Park earthquake history

A chronological catalogue of regional seismic events associated with this protected landscape

Recorded Earthquake History and Seismic Activity Near Lake Mead National Recreation Area

This comprehensive collection provides a record of seismic events that have occurred in the vicinity of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Each entry tracks essential data including event dates, magnitude, and depth, calculated by epicentre distance to the recreation area boundaries. This catalogue offers a factual look at historical regional seismic activity, relying on standardized data to provide clarity on the geophysical history of this vast desert and reservoir complex.

Explore Lake Mead National Recreation Area

A flat-style vector illustration depicting a wide river flowing between rocky canyon cliffs with a concrete dam visible in the distance under a sunlit sky.

Desert lakes, canyon country, and engineered waters along the lower Colorado River.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a large federally protected area in southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona, managed by the National Park Service along the lower Colorado River corridor. It follows the river from the western boundary of Grand Canyon National Park downstream to just north of Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona, encompassing the reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave as well as the surrounding desert and canyon terrain. The recreation area sits at the dramatic meeting point of three of the four North American deserts. The Mojave, Great Basin, and Sonoran deserts converge within its boundaries, giving the landscape a striking mix of plant communities, geological formations, and arid ecosystems. Combined with extensive shoreline and year-round warm weather, this desert-lake setting forms the defining character of the recreation area. Lake Mead NRA was the first unit of the national park system to carry the National Recreation Area designation, established by Congress after the completion of Hoover Dam and Davis Dam. Today it remains one of the most visited units in the system, offering a blend of water-based recreation, hiking, desert solitude, and easy access from the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

Location: United States of America
Park type: Protected landscape
Established: 1936
Area: 6,053.3 km²

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Atlas

Explore Lake Mead National Recreation Area records by distance

Study recorded earthquakes around Lake Mead National Recreation Area

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area catalogue positions reported epicentres around its Nevada–Arizona boundary by calculated distance, keeping seismic records separate from reservoirs, Colorado River corridors, and Mojave–Sonoran desert terrain. Dates, magnitudes, depths, localities, sources, and site distances permit historical comparison without assigning landscape effects, current risk, or prediction.

Magnitude

Location

This page describes catalogued earthquakes associated with the park by epicentre location and distance. It does not establish causation, assess current danger, or predict future earthquakes.

No earthquake records match the current filters

Park atlas

Go beyond Lake Mead National Recreation Area earthquake records

Explore other parks beyond Lake Mead National Recreation Area

From Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s earthquake records, users can continue to protected places outside its Colorado River reservoirs, desert valleys, cliffs, beaches, and dunes. These are discovery routes rather than nearby or geologically matched sites, so recreation-area status, landscape, catalogue depth, seismic relevance, hazard, and risk must not be assumed to correspond.

National parkArizona

Park boundaries overlap#1 closest

East

Grand Canyon National Park: Arizona National Park Protected Landscape & Geography

Explore mapped boundaries and regional atlas context.

Grand Canyon National Park stands as a premier national park, showcasing a unique protected landscape within Arizona's diverse geography. This detailed entry focuses on the park's specific geographic identity, its mapped boundaries, and its significance within the regional atlas. Discover the contours of this protected area and its place in the natural terrain of the American Southwest.

Area: 4,926.08 km²
Established: 1919
IUCN: II
Visitors: 4.9M annual

Grand Canyon National Park Atlas

Wildlife reserveNevada

About 0.5 km away#2 closest

West

Jimbilnan Wilderness: Geographic Overview and Protected Desert Landscape in Nevada

Mapping the canyons, washes, and plateaus of the Black Mountains

Jimbilnan Wilderness offers a dense mosaic of Mojave Desert habitats within a compact protected footprint. Located in Clark County, this Nevada wildlife reserve features a transition from deep, rocky canyons carved into the Black Mountains to wide desert washes and benches near Lake Mead. The area is notable for its botanical diversity, including rare milkvetch and buckwheat, serving as a critical link between upland desert systems and the lacustrine environment of the reservoir.

Area: 76.4 km²
Established: 2002
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Mountain

Explore Jimbilnan Wilderness Geography

Wildlife reserveClark County

About 1.1 km away#3 closest

East

Jumbo Springs Wilderness: Geographic Profile and Protected Landscape Atlas

A rugged desert preserve in Clark County, Nevada

Jumbo Springs Wilderness preserves a dense concentration of desert geology within a compact footprint. Users can analyze the protected boundaries, which feature Precambrian metamorphic formations and granitic domes that rise above arid drainages. This area functions as a critical desert refuge near the Lake Mead reservoir, providing a distinct look at the transition between rocky mountain slopes and water-influenced desert microhabitats.

Area: 18.74 km²
Established: 2002
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Upland

Jumbo Springs Wilderness Protected Area Map

Wildlife reserveNevada

About 4.7 km away#4 closest

South

Ireteba Peaks Wilderness: Protected Desert Mountains and Lake Mohave Reservoir Shoreline

Mapping the Eldorado Mountains within southern Nevada desert protected areas.

Spanning the southern Eldorado Mountains and the northern shores of Lake Mohave, Ireteba Peaks Wilderness represents a critical Mojave Desert protected area. This landscape integrates rugged, rocky ridgelines with arid desert slopes and reservoir inlets. Its geographic character, shaped by both federal wilderness designation and proximity to the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, preserves a vital slice of Nevada desert terrain and native ecological habitat.

Area: 132.51 km²
Established: 2002
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Mountain

Explore Ireteba Peaks Wilderness Protected Area

A horizontal watercolor painting depicting soft desert hills in shades of green, yellow, and soft pink.

Wildlife reserveClark County

About 6.9 km away#5 closest

North

Muddy Mountains Wilderness: Geographic Atlas and Protected Desert Landscape Map

Exploration of sandstone terrain and Clark County topography.

Navigate the complex desert geography of the Muddy Mountains Wilderness, a protected area characterized by its vivid red cliffs, ancient cross-bedded sandstone, and steep elevation gains. This atlas entry provides essential context on the wilderness boundaries, regional landscape patterns, and environmental features that define this significant Mojave Desert refuge.

Area: 194.87 km²
Established: 2002
Relief: Mountain
Water: Minor water

Muddy Mountains Wilderness Maps and Geography

Wildlife reserveArizona

10 km away#6 closest

South

Mount Nutt Wilderness: Mapping the Volcanic Canyons and Desert Landscapes of Arizona

A protected wilderness area in the central Black Mountains

Mount Nutt Wilderness offers a dramatic look at high desert topography, characterized by fortress-like volcanic formations and deeply incised canyons. This protected area in northwestern Arizona provides essential habitat for desert bighorn sheep while showcasing the contrast between sun-baked mesas and lush, spring-fed riparian zones.

Area: 114 km²
Established: 1990
IUCN: Ib
Water: Minor water

Mount Nutt Wilderness Map and Atlas

Wildlife reserveArizona

About 33 km away#7 closest

Southeast

Mount Tipton Wilderness: Protected Mountain Geography in Northwestern Arizona

High desert ridgelines and summit forest ecosystems

Mount Tipton Wilderness protects a striking segment of the Cerbat Mountains, characterized by its elevation-driven transition from arid desert lowlands to cooler, forested peaks. This rugged Arizona landscape features narrow spine ridges and the notable rock formations of the Cerbat Pinnacles, offering a preserved backcountry environment for those exploring the region's mountain geology and desert ecosystems.

Area: 124.5 km²
Established: 1990
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Mountain

Mount Tipton Wilderness Protected Area Atlas

A watercolor painting showing soft green hills, distant pink-hued mountains, and a pale blue lake in a serene, stylized landscape.

Protected landscapeNevada

50 km away#8 closest

Northwest

Humboldt, Toiyabe National Forest: Protected Landscape and Regional Mountain Geography

A vast network of Nevada mountain ranges and alpine wilderness

Humboldt, Toiyabe National Forest serves as a defining public land entity across Nevada and eastern California. As the largest national forest in the contiguous United States, it preserves a striking collection of isolated mountain ranges, including the Ruby Mountains and the rugged Jarbidge wilderness, within a broader basin-and-range landscape. Examine the boundaries and terrain that characterize this complex, high-desert ecosystem.

Area: 25,454 km²
Established: 1908
Relief: Mountain
Access: Easy access

Humboldt, Toiyabe National Forest Atlas

MoriAtlas Explorer

Navigate the Geography of Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Continue exploring the desert terrain and reservoir boundaries within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This MoriAtlas entry provides a structured look at the ecosystems, canyons, and basin geography that define one of the most prominent protected landscapes in the United States.

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Lake Mead National Recreation Area Atlas

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