Lake Mead NRA Will Move to Cashless Entry in 2024

Our readers may have heard some rumblings about this recently, and we are able to confirm that Lake Mead National Recreation Area will be using a cashless entry system beginning January 1, 2024. This means that only electronic payment cards will be accepted for entry, and for renting campsites. Vendors within the Lake Mead NRA will still accept cash or electronic payments.

From the National Park Service:

Beginning January 1, 2024, Lake Mead National Recreation Area will transition to a cashless fee collection system, accepting only electronic card payments for entrance, lake use, and campground fees. Entrance stations will continue to sell passes but will no longer accept cash for payment.

The transition to cashless fee collection will align this park with twenty-nine other National Park Service locations, such as Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and the Petrified Forest. The new process will also enable more efficient, cost-effective operations.

Advance campground reservations, as well as first-come, first-served sites, will be available online only through recreation.gov. Concession operations at marinas, hotels, and stores will still accept cash or electronic card payments.

Fees collected are used for trash removal, road and facility maintenance and repairs, trail refurbishment, accessibility improvements, and more.

Please make a note of this important change going forward.