Fodor's Expert Review Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

In 1941, after the construction of Parker Dam, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set aside Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, a 30-mile stretch of land along the Colorado River between Needles and Lake Havasu City. Best seen by boat, this beautiful waterway is punctuated with isolated coves, sandy beaches, and Topock Marsh, a favorite nesting site of herons, egrets, and other waterbirds. You can see wonderful petroglyphs on the rocky red canyon cliffs of Topock Gorge. The refuge has three points that provide boat access to Topock Marsh, though not to the lower Colorado River.

Spring is by far the best time to visit, as the river is more likely to be robust and wildflowers in bloom.