Parker Dam Road is in southeast California and west-central Arizona on the banks of the Colorado River. On the California side, the byway travels between Earp and Parker Dam. Earp is on CA 62 about 50 miles north of Blythe. The Arizona side travels between Parker and Lake Havasu City. Lake Havasu City is approximately 60 miles south of Kingman.
The California side of the byway is the officially designated portion. As its name implies, the scenic drive follows Parker Dam Road, which is a two-lane paved road safe for travel by all types of vehicles. The Arizona side also follows a two-lane paved road, AZ 95. Both roads generally remain open year-round. Eleven miles of this 55-mile route is designated a Type I Back Country Byway.
Parker Dam Road follows the Colorado River through an area commonly referred to as the Parker Strip. It travels through the wide river valley with views of surrounding mountains. There are hiking trails along the byway that will take you into the mountains. Anglers will find bass, bluegill, and catfish in the river and Lake Havasu. There are two areas for those that enjoy off-road vehicle activities: Copper Basin Dunes and Crossroads.
A large number of public and privately owned campgrounds are situated along the byway. Facilities vary but most have hookups, drinking water, picnic areas, gasoline, food, marinas, and swimming areas. In some areas, golf courses are also available. On the Arizona side are two state parks: Buckskin Mountain and Lake Havasu. Both have developed campgrounds with hookups. Some campsites at both state parks are only accessible by boat.
On the Arizona side in Lake Havasu City is the famous bridge that once spanned the Thames River in London, England. The London Bridge, built in 1825, was put up for sale in 1967 after engineers discovered the structure was slowly sinking into the river and could no longer handle busy city traffic. Robert McCulloch purchased the bridge for over two million dollars, dismantled it block by block, and had it shipped to California. From there, it was trucked to its present location and reassembled over a three-year period. It now stretches across the water to Lake Havasu’s largest island. An English Tudor village is located on the east end of the bridge.