En Route to Yuma
The Parker Area -- About 16 miles south of Lake Havasu City stands the Parker Dam, which holds back the waters of Lake Havasu and is said to be the deepest dam in the world because 73% of its 320-foot height is below the riverbed. Beginning just above the dam and stretching south to the town of Parker is one of the most beautiful stretches of the lower Colorado River. Just before you reach the dam, you'll come to the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge (tel. 928/667-4144; http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/arizona/billwill.html), which preserves the lower reaches of the Bill Williams River. This refuge offers some of the best bird-watching in western Arizona. Keep your eyes open for vermilion flycatchers, Yuma clapper rails, soras, Swainson's hawks, and white-faced ibises.
Continuing south, you'll reach a dam overlook and the Take-Off Point boat launch, where you can do some fishing from shore. Below the dam, the river becomes narrow and red-rock canyon walls close in. Although this narrow gorge is lined with mobile-home parks, the most beautiful sections have been preserved in two units of Buckskin Mountain State Park (tel. 928/667-3231 or 928/667-3386 for the River Island unit; www.pr.state.az.us). Both units -- Buckskin Mountain and River Island -- have campgrounds ($19-$25 for campsites or cabanas at Buckskin; $14-$25 for campsites at River Island), and a few of the campsites can be reserved. There are also day-use areas that include river beaches and hiking trails leading into the Buckskin Mountains. The day-use fee is $8 per vehicle at either park. In this area you'll also find the spectacular Emerald Canyon Golf Course.
On the north side of Parker, keep an eye out for Lemon Tree Nursery, 500 Riverside Dr. (tel. 928/669-8002), which sells fresh local citrus fruit in season.
The Quartzsite Area -- For much of the year, the community of Quartzsite is little more than a few truck stops at an interstate off-ramp. But the population explodes with the annual influx of winter visitors (also known as snowbirds), and from early January to mid-February it's the site of numerous gem-and-mineral shows that attract more than a million rock hounds. Among these shows is the Quartzsite Pow Wow, which is held in late January and is one of the largest gem-and-mineral shows in the country. During the winter months, Quartzsite sprouts thousands of vendor stalls, as flea markets and the like are erected along the town's main streets. A variety of interesting food makes it a good place to stop for lunch or dinner. For more information, contact the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce, 100 E. Main St., Quartzsite (tel. 928/927-5600; www.quartzsitechamber.org).
For information on parking your RV in the desert outside Quartzsite, contact the Bureau of Land Management, Yuma Field Office, 2555 E. Gila Ridge Rd., Yuma (tel. 928/317-3200; www.az.blm.gov/yfo/index.htm). Alternatively, you can get information and camping permits at the Long-Term Visitor Area entrance stations just south of Quartzsite on U.S. 95. The season here runs from September 15 to April 15, with permits going for $140 for the season and $30 for 14 consecutive days.
There are only three places in Arizona where palm trees grow wild, and if you'd like to visit one of these spots, watch for the Palm Canyon turnoff 18 miles south of Quartzsite. Palm Canyon lies within the boundaries of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, which was formed primarily to protect the desert bighorn sheep that live here in the rugged Kofa Mountains. The palms are 9 miles off U.S. 95 in a narrow canyon a short walk from the end of the well-graded gravel road, and although there are fewer than 100 palm trees, the hike to see them provides an opportunity to experience these mountains up close. Keep your eyes peeled for desert bighorn sheep. Incidentally, the Kofa Mountains took their name from the King of Arizona Mine. For maps and more information, contact the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, 356 W. First St., Yuma (tel. 928/783-7861; www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/kofa.html).
Back in the 19th century, the mountains of this region were pockmarked with mines. To get an idea of what life was like in the mining boomtowns, make a detour to Castle Dome City Mines Museum (tel. 928/920-3062), a reconstructed mining town in the middle of the desert. To find this place, turn east at the Castle Dome turnoff near milepost 55 and continue another 10 miles (only the first mile or so is paved). The museum/ghost town is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm, and admission is $5 for adults. There are guided tours ($5) on Wednesday at 10am.
