Is Lake Mead haunted? Las Vegas-based ‘ghost hunter’ Zak Bagans investigates

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Lake Mead National Recreation Area has been called the “deadliest park in America,” and Las-Vegas-based ghost hunter Zak Bagans set out to research reported hauntings.

Bagans, the host of “Ghost Adventures,” debuted a two-hour special “The Lake of Death” on the Discovery Channel. Bagans also runs The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, full of curiosities, mementos and macabre relics from various hauntings and ghost hunts.

FOX5 reached out to Bagans for insight, last year, after a series of human remains were uncovered as the water receded. It helped spur him on to keep delving into the lake’s mysteries.

“I wasn’t aware of the magnitude of darkness that surrounded Lake Mead,” Bagans said. Bagans spoke to a former National Park Service employee who, along with another worker, witnessed paranormal activity for years.

Bagans also researched the sites of various crime scenes and grisly discoveries, from the shore to abandoned tunnels. Cameras captured bizarre activity.

“A lot of people that go there, boat, swim and fish during the day. They don’t know what there is at night,” Bagans said.

“Lake Mead sits on a ‘nuclear reactor’ of power for spirits. It’s a perfect recipe,” Bagans said, referring to the Hoover Dam. The dam itself also has a dark history: federal officials report at least 96 workers died during construction.

The National Park Service has also recorded more than 300 drownings in the park’s history.

Bagans plans to come back for another investigation at the lake.

You can catch “Ghost Adventures” on The Discovery Channel. If you missed the premiere episode, you can watch it on Discovery Plus or the HBO/Discovery “Max” app.

Copyright 2023 KVVU. All rights reserved.