Buckskin Mountain State Park AZ

Several sources had mentioned this park on the Colorado River, so we made plans to visit there this year. The park is located 11 miles north of Parker and about 20 miles south of Lake Havasu. I was thinking that being on the river = cooler. WRONG!!!! We had four nights there with daytime temperature 93-100 degrees. Too hot for me! The state park only offered 30 amp services which means only on AC, and that could barely keep up. We arrived a day early so we had a site in the trees and then had to move the next day to full sun. I told the man in the next site that he would hear our AC running. He responded that he needed 50 amps to run his AC. I asked how many units he had, and then explained you don’t turn them all on. He was sooo surprised. He didn’t think of that. Immediately his front door closed and he turned on an AC unit.



The park sits within an oxbow of the Colorado River. An oxbow is where the river loops out and returns a little south of the original turn. It creates a shape more than the letter C and a little less than the letter O. A small peninsula of land fills the interior.





We could see the river by looking left or right from our campsite. Large grassy area and lots of big trees filled the park. Rocky hills provided a beautiful backdrop to the river view. I would like to return here in many Jan. or Feb. when the temperatures are more tolerable for me.



Sitting on the river bank, under the shade of trees, and with a slight breeze felt wonderful.



Some sites have full hook-ups, and others have just water and electricity. Taking in a full tank of Sun City water turned out to be a great idea. The park water was questionable….but that’s what filters are for in Arizona and Southern California.



A well-marked swimming spot kept the boaters away. However the water temperature felt like the ocean, so we never saw anyone swimming.


Boats, Boats, and more boats filled the lake. From early morning until sunset a loud roar filled the air. The Johnny-go-fast cigarette boats raced up and down the river. The big ski boats came next in the noise rating.



Pontoon boats filled with lots of people vied for river space.




Then the ever present jet skis running flat out swerved in and out of wakes.




Kids on simple floating devices stayed close to the shore and enjoyed the river too.




We were surprised by the lack of water safety measure. No obvious regulations seem to be in play. Neither kids nor adults wore life vests. Three young girls, maybe 9-12 zipped up river on a jet ski without vests.

The park includes a grocery store, an arcade and a restaurant. One large room sells nothing but swimsuit. Most people ran around in swimsuits….no matter how old or what shape they were in.



The park also includes a lovely cactus garden.




Derrille took advantage of the hiking trails that looped through the mountains above the park. He said the views were awesome. Of course he never remembered to take the camera, so we just have his word on it. The lovely mountains above the park also blocked cell phones and computer hook ups.We drove into Parker and Lake Havasu for coverage. He used his phone when out walking in the hills.

Parker has all the essentials. Every fast food joint, a Safeway and a Wal-Mart. They even have a Bealls Outlet which I checked for tops. We explored the RV sites and land between the park and Parker.



The La Paz County Park has two rows of sites. The front row sits on the river. The sites are closer together and without greenery, but right on the river.


The Emerald Canyon golf course is here also if you like to play golf.



In some inlets the houses appear crammed together.


RV parks dot the riverside.





As we got to closer to Parker, big houses fronted the river.




Many of the garages are built to accommodate large boats.



The park sits on land owneds by the Colorado Indian Tribes Reservation. So, of course they have a lovely casino.


We drove south through Parker and crossed over the river. With the taxes in California, the Arizona side of the river draws the population. However check out this sign on the California side of the parks between Parker and Havasu.


One day we drove north to Lake Havasu. We aren't sure why, but Havasu doesn't appeal to us. We did cross the London Bridge and explore a bit. I did appreciate the AC in Burger King. BK provides wi-fi, and we set up the computer with our secure mi-fi connection.

Perhaps someday we will return to Buckskin Mountain State Park.