As your Grand Canyon bus tour makes its way along U.S. 93 and I-40 E from Las Vegas, you will pass one of the most highly visited attractions in the United States. This man-made wonder serves many practical purposes and is a must have on your list of sightseeing. What is this top attraction, you ask? Well, Hoover Dam, of course.
Hoover Dam is located a short 30 some miles from Las Vegas, Nev. and is en route of all bus tours to Grand Canyon National Park. An incredible amount of planning, designing, and building was put into the construction of Hoover Dam, and you have the opportunity to see the finished product when you book a guided bus tour to see the Grand Canyon with GC Flight.
Built in the 1930s during the Great Depression, the dam was named in honor of President Herbert Hoover. The dedication and naming after President Hoover stirred a lot of controversy. The dam was originally named Boulder Dam, but when President Truman served his term in office, he renamed the site after President Hoover in honor of his efforts behind the construction of the dam. Hoover had a powerful voice behind the planning and design of the dam, and his talents and knowledge with engineering were what moved the dam from its original construction location to where it stands today, an area that can withstand earthquakes up to 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Hoover Dam is one of the tallest dams in the United States, standing 726 feet, or 221 miles, tall. Taller dams are generally found along the western part of the United States due to the deeper river valleys and steeper mountains around the areas. Hoover Dam is a huge source for irrigation water and hydroelectric power around its surrounding area and irrigates over 1 million acres of land. Lake Mead, an impounded lake formed by Hoover Dam and stretches upstream towards your initial destination, the Grand Canyon, serves as a source of water for nearly 8 million people in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The hydroelectric capability coming from the dam’s powerhouse also serves for municipal districts. Approximately 28.53 percent is allocated towards the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 23.37 percent towards the entire state of Nevada, and 18.95 percent towards the entire state of Arizona. Hoover Dam has an annual generation of 4.2 billion KWh, fulfilling its original purpose to control floods, provide irrigation water, and produce hydroelectric power. Not only that, but Hoover Dam has lived beyond its original intention and has become one of the most desired dams to see and an attraction flooding in millions of visitors.
People fly in and drive thousands of miles to visit the Hoover Dam, and you have the opportunity to see this wonder yourself and receive more detailed, narrated history behind it on GC Flight’s bus tours to Grand Canyon National Park, another huge attraction in the United States. How can you pass this opportunity up? Every Grand Canyon bus tour offered through GC Flight is extremely affordable considering everything you receive from it. So, book with GC Flight today, and you will be making your way towards two of America’s finest attractions, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.