Sunrise over Buckskin Mountain and the Colorado River near Parker, Arizona
The Colorado River along the Parker Strip
Sunset over the Colorado River at Parker
Parker railroad bridge at sunset
Kayaks on the Colorado River
The Parker Strip · Colorado River • Arizona • California

Your guide to life on the Parker Strip.

Where visitors discover the river — and where local businesses get found. Explore the area, then claim your spot in the directory.

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18 mi
The Parker Strip
300+
Sunny days a year
1,677
Acres at Buckskin Park
1908
Town established
01 — Things to do

An open-air playground on the water.

From sunrise paddles on the Parker Strip to backcountry mine trails, the area runs on river time and desert light.

The Colorado River at Parker, Arizona
On the water

Boating & the Parker Strip

Eighteen miles of blue-green water between Parker Dam and Headgate Dam — wakeboarding, jet skis, and slow cruises.

Finger Mountain desert landscape
Best Oct–Apr

Desert Trails

Kayaks on the Colorado River
All seasons

Paddle & Fish

The Desert Bar near Parker
Weekends · Oct–Apr

The Desert Bar

Parker railroad bridge at sunset
Local landmark

The Railroad Bridge

02 — Featured local businesses

Hand-picked spots — both sides of the river.

A curated look at our Featured businesses on the Arizona and California sides of the strip. Explore the complete, searchable directory for everything else. Want this spotlight? Get featured →

Looking for something specific?

The full directory has every restaurant, bar, store, lodge and service in the Parker area — searchable and sorted by category.

Browse the Full Directory →
04 — On the calendar

Signature events worth the trip.

Parker's year is stitched together with river races, float days, and desert celebrations.

Feb01

Parker 425 Off-Road Race

One of desert racing's most storied events — trucks and buggies tear through the rugged terrain surrounding town.

Parker 425 off-road race
Jun07

Annual Parker Tube Float

Parker becomes "Float Town, U.S.A." as thousands drift the Parker Strip from Buckskin Mountain State Park to La Paz County Park.

Parker Tube Float
Nov15

La Paz County Fair

Rodeo, livestock, fair food and family fun bring the whole county together each autumn.

River event
Dec06

Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

The river glows after dark as decorated boats cruise the strip — a beloved end-of-year tradition.

River at night

See the full events calendar

The Parker Area Chamber of Commerce keeps the official, always-current calendar of every event happening across town and the river.

View All Events on parkeraz.org ↗
05 — Town hall & services

Living here? Start at the source.

The Town of Parker provides public services and community resources. Jump straight to what you need.

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Town Hall

1314 11th Street, Parker AZ

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Town of Parker

(928) 669-9265

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Emergencies

Dial 911

06 — Surrounding areas

Parker is the perfect basecamp.

Some of Arizona's best river country sits within an easy drive. Here's where to roam.

Buckskin Mountain State Park
14 mi north

Buckskin Mountain State Park

1,677 acres where the Sonoran and Mojave deserts meet the river — campsites, beach, boat ramp and trails.

Riverside scenery
~13 mi north

River Island State Park

A smaller, scenic riverside park tucked in a cove — easy hikes, sandy beach, laid-back recreation.

Lake Havasu area
~40 mi north

Lake Havasu City

Home of the relocated London Bridge — plus shopping, dining and big-lake boating.

Parker Dam
~14 mi north

Parker Dam

The "deepest dam in the world" holds back Lake Havasu — a scenic drive and engineering history.

Wild burros on Parker Dam Road
Scenic byway

Parker Dam Road

Cross to the California side and back — wild burros, river overlooks, and a beautiful drive.

Ahakhav Tribal Preserve
In town

Ahakhav Tribal Preserve

A restored riparian preserve on Colorado River Indian Tribes land — paddling channels and trails.