July 27, 2026 - 7:38 pm

HOOVER DAM — Tourists hoping to visit Hoover Dam Tuesday were disappointed to find it closed to visitors as federal officials said the closure was prompted by an issue with the dam’s 150-ton cableway system.

“Hoover Dam remains temporarily closed to all visitors while maintenance crews address an equipment issue involving the facility’s cableway system,” said a news release from the Bureau of Reclamation. “The dam and powerplant continue to operate normally.”

The National Park Service first confirmed the closure on Monday night. A reopening date hasn’t been set.

The dam, situated in Black Canyon on the Colorado River near Boulder City, is about 35 miles from the Strip and is a popular tourist site for visitors to Las Vegas. On Tuesday near the dam, a flashing sign at a roundabout near the dam’s security checkpoint for visitors read, “Hoover Dam is closed.”

Visitors who proceeded to the checkpoint were met by multiple security guards standing outside. The guards politely told visitors, some from as far away as eastern Canada, that the dam is closed and instructed them to turn around.

The 150-ton cableway system near the dam’s parking garage moves large equipment and other materials across the Colorado River, between the Nevada and Arizona sides of the power plant, the Reclamation news release said.

During recent routine maintenance, the cableway carriage “moved unexpectedly and placed additional stress on system components,” the news release said. The area was secured as a precaution, officials said, adding that a contractor is scheduled to help dam workers assess the equipment on Wednesday.

“Until the contractor completes its evaluation and safely repositions the cableway carriage, Reclamation cannot estimate when visitor access will resume,” the news release said.

Genevieve Johnson, Reclamation’s acting regional director for the Lower Colorado Basin, said the agency appreciates the public’s patience.

“Safety remains our top priority,” Johnson said in a statement.

Contact Lucas Hellberg at lhellberg@reviewjournal.com. Contact Arlette Yousif at ayousif@reviewjournal.com. Follow @arletteyousif on Instagram.