Parking
Use the parking area at Sunset View Scenic Overlook on Lakeshore Road; the paved access path begins there. A picnic shelter, table, and accessible restroom are at the overlook.
Overview
About Sunset View Trail
Why go
- A compact loop adds open desert-path walking beyond the roadside panorama.
- Picnic shelter, table, and accessible restroom at the overlook.
Heads up
- The exposed, uneven circuit climbs and drops more than its short mileage suggests.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake Mead map
Full mapElevation1,112–1,234 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 Sunset View 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
Sunset View: A Picnic Above Boulder Basin0:00 / 0:22
“Up ahead is Sunset View Scenic Overlook, a useful picnic stop on Lakeshore Road. The view opens across Boulder Basin toward Callville Mesa and the Muddy Mountains, with a shelter and table if you'd like to eat here.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Stones Shaped by Blowing Sand
- Longview Scenic Overlook: A Picnic Panorama
- 33 Hole Overlook and Owl Canyon
- The Lake's Hidden Layers
- 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 Sunset View Trail
Take the loop, or just take the viewSunset View Trail is a 0.
Sunset View Trail is a 0.57-mile loop from Sunset View Scenic Overlook, linking a paved access walk with the unpaved paths east of the pullout. It takes about 20–30 minutes. The loop gives you a little more walking than the quick viewpoint stop, but it is still an easy add-on, not a half-day hike.
Which distance is this?You may see conflicting lengths for Sunset View. The 0.
You may see conflicting lengths for Sunset View. The 0.1-mile figure describes the direct walk at the viewpoint; this route follows the full 0.57-mile circuit. I could not verify a longer one-mile extension, so it is not included here.
Walk the open pathsExpect uneven desert ground and more ups and downs than the short mileage suggests.
Expect uneven desert ground and more ups and downs than the short mileage suggests. Most of the circuit is exposed, and branches can be easy to miss; keep to the connected loop. If you only want the view, skip the unpaved paths and use the paved overlook access.
A wide basin viewFrom the overlook, Boulder Basin spreads toward the Muddy Mountains and Callville Mesa.
From the overlook, Boulder Basin spreads toward the Muddy Mountains and Callville Mesa. For a phone photo, keep the pale islands and coves in the lower frame with the dark mesa behind them. A picnic shelter, table, and accessible restroom are right at the overlook.
Access and heatStart at the Sunset View Scenic Overlook parking area on Lakeshore Road.
Start at the Sunset View Scenic Overlook parking area on Lakeshore Road. Dogs are allowed on leash up to six feet. With little shade along the loop, choose a cooler part of the day; the overlook itself still makes an easy stop if the heat is too much for the walk.
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.
