Scenic Drives

Scenic drives to consider in the Parker area are listed below. Click on a scenic byway or backway listed below for complete information.


Canada Goose Drive		3 mile loop	1/2 hour

	Canada Goose Drive runs through the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado River in western Arizona. It provides access to the Nature Trail and a viewing area for Canada geese, snow geese, ducks and sandhill cranes in a 20-acre pond. The Nature Trail is a one-mile loop that will take the visitor through three different native habitats; cottonwood, mesquite, and willow. Halfway around the trail, the winter visitor will view thousands of Canada geese, snow geese, ducks and sandhill cranes in a 20-acre pond from an elevated observation deck. The deck is designed to allow the wildlife to feed and loaf without being disturbed and allow the quiet visitor to experience these wildlife up close. This drive is open from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hwy 95 Parker to Interstate 40		57 miles one way	1.5 hours

	Hwy 95 north of Parker winds along the Colorado River past state parks, wildlife refuges, and Lake Havasu's London Bridge. Special Attractions: Buckskin Mountain State Park, Lake Havasu State Park, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Topock Gorge, Lake Havasu City, London Bridge, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, water-skiing, canoeing, wildlife observation. This chapter is a complete description of a scenic drive with a route map and information on the best travel seasons, interesting sites, recreation opportunities, camping locations, and much more....

Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway		11 miles one way	1 hour

	Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway highlights scenic, natural, historic, and prehistoric values along an 11-mile road that winds adjacent to the Colorado River. Near Parker and Lake Havasu City on the California/Arizona border, this area has attracted people, wildlife, and vegetation along the river canyon creating the Thread of Life. The byway provides an abundance of recreational and leisure time activities including camping, swimming, boating, fishing, rock hounding, hiking, off-highway vehicle driving, wildlife viewing, watching wild burros, and quiet relaxation. Accessible by all types of vehicles.

Bill William’s Bridge

	A few miles North of Parker Dam, the Bill Williams River flows into Lake Havasu on the Arizona side of the river. That’s where the Bill Williams Bridge is located, sporting a spectacular view of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Bill Williams Unit) to the right and a panoramic view of Lake Havasu to the left. The refuge, established in 1941 to provide wintering water flow habitats, is comprised of cattail marshes, rugged desert uplands and a riparian zone. The varied terrains attracts many species of migratory birds including the endangered Yuma Clapper Rail as well as other wildlife such as owls, lizards, desert bighorn sheep and Gamble’s quail. For more information about the Bill William’s area call the U.S. Fish Wildlife office at (928) 667-4144.