains Loop Trail, and travelers who find the Strip exhausting. It does not suit anyone who wants nightlife of any kind. There is one brewpub — Boulder Dam Brewing on Arizona Street — and it closes at 9pm most nights. Rooms are cheap by Vegas standards, $95-$150 at the Hoover Dam Lodge or the historic Boulder Dam Hotel.

Towns & villages

Where to base yourself

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Good to know

Questions, answered

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Can you actually not gamble in Boulder City?

Correct — gambling is banned inside city limits by charter dating to the federal construction era. The nearest slot machines are at Hoover Dam Lodge on US-93, technically outside the city, and at Railroad Pass Casino just before Henderson.

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Is Boulder City worth an overnight or just a day trip?

Day trip is enough for most people. Overnight makes sense if you’re doing an early dam tour, a Black Canyon raft, or the River Mountains bike loop — you’ll want to be out at 6-7am before it hits 100°F.

Where to stay

Where to stay — Boulder City

Live prices for every hotel and inn in the area — free cancellation, updated daily.

Boulder City

Boulder City

Live prices for every hotel and inn in the area — free cancellation, updated daily.

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