Travel Nevada opened its first Adventure Center on Wednesday at the corner of Boulder City Parkway and Nevada Way, near Hemenway Park, giving visitors a single stop to book e-bike rentals, guided kayaking, Lake Mead cruises and air tours before heading out into Southern Nevada's public lands. The hub also hands out trip-planning resources and conservation information, positioning itself as a basecamp for outdoor recreation rather than just another visitor center.
A Gateway Built for Lake Mead Tourism
As reported by KSNV, the Boulder City location is open daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and houses a lineup of outdoor tenants, including Canyon Riders LLC, Desert Adventures, Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, HPP Armory, Lake Mead Cruises, Loop Trail Rentals and Papillon Airways. The station's report also notes the center offers shuttle services from various Las Vegas locations, a detail that matches earlier plans for the project. Travel Nevada has also launched a three-year agreement with Outside Interactive, Inc., tying the physical hub to a broader media partnership, per the same account.
The transportation piece has been part of the plan for years. Back in 2022, organizers designated $2.2 million of a federal grant allocation for the Boulder City Adventure Center, and the grant would also enable National Park Express to operate inexpensive transportation, according to the Boulder City Review. The routing was designed to consolidate passenger trips and lower fuel costs for the tour operators involved, addressing a long-standing gap for Strip tourists without rental cars.
Architecture Inspired by the Water It Overlooks
The facility sits at 102 Nevada Way overlooking Lake Mead National Recreation Area and was designed by LGA Architecture with fluid structural shapes inspired by the movement of water, according to Travel Nevada. The building sits adjacent to the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. Jill Rowland-Lagan, CEO of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, said the Adventure Centers represent an important investment in Boulder City's future as a gateway to Lake Mead and Southern Nevada's outdoor assets, per KSNV. The opening ceremony was attended by H. Fletch Brunelle, Herb Santos Jr., Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, Mike Larragueta and Shelly Capurro, alongside Rowland-Lagan.
The project carries a combined price tag of more than $7 million across both planned sites, anchored by a $3.712 million federal Economic Development Administration grant awarded in 2022, according to Carson Now. Both locations use existing state-owned land. A second Adventure Center broke ground in October 2025 on the campus of the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City and is expected to open in early 2027, connecting visitors there to Sierra Nevada hiking, skiing and water activities, the outlet reports.
Why State Officials Are Betting Big on Outdoor Recreation
The push reflects a deliberate strategy to diversify Nevada's economy beyond casino gaming. Travel Nevada notes that Nevada has 86% public land and that the centers are intended to support local businesses and tourism, according to Travel Nevada. Officials have noted the state historically suffered from a deficit in visitor-facing outdoor infrastructure despite its vast public acreage.
The numbers back up the bet. Nevada's outdoor recreation economy generated $8.1 billion in GDP and supported more than 58,000 jobs statewide, according to the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation. A separate 2025 study commissioned by the same division estimated the outdoor recreation industry at $24 billion and reported more than 75,000 jobs across Nevada and the Tahoe Basin, as reported by the Nevada Independent.
Visitation to the region's flagship outdoor destinations shows no signs of slowing. Outdoor recreation spending in Nevada reached nearly $1.7 billion in 2025, according to Outside Online. Nevada State Parks, Great Basin National Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area recorded 10.5 million visits in 2024. Lake Mead and the state's parks remain the primary travel drivers for Southern Nevada.
Marketing Push Includes a Nevada Travel Series
Travel Nevada and Outside Interactive also expanded their corporate partnership in October 2025 with a travel series featuring rock climber Alex Honnold, according to Travel Nevada. The series follows Honnold on a van journey through Nevada, showcasing outdoor exploration.
The Boulder City opening arrives as the surrounding area sees other tourism-related upgrades move forward. Hoodline previously reported that Boulder City secured $850K for a Nevada Way overhaul, and the city's railroad museum visitor center has also been nearing completion nearby. Visitors can find hours, tenant listings and trip-planning details for the new hub at adventure.travelnevada.com/boulder-city/.
