Ahakhav Tribal Preserve

To enjoy a quiet backwater of the Colorado River, stop by Ahakhav Tribal Preserve just southwest of Parker. You can picnic, walk through the riparian woodlands, go birding, play in the playground, laze on the beach, rent a canoe, or launch your own non-motorized craft. Canoe tours are available with advance notice.

The 'Ahakhav Tribal Preserve was established in 1995 and currently consists of 1,253 acres of wilderness area and a 3.5 acre park. The preserve is centered around a reconstructed Colorado River backwater, which offers a variety of activities including fishing, canoeing, birding, and swimming. The preserve also maintains a 4.6 mile fitness trail as well as playground and picnic facilities located in the park. The preserve serves many purposes. One is to provide recreational and learning opportunities to the surrounding community as well as visitors. The other is to serve as a re-vegetation area for endangered and threatened plants and animals native to the Lower Colorado River Basin. The Lower Colorado is an area that faces many problems, from damming that causes changes in natural stream flow, to a variety of invasive species. The preserve is an ongoing project to study methods of revegetation and restoration that may be used though out the area.

There's no charge to visit the preserve's 1,253 acres, which are open for day use only. Note that fishing requires a tribal permit (available in Parker) and that alcohol is forbidden. The park office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except in summer when hours change to 6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.

Follow the directions above to the CRIT Museum, continue southwest 0.5 mile on Mohave Road toward Ehrenburg, then turn right 1.3 miles on Rodeo Road to the office; the beach turnoff is 0.2 mile farther on the right; continue another mile to road's end at the Colorado River.