Cattail Cove State Park

Enjoy swimming, fishing and boating on a wide expanse of the Colorado River.

The construction of Parker Dam in the 1930s created a recreational reservoir upriver along the Arizona-California border. The 45-mile-long Lake Havasu includes Cattail Cove among many other recreation areas. Visit this haven located on the southern section of the lake for a leisurely day on the water. Pull an RV in or set up at a tent site to make the most of this pristine outdoor playground. Other amenities include sandy beaches, a volleyball court, a boat ramp and a dog beach.

Water Sports

Cattail Cove moves at a slower pace than the larger Lake Havasu State Park upriver. Motorized and non-motorized boats launch from the dock, and while some guests rev it up by waterskiing and Jet Skiing on the open water, most of the action here is on paddleboards and kayaks. Visitors can rent these floats at the on-site ranger station or bring their own water toys to explore the lake and its private coves. Others prefer to take it easy and cast a line for bass, catfish, bluegill and crappie or swim at the park’s sandy beaches. Visitors can find a bit of privacy here by reserving primitive boat-in campsites along the shoreline.

Hiking Trails

The dramatic drive into the park winds through arid, craggy landscapes and passes some of the areas that visitors can reach along hiking trails. Whytes Retreat Trail is an easy half-mile walk along the shoreline of the Colorado River. McKinney Loop Trail is a 1-mile ramble that climbs in and out of dry canyon washes and pops out at the river. Four other trails in the park trek through the area’s desert hills and connect with each other to ultimately reach the river and follow the shoreline back to the park.

Campsites

The state parks along Arizona’s West Coast offer some of the prettiest campsites in the state. This part of Arizona is undoubtedly RV country, with a steady caravan of visitors enjoying the scenery along Highway 95 from Yuma north to Quartzsite, Lake Havasu City and Davis Camp near Bullhead City. More than 60 traditional campsites and RV sites plus another 28 ports for houseboats attract vacationers year-round to Cattail Cove. As with the neighboring state parks along Arizona’s West Coast, the main attraction is the river cutting through otherworldly desert landscapes.