Campground · Lake Mead National Recreation Area
A riverfront base for RV camping and Black Canyon paddling.
Overview
Map
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
Willow Beach and Emerald Cave“You're approaching Willow Beach, a good stop for a river day beneath the walls of Black Canyon. You can picnic by the water or rent a kayak at the marina.”
Plays as you drive up to Willow Beach Campground & RV Park 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
Willow Beach Campground & RV Park is a concession-run campground along the Colorado River, tucked between the steep walls of Black Canyon and the water. It has 28 full-hookup RV sites and nine walk-in tent sites. Choose it as a developed base for a river trip, rather than a quick scenic stop.
Each RV site has water, sewer and electric hookups. Tent sites are walk-in, with potable water, a fire ring and a picnic table, so plan to carry your gear from the vehicle area. Campers often describe the tent pitches as gravelly and short on shade; that's the main tradeoff if you're deciding between tent and RV camping.
Kayaks, canoes and other boats are available at the neighboring harbor, and Emerald Cave and nearby coves are reached by water. There isn't a hiking trail from the campground to those river spots. The fishing pier and Willow Beach Fish Hatchery make another nearby outing; the hatchery can be toured and regularly releases rainbow trout on Fridays.
The campground has 24-hour showers and laundry. Willow Beach Grill is seasonal, and a convenience store at the harbor sells snacks, drinks and charcoal. The operator says cell and Wi-Fi service aren't available in the canyon, so save directions and anything else you'll need on your phone before arriving.
People have camped at Willow Beach for a long time. The National Park Service says Basketmaker people from Lost City were camping here by about 250 B.C., and describes a prehistoric trading center here as a possibility. The modern harbor grew after Davis Dam created Lake Mohave; the marina was added in 1954.
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
Beach · 0.5 mi awayWillow BeachPaddle two river miles to a cave that can glow green.
Restaurant · 0.5 mi awayBlack Canyon GrillA handy breakfast or lunch stop beside the Colorado River.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayWillow Beach National Fish HatcherySee how a working hatchery raises trout for river stocking.
Scenic pullout · 2.1 mi awayWillow Beach Scenic OverlookA quick US-93 pull-off for a broad view of Black Canyon.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayEmerald CaveA shallow rock recess that glows green when the light lines up.Parkwolf’s Lake Mead ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
