Parker AZ

Parker, Arizona is located on the east bank of the Colorado River. The Parker “Area” includes several separate but interested areas: the Town of Parker, Parker South, the Parker Valley, the Parker Strip and the communities of Earp, Parker Dam and Big River on the California side of the river. The Town of Parker is a one square mile area that was founded in 1908. In 1983, voters formed La Paz County, carved from the northern portion of Yuma County. Parker became the county seat for the newly-formed La Paz County.

The Parker Dam and Power plant located at the north end of the 16-mile Parker Strip, was completed in 1938, forming Lake Havasu. Parker Dam is a concrete gravity arch dam that is 320 feet tall, although 235 feet of it is below the riverbed, making it the deepest dam in the world.

Parker offers a blend of small town charm with a vast array of year-round recreational activities, including boating, water skiing, swimming, parasailing, fishing, camping, hiking and golf at the award-winning Emerald Canyon Golf course, the “Jewel of the Colorado River.”

The Colorado River Indian Tribes

The Colorado River Indian Tribes, or “CRIT” as they are commonly called, occupy nearly 270,000 acres of reservation land in both Arizona and California, with some 90 miles of Colorado River shoreline. The CRIT reservation was established in 1865 by Charles Poston, the first Indian Superintendent for Arizona. Poston proclaimed the reservation for “Indians of said river and it tributaries.” The Mohave Tribe has inhabited the area for centuries, while members of the Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo Tribes relocated to the reservation later.

Tribal history in the area is evidenced by numerous petroglyphs, intaglios, pictographs and ancient trails. The Tribal Museum and Library have a wealth of information that preserves and interprets the unique history and heritage of each of the four tribes. The Tribal Museum maintains two national historic sites: the Old Mohave Presbyterian Mission and the frontier community of La Paz. Both are open to the public. During World War II, thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent were detained at an internment camp in Poston. The Poston Memorial Monument and Kiosk, located 11 miles south of Parker, is dedicated to the Japanese people who were incarcerated there.

The Ahakhav Tribal Preserve was established in 1995 and currently consists of 1,253 acres of wilderness area and a 3.5 acre park. The preserve is centered on a reconstructed Colorado River backwater, which offers a variety of activities including fishing, canoeing, birding, and swimming.

The BlueWater Resort and Casino was completed in 1996 along the shore of the Colorado River one mile north of Parker. The Aztec-themed resort has 200 rooms, an indoor water park, four-screen theater, outdoor amphitheater, several restaurants, a large boat marina and gaming area. The BlueWater Resort is a focal point for community events and celebrations and celebrity entertainment year-round.