Boating

The Palms at River Edge

The Palms at River Edge in Ehrenberg, Arizona, delivers a family-friendly waterfront resort experience on the Colorado River in the Sonoran Desert where the Arizona-California border is defined entirely by the river's course, providing direct beach, boating, and water sports access on one of the American Southwest's most iconic waterways in a gated community environment suited to both seasonal stays and active water recreation enthusiasts. Positioned in La Paz County where the lower Colorado River corridor has developed as a winter snowbird and warm-weather water sports destination, the resort combines resort amenities with the Colorado River's recreational resources. The resort's facility is designed around the water-centric lifestyle that the Colorado River enables—a beach for swimming and launching non-motorized watercraft, a pool for independent aquatic recreation, paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking access, fishing directly from the property's river frontage, and boating opportunities on the Colorado's broad lower channel. A gated entrance, clubhouse, recreation center, dog park, playground, general store, propane fills, and laundry serve the comprehensive residential and recreational needs of extended-stay guests, and the shuffleboard and swimming pools provide social recreation alongside the river's more active opportunities. The lower Colorado River at Ehrenberg flows through a landscape that represents the Sonoran Desert at its most dramatic geographic expression—a narrow, intensely green riparian corridor cutting through a stark, tan-and-rust desert environment where temperatures regularly exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and the river's presence defines the zone of habitability in a landscape that would otherwise be entirely uninhabitable. The river's warm water—heated by the desert sun across hundreds of miles of Arizona and Nevada before reaching Ehrenberg—creates excellent conditions for water skiing, jet skiing, and tubing that have made the lower Colorado one of the country's most popular motorized water recreation destinations. Quartzsite, approximately 20 miles north on US-95, is one of the American Southwest's most fascinating community phenomena—a small desert town that swells from a few thousand permanent residents to several hundred thousand during the January and February gem show and winter RV rally season, creating one of the largest temporary human gatherings in the western United States in a remote desert location. The Dome Rock Mountains to the east and the Trigo Mountains to the west provide off-road recreation terrain for guests with OHV equipment, and the BLM land surrounding Ehrenberg contains extensive open desert camping and exploration opportunities. Joshua Tree National Park is accessible approximately 45 miles west through the Palo Verde Valley. The Palms at River Edge operates year-round with dramatically different seasonal characters—winter's mild desert temperatures from November through April make it ideal for snowbirds and casual water recreation, while summer's extreme desert heat concentrates activity in the early morning and evening hours with midday retreat to the pool and air-conditioned facilities. The resort's full-service infrastructure and Colorado River access give it competitive advantages over simpler Ehrenberg riverside campgrounds, and the combination of gated security, resort amenities, and direct river frontage makes it one of the more complete water recreation destinations in the lower Colorado corridor. Reservations during the Quartzsite show season fill early.

Arizona Oasis

42 RV Sites, 10 Cabins

Arizona Oasis RV Resort in Ehrenberg, Arizona, sits on the Colorado River at the Arizona-California border, directly across from Blythe and delivering a waterfront resort experience on one of the American Southwest's most iconic rivers in a location that combines year-round warm-weather camping with water-based recreation on the lower Colorado's broad, warm river channel. Positioned where the Colorado exits the narrow canyon stretches of the Mohave Desert and widens into the lower desert valley that marks the transition to the lower basin, the resort serves the large population of snowbird and water recreation visitors who make the lower Colorado River corridor one of the most active winter RV destinations in the western United States. The resort's amenities are oriented around the water-centric lifestyle that defines lower Colorado River camping at its best. A boat ramp provides direct river access for motorized watercraft, and the beach allows swimming and non-motorized water sports directly from the property. A pool, hot tub, clubhouse, playground, and dog park round out the on-site facility, while gated access and a laundry provide the security and practical services extended-stay guests need. The resort's full hookup utility connections and big-rig-accessible site layout accommodate the large motorhomes and fifth wheels that the snowbird population commonly travels in. The lower Colorado River's desert landscape around Ehrenberg is the quintessential Lower Sonoran Desert environment—sparse creosote bush and brittlebush flats broken by the river's dramatic green ribbon of tamarisk, cottonwood, and willow that supports the only significant riparian habitat for hundreds of miles in any direction. The river's warm water temperatures—reaching 80-plus degrees Fahrenheit in summer and remaining swimmable through much of the late fall season—create conditions ideal for water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, tubing, and the extended river float culture that defines recreation on this stretch of the Colorado. The lower Colorado corridor provides fishing for striped bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and bluegill in waters that receive significant year-round angling pressure from anglers targeting the river's productive warm-water fishery. Off-road recreation in the surrounding desert provides additional activities for guests with OHV equipment, and the Dome Rock Mountains BLM area east of Quartzsite offers miles of designated OHV routes through the desert landscape. Quartzsite, approximately 20 miles north on US-95, hosts the world's largest gem, mineral, and rock show each January and February, drawing hundreds of thousands of vendors and visitors to the desert community and creating peak demand in the lower Colorado corridor simultaneously with the snowbird winter season. Arizona Oasis operates year-round, with winter from November through March representing the peak season when warm Arizona desert temperatures draw snowbird residents from northern states and Canada. Summer brings extreme desert heat—temperatures exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit are common in July and August—that significantly reduces occupancy outside of water-focused guests who tolerate the heat for the river access. The resort's Colorado River frontage, water recreation infrastructure, and winter climate position make it one of the most appealing properties in the Ehrenberg-Blythe corridor for guests whose vacation centers on river life in the southwestern desert.

from $42/night

Rivers Edge RV Resort

344 RV Sites

Rivers Edge RV Resort in Winterhaven, California, offers 344 full-hookup RV sites on the Colorado River with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 48 feet. Premier riverfront, premier, standard, and pull-through categories join an outdoor pool, hot tub, library, and game room on the California bank at Yuma Crossing. Three hundred forty-four sites span standard full hookup, standard pull-through full hookup, premier full hookup, and premier riverfront full hookup categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV, sized to 48 feet. The riverfront category is the one to request. A laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a library, game room, billiards, shuffleboard, and horseshoes for the rest. The river supports boating, fishing, swimming, and water sports directly from the resort. Pets are welcome. Winterhaven sits in Imperial County at the historic Yuma Crossing — the natural ford where the Colorado narrows and a sandbar island makes the river passable. That crossing was strategically critical enough that the Spanish, Mexican and American military, Gold Rush emigrants, and the transcontinental railroad all depended on it in turn. The river frontage the resort occupies is the same water. Winter snowbird season drives the heaviest demand along the lower Colorado, with the mild desert climate filling the resort from November through March. Reserve well ahead for those months, and expect easier availability through the summer heat.

from $55/night

Silver View RV Resort

315 RV Sites

Silver View RV Resort in Bullhead City, Arizona, offers 315 full-hookup RV sites on the Colorado River with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 45 feet. River view back-in, premium back-in, and pull-through categories join a pool, spa, hot tub, fitness center, and on-site dining directly across from Laughlin. Three hundred fifteen sites span premium back-in, river view back-in, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 45 feet. The river view category is the reason most guests book here rather than inland. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and personal mailboxes handle the practical side — the mailboxes point to the long-stay winter residents who fill much of the resort. An outdoor pool, spa, and hot tub and sauna anchor daily recreation, with a fitness center, clubhouse, on-site dining, walking trails, and a dog park besides. Pickleball and corn hole fill the courts. Boating runs from the river and a golf course is nearby. Pets are welcome. Bullhead City sits directly across the Colorado from Laughlin's casino resort corridor, which gives guests a genuinely unusual combination: river-view camping on the quiet Arizona bank with a full entertainment strip visible across the water and reachable in minutes. Winter is decisively the season on the lower Colorado. Book well ahead for January through March, when snowbirds fill the river corridor, and expect considerably easier availability through the summer.

from $70/night