Seeing Hoover Dam / Lake Mead from a plane
Hoover Dam is 726 ft tall and holds back Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US when full. Drought since 2000 has dropped the water so far that a white 'bathtub ring' of bleached rock lines the shore; look for it.
31 of our routes pass it. Arizona · rated 8 of 10
The easy pick
Las Vegas to Phoenix: sit on the left, on the climb, 6 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 133 min after takeoff |
| Boston to Los Angeles | Right | 279 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Los Angeles | Right | 180 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Dallas to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Denver to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 80 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Las Vegas | Left | on the way down |
| Honolulu to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Houston to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Houston to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 153 min after takeoff |
| Indianapolis to Las Vegas | Left | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Las Vegas | Left | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Phoenix | Left | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | on the climb, 7 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Atlanta | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Denver | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 10 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to New York | Right | 36 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 36 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Denver | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 37 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Los Angeles | Right | 152 min after takeoff |
| New York to Los Angeles | Right | 268 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Los Angeles | Right | 283 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Los Angeles | Right | 256 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Portland to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Phoenix | Left | 50 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 46 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Washington to Los Angeles | Right | 244 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Hoover Dam / Lake Mead from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (22 of 31). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Hoover Dam / Lake Mead from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
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