From Parker Dam to Headgate Rock, the Strip has been the Southwest's favorite stretch of river for more than 80 years. Boats, beaches, bars, lodges, and a whole lot of sun — straddling both the Arizona and California shores.
Parker Dam — built 1934–1938
Long before the boats and the beach bars, the river here had a name from the Mohave people who lived along its banks: the Thread of Life. A narrow oasis between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, it pulled in every form of life that could find it.
Two dams turned the Thread into the Strip. Parker Dam went up between 1934 and 1938 — still the deepest dam in the world, its foundation sunk 235 feet through sand and gravel before reaching bedrock. Headgate Rock Dam followed in 1941. The 18 miles of river between them stilled into Lake Moovalya — calm, warm, and stretched out between two mountain-lined shores.
Resorts opened. Boats arrived. By the 1960s the Strip was already known as the Boating Capital of the Southwest, and it's never really lost the title.
The Parker Strip sits at the center of a triangle drawn between Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. For millions of people, it's the closest stretch of warm, open water — and they show up all summer to prove it.
SoCal boat owners have made the Strip a tradition for generations. Easy run east on the 10 freeway, cross at Earp or Parker, and you're at the dock by lunch. Many of the river homes here are owned by California families.
For Phoenix-area weekenders the Strip is the closest real river — cooler than the city in July, packed with marinas and resorts, and just a straight shot west on I-10. Sun Valley to riverside cabana in an afternoon.
Vegas locals point south for open water that isn't Lake Mead. The drive down past Lake Havasu drops you onto the Strip in time for a sunset cruise — and the boat lifestyle here is a different gear from the Strip back home.
Wake on the water, idle out past the buoys, cruise to a beach bar, cool off in a cove. This is what the Strip does — every weekend, March through October, year after year.
From Parker Dam to Headgate Rock, 18 miles of glassy, slow-moving river. Wakeboarding in the early morning, jet skis after lunch, sunset cruises with the canyon walls glowing orange.
The Strip becomes "Float Town, U.S.A." — thousands of tubes, friends rafted together, drifting from Buckskin to La Paz County Park.
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Tube floats, off-road races, lighted boat parades — the events that fill the river resorts every year.
One of desert racing's most storied events — trucks and buggies tear through the rugged terrain surrounding town.
Parker becomes "Float Town, U.S.A." as thousands drift the Parker Strip from Buckskin Mountain State Park to La Paz County Park.
Rodeo, livestock, fair food and family fun bring the whole county together each autumn.
The river glows after dark as decorated boats cruise the strip — a beloved end-of-year tradition.
The Parker Area Chamber of Commerce keeps the official, always-current calendar of every event happening across town and the river.
A handful of useful Town of Parker resources. Everything else lives at townofparkeraz.com.
Quick online payment for Town of Parker water accounts.
Pay online →Apply for or renew a Town of Parker business license.
Get licensed →Town parks, community center and recreation programs.
Explore →Books, programs and a cool place to escape the sun.
Visit →(928) 669-9265
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Lake Moovalya · MM 0–18
From the dam at the top of the Strip to the parks framing it on both sides, the river country here keeps going. Worth a day trip from anywhere on the water.
The deepest dam in the world — its foundation goes 235 feet below the riverbed. Only the top third is visible. Holds back Lake Havasu, releases the Strip.
Cabanas right on the water, a beach, a boat ramp, and trails that climb above the river. The classic Strip park.
The quieter sister park — sandy cove, easy hikes, riverside camping. A more laid-back stretch of the Strip.
The California-side backcountry byway from Parker Dam south to the reservation line. Wild burros, interpretive stops, the river always on your left.
Restored riparian channels just above Headgate Rock Dam — paddle, fish, and see what the river looked like for centuries.
Big-lake boating, the London Bridge, and a day trip if you want to compare strips. The Parker Strip is the calmer, longer cousin.