Water sports in the desert: how to get wet in Vegas
Leave a CommentThe desert is thirsty but not always dry: you might be surprised to learn that you have a couple of great options if you want to get outside and play on the water during your visit.
Water consumption is always a concern in an arid environment like ours, of course, but aggressive water sustainability programs have let our town reduce water consumption by tens of billions of gallons over the past decade. (Interesting fact: thanks to sustainability programs, Vegas hotels use only about 6% of the water in the community).
So what water-oriented attractions make the biggest splash around these parts?
Lake Mead
Located just about half an hour from the Strip, Lake Mead makes for a swimmingly good day trip.
We’ve written about Lake Mead before: it’s the lake that formed after the creation of Hoover Dam. Now the centerpiece of the National Park Service’s Lake Mead National Recreation Area, visitors can go there to enjoy almost any water-related activity they wish: swimming, fishing, kayaking, boating, water skiing, canoeing and more.
You can even go scuba diving at Lake Mead.
We recommend wakesurfing in particular, because it’s tremendous fun and easy to learn. It’s like a combination of water skiing and surfing: the wakersurfer follows a boat that produces a special kind of wake, like an endless surf wave.
Want something a bit less athletic but nonetheless exhilarating? Try towed tubing.
Las Vegas Water Sports offers highly-rated guided excursions and lessons for almost any water adventure you’d like to have.
And for all that it’s man-made, Lake Mead is no mere pond. With 1,000 miles of shoreline, there’s plenty of room for a wet and wild excursion.
Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Park
Speaking of wet and wild, if you like your water experience to be a little more engineered – with thrilling, gravity-defying slides and rides – you can do no better than the newly opened Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Park. The $50 million park just opened last month, so now’s the perfect time to soak up some fun in their 40+ acres.
The park showcases a first-of-its-kind slide called the Rattler (a steep chute that takes riders through a long series of stomach-churning curves), which was designated a Top 5 Water Slide by the Travel Channel’s 2012 Extreme Water Parks program.
All the other water park mainstays are included, including the Colorado Cooler lazy river and Red Rock Bay Wave Pool.
The Riviera Hotel & Casino Pool
Summertime in Las Vegas means pool time! We offer world-class relaxation in the heart of Las Vegas with our quiet oasis, located just steps away from the Strip. Lounge by the pool as you sip a refreshing cocktail and soak up some rays. And though you might not spot the wildlife at our pool that you might find at Lake Mead, we guarantee some excellent people-watching.
