Several boats are moored close to shore, and a few tents have been pitched close to the water's edge. Three small buildings are visible. Overton Beach is located on the northern end of the Overton Arm, a long extension of the lake that follows the former channel of the Virgin River. In 1939, shortly after Lake Mead was impounded, Overton Beach was one of only three sites on the reservoir to have facilities for the public. Overton Beach offered access to a public launch ramp, restrooms, fish cleaning station and ranger station. A concessioner operated a RV park, store, fuel station, dry boat storage, long-term trailer village, and a marina with 125 slips. In the spring of 2007, the marina facilities were divided into two smaller sections and moved to other concessioner operations on the lake at Temple Bar and Callville Bay. Shortly after that, the store was boarded up and the trailer village was dismantled. What remained are the boat launch and the ranger station. On Sunday, April 25, 2010, the National Park Service locked the gate leading to Overton Beach at its intersection with Northshore Road, although the area will still be open to visitors who choose to enter on foot or by boat. Only vehicle access is restricted, making the area in effect a backcountry site. The move was considered temporary, but it could prove permanent depending on how long it takes Lake Mead to recover from over a decade of drought on the overdrawn Colorado River. The Overton Beach water treatment facility was also shut down on April 25, 2010. Without water and sewage services, the park wasn't able to operate restrooms, the fish cleaning station or RV pump-out stations. These services are now available at Echo Bay, which is located ten miles south of Overton Beach.

Newsletter issued by the Las Vegas Rotary Club