Beach · Lake Mead National Recreation Area
A desert cove that rewards the rough drive with open water.
Overview
Kingman Wash Beach is a small natural shoreline on Lake Mead in the remote Kingman Wash area. Visitors come to swim, paddle, fish, or picnic by the water, with pale slopes and rust-red desert hills behind the cove. The shore is small, so warm weekends can feel busy. It is a basic backcountry stop rather than a developed beach.
Parkwolf’s verdictA cove worth the driveMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake Mead Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake Mead audio tourRecorded for this place
Kingman Wash Beach and Fortification Hill“You're nearing the access for Kingman Wash Beach, with the lakeshore farther along a rough, unpaved road. Plan on a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle for that approach.”
Plays as you drive up to Kingman Wash Beach in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Visitors use the shoreline for swimming, paddling, and fishing. Kingman Wash is also a dive site, with a gentle underwater slope; boat traffic can be heavy at times and visibility varies. Keep the boat traffic in mind if you are spending time in the water.
Bring food and drinking water; no reliable on-site source was confirmed. Some visitor reports mention a basic vault toilet, but its location and current condition are uncertain, so do not count on it. Backcountry camping is allowed only in designated areas, and the beach itself was not confirmed as one.
For a photo, get near the water and include the rocky edge with the pale slope and rust-red ridges across the cove. That combination shows the shoreline and its Lake Mead setting in one frame.
Wildlife
525 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
116 sightingsBurroMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 4 PMSighting map
99 sightingsWhite PelicanMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
145 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
106 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake Mead. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingFortification Hill Trail4 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep desert climb to Lake Mead’s volcanic summit.
ModerateSugarloaf Overlook Trail3.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayOld dam roads, sandy washes, and a Colorado River overlook.
EasySpooky Canyon Trail1 mi · 1.3 hr · 3.6 mi awayA dark slot winds beneath a sculpted stone portal.
ChallengingArizona Hot Spring Trail5 mi · 6 hr · 4 mi awayA rough desert traverse ends at hot pools in a slot canyon.
ChallengingHorse Thief Canyon Trail8.8 mi · 5 hr · 4 mi awayA long dirt-road walk to two green springs in Horse Thief Canyon.
ChallengingLiberty Bell Arch Trail5.5 mi · 6 hr · 4 mi awayA long, rough wash hike to an arch and river rim.
ChallengingWhite Rock Canyon Trail6.5 mi · 6 hr · 4 mi awayThe rocky wash opens at the Colorado River.
EasyHistoric Railroad Trail7.5 mi · 3 hr · 5 mi awayFive dark tunnels on a railbed high above Lake Mead.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayHoover DamWalk the crest; a tunnel tour shows how the dam works.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayMike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial BridgeA dam view from a walkway perched high above the Colorado River.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayGold Strike Hot SpringsWarm pools tucked in a canyon, earned by a serious scramble.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayLakeview Scenic OverlookA quick lake-and-desert panorama on the way to Hoover Dam.
Restaurant · 3.3 mi awayThe Boat House Bar & GrillA floating restaurant and bar with views over the harbor and lake.
Restaurant · 3.4 mi awayHarbor House CaféDine above the slips with lake and desert ridges in view.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayLas Vegas Boat HarborWalk the floating docks to see boats, fish, and waterfowl.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayLake Mead MarinaBoat slips, dockside dining, and desert views in one lakeside stop.Parkwolf’s Lake Mead ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
