Parking
From US 93, take Exit 2 for Kingman Wash Road, turn right, then right again onto the northbound frontage road. After about 200 yards, turn left at the gate into the large dirt Kingman Wash Trailhead parking area (Site 1420).
Overview
About Sugarloaf Overlook Trail
Why go
- The overlook pairs a Colorado River view with much of the US 93 bridge.
- Old construction roads and artifacts make Hoover Dam history tangible.
Heads up
- Old roads fade into washes, so route finding takes attention.
- Loose footing and repeated climbs make this feel rougher than 3.1 miles.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake Mead map
Full mapElevation945–1,302 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Lake Mead alerts
- CautionHarmful algae bloom at Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood CoveA harmful algae bloom has been confirmed in recent samples from Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood Cove; avoid contact with water where algae is visible.Official details
- CautionArizona Hot Springs bacteria advisoryLimit body contact with Arizona Hot Springs water: fecal bacteria in samples frequently reach high levels and can transmit human diseases.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake Mead Tour Guide
Your drive to Sugarloaf Overlook Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Kingman Wash Beach and Fortification Hill0:00 / 0:36
“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 this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Woodpecker Among the Thorns
- The Lake That Bent the Ground
- Sorting the Stones for Hoover Dam
- Hoover Dam: Above and Inside
- 153 audio storiesacross Lake Mead’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Burro, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 42 trails, 70 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Sugarloaf Overlook Trail
A rough loop to a big river viewThis 3.
This 3.1-mile partial loop from Kingman Wash Trailhead follows old Hoover Dam construction roads and sandy washes to a rocky overlook above the Colorado River. The route shares part of its approach and return, then loops around the overlook. Allow about two to three hours; that is a planning estimate, not a published time. The first mapped trail point is a short walk from the parking area.
The bridge is the payoff, with much of the US 93 memorial span in view; Hoover Dam itself is not visible. Expect rough sand, rock and uneven old road. Keep the numbered directions handy because the old road fades into washes and the return forks matter.
Through the washesFrom the lot, the route drops down a gully to a wash near a drainage tunnel.
From the lot, the route drops down a gully to a wash near a drainage tunnel. Follow the wash and the old road beside the cliffs; at one junction, the hillside dirt road is a different line. The route crosses a low saddle, descends steeply into another wash, then passes low pour-overs through a narrow canyon. Sand and rock make footing slower than the mileage suggests.
At the overlookBeyond the canyon, climb an old road onto a broad, flattened work area, then descend toward the…
Beyond the canyon, climb an old road onto a broad, flattened work area, then descend toward the cliff edge. The rocky overlook looks down toward the Colorado River and across to the bridge. The guide’s route has a short loop among the crags and viewpoints before it rejoins the return. Stay well back from the edge; the overlook is exposed.
A Hoover Dam worksiteThe roadbeds date to the 1930s dam-construction period.
The roadbeds date to the 1930s dam-construction period. The mounds near the overlook include blasting spoil and river cobbles cleared from the canyon. Old pipe, cable, timbers, rail, foundations and parts of an unloading ramp remain; leave these historic objects where they are. Low catwalk remnants across the river are used as a Double-crested Cormorant rookery.
Access, dogs and waterThe Sugar Loaf area closes each year from May 15 through September 30.
The Sugar Loaf area closes each year from May 15 through September 30. Heat or flood hazards can also bring temporary closures outside that season, so check Lake Mead conditions before driving out. Dogs are allowed on hiking trails on a leash no longer than six feet. No water source is listed for the trailhead; carry enough for the desert route and your dog.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake Mead
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.
