Cox Awards $250K for Historic Railroad Trail Restoration

Grant to support erosion repair and accessibility improvements on popular Lake Mead recreation trail.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The James M. Cox Foundation, the charitable arm of Cox Enterprises, has awarded a $250,000 grant to Get Outdoors Nevada to refurbish and repair the Historic Railroad Trail within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The trail, which follows the former railroad bed used during the construction of Hoover Dam, is one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in Southern Nevada, attracting over 40,000 hikers, bikers, and other visitors annually. The grant will fund critical erosion repair and accessibility improvements to the trail and its five historic tunnels.

Why it matters

The Historic Railroad Trail is a beloved outdoor recreation asset for the Boulder City and Southern Nevada community, providing panoramic views of Lake Mead and access to the area's natural beauty. However, heavy use and destructive weather events have caused significant erosion, threatening the long-term safety and accessibility of the trail. This grant will help preserve this important community resource for generations to come.

The details

The $250,000 grant from the James M. Cox Foundation will support the Erosion Trail Repair Plan for the Historic Railroad Trail, a partnership between Get Outdoors Nevada, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the National Park Service, and the Great Basin Institute. The repair plan will address erosion issues, improve trail surfacing, and shore up the five historic railroad tunnels that are approximately 25 feet wide, 30 feet high, and 300 feet long.

  • The Historic Railroad Trail was established in 1992 and connected to Hoover Dam in 2007.
  • The railroad tracks used during the construction of Hoover Dam were dismantled in 1962.

The players

James M. Cox Foundation

The charitable arm of Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company.

Get Outdoors Nevada

A nonprofit organization that partners with public land agencies to promote outdoor recreation and conservation in Nevada.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

A national park managed by the National Park Service that encompasses Lake Mead and the surrounding desert landscape.

National Park Service

The federal agency responsible for managing national parks, monuments, and other protected public lands in the United States.

Great Basin Institute

A nonprofit organization that provides research, education, and conservation services in the Great Basin region of the western United States.

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What they’re saying

“At Cox, we empower our employees and communities to build a better future for the next generation, and with this gift from the Foundation, we can support critical erosion repair efforts and help maintain the Historic Railroad Trail for the more than 40,000 hikers, bikers, infant strollers, wheelchairs and dogs who utilize the trail annually.”

— Janet Uthman, Cox's Las Vegas Market Vice President (Press Release)

“This extraordinary gift will be used to help restore the trail. There's erosion that needs to be accounted for. There's surfacing that needs to be improved. As you go far enough into the tunnels, there's work that needs to be done on the tunnels themselves to shore those up. All of this is for the purpose of it continuing to be one of the go-to trails in Southern Nevada.”

— Bart Patterson, Get Outdoors Nevada Interim Executive Director (Boulder City Review)

“The Historic Railroad Trail has, and will continue, to draw folks from all over the world to our beautiful city. Along with our railroad museum and our adventure center that are coming up, together I know that they will capture the memories and hearts and minds of many generations to come.”

— Denise Ashurst, Boulder City Councilwoman (Boulder City Review)

What’s next

The repair plan is expected to be implemented in the coming months, with the goal of completing the restoration work before the peak hiking season.

The takeaway

This grant from the James M. Cox Foundation demonstrates the importance of public-private partnerships in preserving and enhancing outdoor recreation assets like the Historic Railroad Trail, which are vital to the quality of life and economic vitality of communities like Boulder City.