Callville Bay, Nevada
Located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Distance from Las Vegas : 32 Miles (one way)
Time of year to visit : All Year
Gasoline Available : No
Fee : 3$ per Motorcycle to enter the Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Road Conditions :
Nevada Department of Transportation
Tourist Information :
Nevada Commission on Tourism
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Callville Bay History:
Seeing the viability of steamboat travel to transport supplies and immigrants, Mormon leader, Brigham Young recruited Bishop Anson Call to establish a colony and build a warehouse on the Colorado River.
Call was sent to select a site for a steamboat port on the Colorado River and in 1864, he established Calls Landing which is about 15 miles upstream from the present day Hoover Dam.
A large warehouse was constructed first, followed by a landing, post office and corral. The steamboat Esmeralda completed a trip on October, 1866, and delivered 100 tons of freight.
Call's Landing (also referred to as Call's Fort and Old Callville) became a permanent settlement with homes, warehouse and irrigation systems. Supplies intended for the newly established Mormon communities in the west traveled from New York and other eastern cities to Panama. From there goods were shipped to the west coast of Mexico, through the Gulf of California and up the Colorado River to Call's Landing.
In January, 1867, the Army arrived at Fort Callville and it became an outpost until May, 1868. Callville, being very desolate, isolated and lonely, had the most desertions of the Army company stationed at El Dorado, and one suicide.
The Mormon's plan for a supply route via the Colorado was abandoned when the transcontinental railroad was completed in northern Nevada in 1869.
When construction for the Boulder Dam began (now know as Hoover Dam), portions of the old warehouse still existed. Callville then became submerged when Lake Mead was formed by the damming of the Colorado River.
Directions:
• Take E LAKE MEAD BLVD / NV-147 leaving Las Vegas for approx. 12.6 miles;
• Turn LEFT onto NV-167 / NORTHSHORE RD. and continue for approx. 7.8 Miles;
• Turn RIGHT onto CALLVILLE RD. and continue for approx. 3.6 Miles until you reach Calville Bay.
