Silver State Sights: Boulder City

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Founded in 1931, its sole reason for existence was the need to house workers contracted to build what was initially known as boulder dam on the Colorado River.

“It has a very art deco vibe so it’s very vintage in feel,” said Tracie Barnthouse of Travel Nevada. “There’s a lot of outdoor recreation including hiking trails along Lake Mead.”

The town of about 15,00 people is located outside of Las Vegas in Clark County and continues to be a favorite of tourists looking to get out of the big city.

“You got the view of Lake Mead, it’s a great retreat from the city lights of Las Vegas,” said Tracy Johnson when she was visiting from Oregon.

The small population isn’t because people don’t want to live there. It’s more expensive on average than Las Vegas, and a controlled growth ordinance has prevented the town from growing.

Tara Bertoli, owner of Boulder City Co. Stores says in the nearly 50 years she has lived there its only grown in population by about 2,000 people.

It’s a town that might be the best place in the state of Nevada to get a look at bighorn sheep. If you go to Hemenway Park, you’ll probably see quite a few of them.

“It is one of our favorite things,” Bertoli mentioned. “It’s only two miles from my store. We have gazebos to keep people out of the sun. They can interact with the sheep, but they aren’t allowed to feed them.”

Boulder city is one of only two places in Nevada that prohibits gambling, the other being the town of Panaca in Lincoln County.

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