This Lakeside Oasis in Arizona Needs to Be on Your Winter Bucket List
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Nestled deep in the Mojave Desert is a land of big shining waters, never-ending sunshine, and incredible beauty.
While Lake Havasu City is only 60 years young, its eclectic history, thriving Main Street, and outdoor recreation make it a dream destination for winter travelers.
I’ve been escaping to Lake Havasu from my home in Vermont for many years. It’s easy to book cheap flights from New England to Vegas, rent a car, and soak up some rays while my friends back home are shivering by their wood stoves.
Lake Havasu is also within a day’s drive of Los Angeles for a perfect weekend getaway from the city.
I fell in love with Lake Havasu after my very first visit. It’s a great spot to get outside all year round, whether you enjoy hiking, paddling, swimming, or landscape photography. It’s an outdoor lover’s dream, and November through April is the perfect time to plan your getaway.
Lake Havasu City: At-A-Glance
Want to skip to the good part? Here’s a quick overview of everything you need to know to plan your Lake Havasu vacation
- When to Go: Winter is our favorite time to visit Lake Havasu. Spring is best for swimming and boating, but it’s also really busy!
- Where to Stay: Nautical Beachfront Resort is the perfect waterfront getaway for families!
- How to get here: It’s about 2.5 hours from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
- How to Get Around: If you stay within close proximity to the London Bridge, you don’t need a car to explore. You can take a shuttle from Las Vegas to Lake Havasu for about $80.
- Top 3 Highlights: Hiking in SARA Park, self-guided Lighthouse tour, and a sunset boat cruise on the Dixie Bell
The Best Things to Do in Lake Havasu City
Here’s the truth — unless it’s high summer in Lake Havasu, you’ll want to be outdoors! Here are the best outdoor things to do in Lake Havasu during your visit.
Visit the Famous London Bridge
The London Bridge is an iconic landmark in Lake Havasu City and one of the most visited historic sites in all of Arizona. The bridge was originally built in 1831 to span the River Thames in London, but by the 1960s, it had begun to slowly sink into the river and was subsequently dismantled.
The bridge was put on the auction block, and Robert McCulloch, a rich tycoon from the States, won the bid at $460,000 for his new city in the Arizona desert. The historic London Bridge was dismantled brick by brick, shipped to Arizona, and slowly reconstructed in Lake Havasu City.
There wasn’t actually a need for a bridge in Lake Havasu City, so after the London Bridge was constructed, a channel was dredged underneath it. The London Bridge officially opened in 1971, with much celebration and fanfare. Today, London Bridge is a major tourist attraction, with shops, restaurants, parks, and hotels surrounding it.
Not only is London Bridge a fun tourist destination in its own right, but the area surrounding it makes a great home base for vacationers who want a beach getaway with great amenities and conveniences —you don’t even need a car!
Read Next: Visit the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City
Go Boating on Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu straddles the border between California and Arizona and encompasses 19,300 acres of sparkling water just waiting to be explored.
This massive lake in the desert is renowned for its recreational fishing and boating, attracting over 750,000 visitors annually. Most anglers fish for bass, and there are numerous fishing tournaments held on Lake Havasu, with all kinds of trophy fish being recorded.
Boating on Lake Havasu is a favorite pastime for locals and visitors alike. The super-clear turquoise water, along with towering cliffs, rugged mountains, and incredible wildlife, makes Lake Havasu an exciting destination for tourists with boats of all shapes and sizes. And, it’s incredibly easy to get out on the water!
Because of the size of Lake Havasu, you can easily find solitude on the lake.
If boating on Lake Havasu sounds fun, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to own a boat of your own to get out on the water.
You can easily rent a boat, from human-powered kayaks to jet skis and pontoon boats; it’s one of the best things to do in Lake Havasu on a hot day. Trust me!
Resources for Boaters on Lake Havasu
Take a sunset boat cruise! Set sail on the beautiful Dixie Bell, a custom-built, 131-passenger paddle wheeler that cruises Lake Havasu year-round. Sunsets on Lake Havasu are beyond compare, and watching the sun sink behind the mountains from the Dixie Bell is a treat you won’t want to miss.
Boat Ramps on Lake Havasu: There are eight launch ramps around Lake Havasu for easy access to and from the water. Go Lake Havasu has a complete list of marinas and boat ramps to help you plan your trip.
Lake Havasu Boat Rentals: If you don’t have a boat of your own, consider renting one for your next Lake Havasu vacation. This handy watercraft rental guide will help you get out on the water in no time.
Boat Camping: You can score your very own boat-in campsite on Lake Havasu courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management for just $10 a night. There are 73 sites on the Arizona side of Lake Havasu, none of which can be reserved in advance. If you know you’ll be camping, be sure to claim your site early in the day.
Go Paddling on Lake Havasu
Along with incredible opportunities for boaters, Lake Havasu has lots of quiet coves and wild shores that are perfect for kayaking and canoeing.
During the spring, summer, and fall, you can rent kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards at London Bridge Beach in Lake Havasu City. You can also find rental companies in the watercraft rental guide above.
The area just north of Lake Havasu City is our favorite spot for paddling, with numerous small coves and secluded spots to swim and picnic.
The 4.25-mile water trail travels along the shores of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, where you have a chance to spot hundreds of different species of birds, as well as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats.
If you have time, head north to the incredible Topock Gorge — a mountainous, wild canyon north of Lake Havasu City that will take your breath away! Read more about paddling this incredible section of the Colorado River from Traveling Mooses.
Enjoy the View from Rotary Park
Just want to chill on the beach, swim in the crystal clear water of Lake Havasu, and watch your kids play in the sand?
Our favorite spot for relaxing in Lake Havasu City is Rotary Park. It’s such a beautiful spot, with playground equipment, barbecue grills, swimming, a walking path, and a skateboard park that is to die for!
The picnic tables at Rotary Park are covered to provide shade, and even though it gets pretty busy, there’s lots of room to spread out. I love hanging out here right around sunset.
From Rotary Park, you can meander along the channel, visit the restaurants and bars along the shore, and walk across London Bridge. It’s the perfect way to spend a sunny day or a quiet evening in Lake Havasu City.
Visit the Lake Havasu Lighthouses
Like the famous London Bridge, the Lake Havasu lighthouses are not typical attractions for a landlocked state in the desert, but they’re fun to visit anyway!
There are 25 lighthouses dotting the shores of Lake Havasu, on both the Arizona and California sides of the lake. Touring the lighthouses is always one of my favorite things to do in Lake Havasu. They’re so cool!
The lighthouses are fully functional, 1/3-scale replicas of historic US lighthouses still found on the East and West Coasts, as well as the Great Lakes region.
You’ll find the Fire Island Lighthouse from Long Island, New York; the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from Buxton, North Carolina; and even a Lake Havasu original.
Most of the Lake Havasu lighthouses can be found right in Lake Havasu City and are easy to visit on foot. Some are hiding in more remote locations, and a couple can only be reached by boat.
Want to embark on your very own lighthouse tour? Check out this map and guide, complete with GPS coordinates for each lighthouse. A narrated lighthouse boat tour is available from October through May.
Celebrate Winter at Lake Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair (January 22-25, 2026)
Last year, we were in town for what the locals told me was the big event of the year — the Havasu Balloon Festival, which takes place every year in January in Lake Havasu City.
While I’ve been to my share of balloon festivals on the East Coast, none with such an enchanting backdrop!
This weekend festival includes six mass ascensions of more than 80 hot air balloons.
They rise over the lake and the city each morning as the sun rises and the wind dies down. The morning ascensions kick off the festival each day, which is filled with music, activities, demonstrations, carnival rides, and food vendors.
The evening ascension takes place as the sun sets, but when we were there, it was canceled due to high winds around Lake Havasu. The night concludes with the Field of Fire, where all the balloons are inflated and lit up for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re thinking of planning your Lake Havasu City vacation for January, consider timing it to coincide with the amazing Havasu Balloon Festival, which is one of the most awesome balloon festivals in the USA.
Take a Hike
Who says all the fun in Lake Havasu is out on the water? Hiking is one of the best things to do in Lake Havasu City, especially in the winter.
The Lake Havasu region has some fantastic hiking trails, whether you’re looking for a simple nature walk or an all-day excursion.
We often visit Lake Havasu City in the winter, which provides perfect weather for hiking the desert trails around Lake Havasu.
Our all-time favorite hike is the Crack in the Wall hike in SARA Park. This five-mile loop takes you along a sandy wash, through a beautiful slot canyon, and down to the lake for gorgeous views of cliffs, rock formations, and wading birds.
From there, you can return the way you came or continue up the yellow (upper trail), which offers more stunning views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. If you can only take one hike on your visit, let it be this one!
If you have more time for hiking in Lake Havasu, we recommend the following trails:
- Dead Burro Canyon Trail: Does the name alone make you want to head out adventuring in the desert? This 7.5-mile hike is strenuous but so much fun, heading into Havasu Wildlife Refuge, climbing a canyon, and summiting a saddle with nice views of the valley. Plan on 4 to 5 hours to finish the whole loop, and expect to see bighorn sheep, birds, and other critters.
- Mallard Cove Trail: This 5.3-mile loop takes you down to some primitive BLM campsites on the lake. The trail offers up some nice views, and there are lots of wildflowers here in the spring.
- Water Tank Trail: It’s 6.2 miles, but pretty easy. This hike takes you up into the hills with nice views of Lake Havasu. There’s not a whole lot of elevation gain; instead, you kind of skirt big rock formations and Shiprock Mountain.
Go Mountain Biking in SARA Park
SARA Park in Lake Havasu City offers a variety of amenities, including hiking trails, rodeo grounds, a BMX track, a shooting range, and a dog park. It pretty much takes care of all of your off-the-water recreational needs, and according to my son, the mountain biking trails are fabulous!
We rented a mountain bike and helmet from Cycle Therapy right in downtown Lake Havasu City. The prices were decent, and the staff was extremely knowledgeable about the area, giving us lots of advice and recommending that we download the Trailforks app for easier navigation.
The mountain bike trails in SARA Park are well-marked, but many are quite challenging. Be prepared to get hot and sweaty!
Just as Robert McCulloch promised, Lake Havasu City is truly an enchanting desert oasis.
Whether you’re planning your own lakeside retreat from the snowy north or are looking for a weekend escape from Las Vegas, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to fulfill your outdoor adventure dreams along the rugged shores and in the cold, clear waters of Lake Havasu.
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