Just rode the Dam this morning. You actually have to turn off to go down and across the dam, otherwise you take the bybass by default. I rode though Boulder City and down to the dam at 10ish on a Sunday morning and there was traffic, but it wasn't heavy. But by the time I walked the pedestrian part of the bypass and headed back out around 11:30 to noonish, traffic was almost stop and go heading south though BC and was heavy heading north back towards Vegas.

The Red Rock loop is nice, you can do it by taking the 159 off of from Pahrump to Vegas. The 159 turn off is about 5 mi down past the end of the mtns and will take you down in front of Red Rock and you can then take the loop up into Red Rock at the visitors center. It will cost you $3 to go though the loop at the visitors center. The 159 eventually comes into town and becomes Charleston Blvd. You can follow it into town where meets the 215 and continue on down it to the 95/93 south.

Back after 9/11 the dam was closed to traffic for a while, but has been open to traffic for quite some time. They also reinstated the dam tours down inside the dam itself. The walk across the pedestrian bridge on the bypass above the canyon is nice, and the view down to the river below does pucker the butthole a bit. The bypass road does have 8' high walls so you don't see much as you go across.

 

Thank you everyone....I am glad to see that i have a few more options before I get to the boring I-40...hope everyone has a great day.