Lake Havasu City to Needles · Lower Colorado River · Wildlife refuge
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Fish from a quiet pier minutes from town, paddle the cliffs of Topock Gorge, or scan the marsh for snow geese on 37,515 acres of protected Colorado River country.
Opens the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service visit page. There is no entrance fee, and the Topock Marsh boat launches are free.
Details checked October 2026
Type
National wildlife refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, established 1941
Admission
Free
No entrance fee; Topock Marsh launches are free
Hours
Office Mon–Fri 9–4
Part of Topock Marsh closes in waterfowl season
Time needed
2-hour tours
Guided tours Nov–Apr; call to confirm dates
Parking
Paved lot, Mesquite Bay North
No camping; no posted RV size limits
Bird species
318
On the Pacific Flyway; snow geese in winter
What you’ll see
Thirty miles of wild Colorado River
The refuge follows the river from Needles down to the edge of Lake Havasu City. Near town you can fish or paddle; farther north, the marsh and the gorge are worth a full day.
Photo: ksblack99 on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Start here
Topock Gorge
The refuge’s best-known stretch is the 20-mile Topock Gorge, one of the last natural stretches of the lower Colorado River, with cliffs that shelter bighorn sheep and nesting raptors, and Mojave petroglyphs. It is reachable only by water: paddlers launch at Topock Marina or Park Moabi and take out at Castle Rock, and the Fish and Wildlife Service calls boating the gorge the refuge’s number one attraction.
RV tip: you can’t camp anywhere on the refuge, so make it a day trip from your RV park, and keep pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
More to see
- Mesquite BayTwo bays on London Bridge Road, inside Lake Havasu City, each with a fishing pier; both are closed to motorized boats.
- Castle RockA 0.2-mile loop trail, the take-out for the Topock Gorge paddle and the start of a 4-mile water trail to Mesquite Bay.
- Topock MarshAbout 4,000 acres of marsh near Needles, with three free boat launches and fishing for bass, crappie and catfish.
- Bermuda PastureAn accessible viewing platform where thousands of snow geese gather in winter.
Why go
Protected river country on Lake Havasu’s doorstep
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the refuge by executive order in 1941, mainly to give migratory birds a home. Today it protects 37,515 acres and 30 river miles in Arizona and California, including the Havasu Wilderness, and it is part of the Pacific Flyway and an Important Bird Area in Arizona.
More than 300 bird species have been recorded here, from white pelicans, ospreys and grebes to the Yuma Ridgway’s rail, and the refuge is home to bighorn sheep, bobcats, desert tortoises and Gila monsters. Spring and fall migration are the busiest birding seasons, and snow geese arrive in winter.
For RVers it is free and close: Mesquite Bay North is about 5 to 9 minutes from the RV parks below, with a paved lot, a concrete path and a universally accessible fishing pier. Topock Marsh and the gorge, near Needles and Interstate 40, make a longer day trip.
Photo: Dorian Wallender on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Why it made our list
- No entrance fee and free boat launches
- Accessible fishing piers minutes from town
- Topock Gorge by kayak or boat
- More than 300 bird species
- Snow geese in winter
For RVers
Visiting the refuge from your RV park
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Day trips only
Camping on land or water and open wood fires are prohibited on the refuge. Enclosed charcoal or propane grills are allowed if you pack out the ash, and RV parks in Lake Havasu City, Needles, Bullhead City and Laughlin make good bases.
Stay on the roads
Vehicles must stay on developed roads and in designated parking areas, at 25 mph unless posted. The Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t list RV size limits for any lot, so unhitch and explore in the tow vehicle.
Check the seasonal closures
Part of Topock Marsh is closed to all entry, including fishing, from October 1 through the end of Arizona’s waterfowl season, and the Pintail Slough hunt unit is closed to non-hunters on hunt days. The refuge’s general hunting season runs September 1 through March 15.
Pets, water and shade
Dogs must stay on a leash no longer than 6 feet, and you must clean up after them. Summers bring triple-digit heat and few birds, and the wilderness has no water or amenities, so the cooler months are the time to go.
What visitors say about Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 20, 2026.
One of the last remaining natural stretches of the river, the 20-mile Topock Gorge.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, describing Topock Gorge · fws.gov
What visitors often mention
Topics Google reviewers mention most
Beautiful placeFishingSceneryBoatingKayaking
Google’s review topics put “beautiful place” (40 reviews) at the top, followed by fishing (29), the scenery (17), boating (14) and kayaking (10). Checked October 20, 2026.
How big it is
Acres from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; its pages give the wilderness as both 17,600 and 17,801 acres.
Good to know
EntranceFree no pass needed
Topock Marsh launchesFree three ramps
Guided tours2 hours Nov–Apr, by reservation
RulesNo campingLeash 6 ft max25 mph
Fees and rules from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, checked October 20, 2026. Tours have run on the second Tuesday of each month from the North Dike lot; call (928) 259-9632 to confirm the 2026–27 schedule.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
- AddressMesquite Bay North, London Bridge Rd., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86404
- HoursOffice Mon–Fri 9–4
Part of Topock Marsh closes in waterfowl season - Phone(928) 227-9977
- Office60911 Hwy 95, Parker, AZ 85344; Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm
- Getting thereFrom Lake Havasu City, follow London Bridge Road north past Lake Havasu State Park to Mesquite Bay. For Topock Marsh, take AZ-95 north toward I-40 and Needles.
- ParkingPaved lot at Mesquite Bay North; gravel lots elsewhere. No posted RV size limits.
There is no visitor contact station. Some listings still show an old Needles, California, address; the current office is in Parker, Arizona.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
These are the Lake Havasu City RV parks we have visited and written up. All three are within about 9 minutes of Mesquite Bay North.
Lake Havasu State Park
Windsor Beach campground with 54 water-and-50-amp sites, three boat ramps, sandy beaches and lakeside cabins.
Havasu Falls RV Resort
Tidy full-hookup park on AZ-95 with level concrete pull-thrus, a heated pool and a busy rec hall.
Havasu RV Resort
Gated community of owner RV lots rented by the week, month or season, with two heated pools and a chip-and-putt.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
No entrance fee · Office Mon–Fri
Ready to find the quiet side of the river?
Start with a morning at Mesquite Bay, save a cool day for Topock Gorge, and pack water, a leash and binoculars.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: ksblack99 (refuge backwater; public domain), Dorian Wallender (Mesquite Bay North and Topock Gorge; CC BY-SA 2.0), Charles O’Rear for the EPA’s Documerica project (marsh birds, 1972; public domain) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (wilderness hikers; public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: New Mexico Outdoor Sports Guide on YouTube (Topock Marsh). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Havasu National Wildlife Refuge unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at fws.gov or (928) 227-9977. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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