Lake Havasu State Park covers the Arizona shoreline north of the city, offering a quieter alternative to the lake's busier recreational beaches. The park has several miles of hiking trails through Sonoran Desert scrub, crossing terrain of eroded volcanic rock and dry washes that contrast dramatically with the blue water below. The Mohave Sunset Trail is the most rewarding — a two-mile loop with views across the lake to the California shore and the Whipple Mountains beyond.
The park's beaches are calmer than the town beaches and popular with kayakers and paddleboarders who want to avoid the jet-ski traffic. Camping is available at two sites with hookups and shade ramadas — booking well ahead is essential from October through April when winter visitors from colder states fill every site. Desert bighorn sheep and mule deer are sometimes spotted on the rocky slopes above the water, and great blue herons work the shallows year-round.
The park entrance fee is modest by Arizona State Park standards. The visitor centre is small but has good information on desert ecology and the geology of the Colorado River corridor.