Sun, river, and dinner, the foundation for a delightful memory making weekend or week. If you’ve ever felt a tug on the line from a bass breaking the mirror-flat surface of a lake or heard the laughter of family and friends echoing off red rock canyon walls, you know that the Colorado River is more than a waterway. It is a portal to a world of adventure. And when the day on the lake or river winds down, Laughlin, Nevada, delivers a dining scene that’s just as unforgettable as the paddle strokes and wake lines that got you there.
Start your day early with a launch into the Colorado River from one of Laughlin’s many ramps or from the lush coves of Katherine Landing Marina on Lake Mohave. This is truly desert boating at its best. Turquoise water reflecting a cloudless blue desert sky, dramatic canyon walls sculpted by millennia of river flow make this a desert oasis filled with awe inspiring wonders.
Lake Mohave itself hugs more than 60 miles of desert shoreline. Its sandy beaches and canyon fringed coves beckon boaters and anglers alike. Many offer a perfect picnic spot if you pack your favorite fixings.
The river here isn’t just beautiful. It flows through history as well. The area around Katherine’s Landing took its name from the historic Katherine Mine, a turn-of-the-20th-century gold and silver claim whose ruins still tell tales of boomtown days gone by.
Not far upstream, abandoned workings like the Homestake and Pyramid mines hint at the broader mining history of the region that once drew fortune-seekers to these stark desert hillsides.
And of course, the mighty Colorado River is bound to the history of giant engineering marvels. While Hoover Dam, one of America’s great feats of modern engineering, sits well upstream, its story is intertwined with everything about the river’s-controlled flows and the creation of Lake Mohave itself. Visitors to the broader Lake Mead National Recreation Area can explore interpretive sites that trace the dam’s birth from blasted tunnels and roaring river to towering concrete.
Paddle or cruise farther up the river and you’ll find stretches like Black Canyon where history and nature intertwine. A testament to Colorado’s fierce forces, Ringbolt Rapids once challenged steamboats on the river, earning their name from a string of giant ring bolts drilled into the canyon wall that helped captains pull their vessels through.
For the more adventurous, nearby hot springs, like the famed Arizona Hot Springs accessed via White Rock Canyon, offer bubbling geothermal pools where you can soak and reflect on the day’s exploits.
Wildlife along the river rewards patient eyes. There are great blue herons stalking shallows, waterfowl dotting coves, and bighorn sheep scaling distant cliff faces. This all a part of a relaxing day on the Colorado River.
Come evening, Laughlin’s riverfront awaits. A sunset stroll along the picturesque River Walk brings you to numerous restaurants with views that rival the colors of sunset on the river.
Whether you’re craving fresh seafood served with a smile, a juicy steak paired with vineyard notes, or a casual sandwich perfect for recounting today’s catches, Laughlin has spots to suit every appetite:
Riverside dining options are as diverse as Colorado River adventures. From seafood to steakhouse menus there are perfect options for enjoying a sunset dinner with desert panoramas. Local favorites like riverside cafés and grill spots provide everything from smoky barbecue to refreshing salads for a laid-back meal after retying docks and rinsing off the day’s memories.
For a special night on the water itself, consider an evening river cruise with gourmet meals that let you dine while drifting through glowing reflections and river breezes.
There’s a rhythm to a memory making holiday in Laughlin on the Colorado River. Spend your daylight on crisp currents, explore coves and canyons, trace the ghosts of boomtowns and dam builders, and then reward yourself with laughs or a concert, great food, and a riverside seat to watch the sun dip below the mountains. That’s Laughlin after a day on the Colorado where adventure meets good company and every meal tastes like the joy of living well.
Written by Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America