Organized Tours in Lake Havasu
Several companies offer different types of boat tours on Lake Havasu. Bluewater Jet Boat Tours (tel. 928/855-7171) runs 2 1/2-hour jet-boat tours from the London Bridge up the Colorado River 25 miles to scenic Topock Gorge. The cost is $45 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $25 for children 5 to 12. Numerous other operators offer water tours, including a ferry ride across the river to the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation in California. For a listing, see https://golakehavasu.com.
Looking for something a bit quieter and slower paced? Between October and May, you can book a hot-air balloon ride with Wanderlust Balloons (tel. 928/486-1075), which charges $200 per person ($210 with credit card) for an hour-long sunrise flight over the river.
Canoeing the Colorado
Paddling down a desert river is a fascinating experience. Rugged rock walls, prickly cacti, and thickets of reeds drift by on shore as the cool water rushes past your boat. If you’re interested in a scenic canoe tour, a couple of outfitters in the area provide boats, paddles, life jackets, maps, and shuttles to put-in and take-out points, though usually no guides. Western Arizona Canoe and Kayak Outfitters (tel. 888/881-5038 or 928/855-6414) offers self-guided kayak or canoe trips through beautiful rugged Topock Gorge, where you can see ancient petroglyphs and possibly bighorn sheep. Trips take 5 to 6 hours and the cost is $50 per person, which includes kayak/canoe rentals, paddles, life jackets, dry bags, coolers, and, most important, the shuttle service to the put-in point and back from the take-out point. Jerkwater Canoe Company (tel. 800/421-7803 or 928/768-7753) offers a similar Topock Gorge excursion as well as other canoe and kayak trips of varying lengths. Jerkwater’s Topock Gorge self-guided daylong trip is $51 per person. There is a two-person minimum.
