The Long Way
La Paz County
Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate I. Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate II. Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate III. Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Crossroads Campground on Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate IV. Crossroads Campground on Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate V. Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway.
Plate VI. Crossroads Campground, Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway. Photograph by BLMArizona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Parker Dam Road Back Country Byway

Parker, La Paz County, Arizona. Back country byway.

Details

Map. Parker, La Paz County, Arizona. Larger map
Where
Parker, La Paz County, AZ. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
The byway begins at Parker Dam and travels along the Parker Dam Road south to the boundary of the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Look for interpretive pullouts along the way.
Fees
No Fees.
Access
The speed limit is marked by signs, ranging from 15 to 55 miles per hour. The two-lane road surface is asphalt, making this a great adventure for most road-worthy vehicles. Oversized vehicles and vehicles towing trailers are not allowed to cross the Parker Dam.
Phone
928-505-1200
Website
blm.gov
Managed by
Lake Havasu Field Office.

The Parker Dam Road "Thread of Life" highlights the scenic, natural, historic, and prehistoric values along an 11 mile road that travels along the California shore of the Colorado River.

Notable Events

  1. 1934Construction began amid Arizona's opposition; Governor Benjamin B. Moeur called out the Arizona National Guard around the dam site. nps.gov
  2. 1935Congress authorized Parker Dam in the Rivers and Harbors Bill after Arizona's legal challenge. nps.gov
  3. 1938Lake Havasu began to fill on October 16, 1938, after the last concrete was poured that year. nps.gov
  4. 1942The four-generator powerplant went into operation and used about half its hydropower to pump water along the Colorado River Aqueduct. nps.gov

People

  • Benjamin B. Moeur, Arizona governor who called out the Arizona National Guard in opposition to Parker Dam construction.
  • Frank Crowe, General superintendent for Parker Dam construction.

Sources

  1. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/68951
  2. blm.gov/visit/parker-dam-road-back-country-byway
  3. blm.gov/visit/parker-strip-recreation-area
  4. blm.gov/documents/arizona-colorado-river-do/public-room/map/lake-havasu-field-office-visitor-map
  5. nps.gov/articles/california-parker-dam.htm
  6. tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/az/az0400/az0467/data/az0467data.pdf
  7. nsbfoundation.com/sb/parker-dam-road-back-country-byway