Laughlin - Play year-round

Outdoor sportsmen and advocates of fresh air and exercise enjoy the near perfect weather of Laughlin year-round while surrounded by the natural wonders of the Mohave Desert and Colorado River and coddled by modern resort accommodations.

Many of the 5 million people who visit the modern boomtown each year combine the fun and excitement generated by gambling resorts with outdoor activities in beautiful lake-side and secluded desert settings. A seemingly endless list of activities, including golf, tennis, fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing, camping, hiking, scuba diving, back-country driving and bird watching ensures a fun-filled itinerary for any Laughlin vacation.

Seven area country club/golf courses test the skills of the best of players. The Emerald River Course in Laughlin is an 18-hole championship target-style course. The 9-hole Chaparral Country Club and the 9-hole Riverview Golf Course are located across the river from Laughlin in Bullhead City, AZ. A 15-mile drive to Fort Mojave, AZ, leads to the 18-hole Desert Lakes Golf Course. The Needles Municipal Course in Needles, CA, 25 miles southwest of Laughlin, tempts players with 18 challenging holes. The London Bridge Golf Club in Lake Havasu, AZ, challenges players with two 18-hole championship-style courses. The Mojave Resort Golf Club next to the Avi Hotel & Casino boasts an 18-hole championship course complete with rolling terrain, water hazards, natural sand dunes and strategically placed bunkers. Because golf rates fluctuate based on the season, players are advised to call ahead for the latest fee updates.

Situated in the arid Mohave Desert 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Laughlin is built on the western shore of the Colorado River two miles downriver from Davis Dam and Lake Mohave. The river and lake provide Laughlin visitors access to varied aquatic recreation. Four swimming beaches in the immediate Laughlin/Bullhead City area entice water lovers with cooling fun when desert temperatures pass the century mark. Katherine Landing on the shore of Lake Mohave and Davis Camp north of the Laughlin Bridge are on the Arizona side of the river. A large bay near the Avi Casino south of Laughlin and a sandy ocean-style stretch of shore on the riverfront at Harrah's Laughlin tempt hotel guests with beaches on which to play their favorite games.

Personal watercraft can be rented at several areas in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area including the Avi Casino, Harrah's, River Palms, New Horizons at the Pioneer Hotel and Watercraft Adventures at the Riverside Resort. Rental rates for these vehicles, which are often called water motorcycles, range from $45 an hour for a single-seater to $65 an hour for two-and three-seaters. Various other watercraft are available to tourists and residents at Lake Mohave, two miles upriver from Laughlin.

Lake Mohave, the reservoir formed when Davis Dam was completed in 1953, is vast. It stretches 67 miles from the base of Hoover Dam in Black Canyon to Pyramid Canyon above Laughlin. Named for the Mojave Indians, the lake territory has been part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area since 1947. It invites camping, picnicking, exploring, photography, swimming, water skiing and boating. Rental boats are available at three Lake Mohave marinas-Willow Beach and Katherine Landing in Arizona and Cottonwood Cove on the Nevada side of the lake. Fishing boats rent for about $65 a day; ski boats cost up to $225 a day depending on the size; and houseboats rent for $1,450 to $2,750 a week.

Lake Mohave is a regular rest stop for thousands of migrating waterfowl and shore birds. Its vegetated shoreline is a mecca for small perching birds.

Sightings of bald eagles wintering within the recreation area have increased in recent years, especially in Black Canyon between Cottonwood Cove and Hoover Dam. Migrant and breeding peregrine falcons are viewed occasionally in the Lake Mohave area. Coyote, kit fox, desert bighorn sheep and roadrunners frequently are sighted along Lake Mohave's shores. Feral burros and horses and domestic livestock drink from the lake's clear water.

Lake Mohave delights fishermen year round with its plentiful supply of rainbow trout, largemouth bass and striped bass. Catches of trophy-size striped bass of 20 or 30 pounds are not unusual at Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave. The record Nevada striped bass catch of more than 55 pounds was caught in Lake Mohave.

Special fishing license provisions are necessary to fish in Lake Mohave because the Arizona-Nevada border runs through the center of the lake. Shore anglers need a license from whichever state they cast their line. Anglers fishing from boats need a state license from either Nevada or Arizona plus a special use stamp. Additionally, anglers fishing for rainbows must purchase a trout stamp. Nevada fishing licenses for Lake Mohave and Lake Mead can be purchased in Laughlin at Harrah's Laughlin and Cecil's Market. A Nevada fishing license is not required for children under 12 years of age. An Arizona fishing license is not required for children under 14 years of age.