Lake Havasu City Between Water and History

Lake Havasu City offers a range of experiences for a stay: swimming areas by the water, boating routes, local history, and hiking trails through desert landscapes. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can first consider which of these sides of the destination matter for your trip. The places and activities provide specific points of reference to help you decide.

Swimming and Parks by the Water

London Bridge Beach stretches along the Bridgewater Channel and has a swimming area marked off by buoys. Public parking provides access to the park and the island side of the channel. This means visitors have both a designated swimming area and a landmark on the channel to orient themselves around.

On the shore of Thompson Bay on Lake Havasu lies Rotary Community Park, a 40-acre beach and park area. Here, too, a swimming area is marked off by buoys, and kayaking is also possible. Its location on the shore of Thompson Bay and its combination of beach and park areas give this place a different character from London Bridge Beach along the channel. Rotary Park is also home to the Tinnell Memorial Sports Complex: the approximately 40,000-square-foot skate and BMX park is on the shore of Thompson Bay.

London Bridge and History Along the Channel

London Bridge was rebuilt in Lake Havasu City as a tourist attraction. The Bridgewater Channel was created by dredging the land beneath the rebuilt bridge. Anyone interested in the bridge also gets a direct connection to how the channel came to be. The Lake Havasu Museum of History explores the city’s history and adds to the picture of its local past.

Along the channel by The English Village, you’ll find watersports rentals and boat tours. Alongside the historical connections, there are also activities centered on the water. You can weigh the different themes separately as you plan: Would you like to learn about the history of the bridge, are you more interested in the channel as a place for watersports, or would you like to include both in your trip?

Boating Routes, Fishing, and Lighthouses

Lake Havasu has 60 connected miles of lake and river waterways that can be used for boating. There are different ways to fish, too: you can fish from shore, from a kayak, or from a boat. The activities therefore differ not only in their purpose, but also in whether you stay on shore or use a watercraft.

Lighthouse replicas stand along the shores of Lake Havasu. Most can be reached by hiking trails, while others are accessible only by boat. For a tour of 18 lighthouses, the schedule from Sunset Charter & Tour Co. lists two-hour narrated trips on the Kon Tiki Canyon Cruiser on Wednesdays and Thursdays from October through May. Check the schedule before your trip. This will help you choose between the different access options and a guided boat tour as you plan.

Hiking Trails and Desert Landscapes

The Crack in the Wall Trail runs through a slot canyon on the Lower Colorado and through desert landscapes featuring a narrow gorge, wash bottoms, and rugged slopes. Hiking trails in Lake Havasu City range from short, paved paths to steep, rocky slopes. This range reflects different trail surfaces and terrain, so your choice will depend on the kind of landscape that interests you. The Crack in the Wall Trail offers a specifically described look at the canyon and desert landscape.

The answers bring into focus the themes that define Lake Havasu City without requiring you to commit to just one activity.

Discover more destinations: Bullhead City, Kingman, Meadview, Yucca, Mohave Valley, Colorado City, Peach Springs, Dolan Springs.

For the broader travel overview: Mohave.