Directions to Laughlin    

Shuttle Instructions

From Las Vegas:
Interstate 515, US 93/95 south through Las Vegas towards Boulder City. After passing through Henderson and the Railroad Pass, take ramp and turn right onto US 95 south toward Searchlight/Laughlin for 55 miles. Turn left onto NV 163. Head east for 16 miles. Turn right on the Needles Highway for 9 miles. Look for the AVI sign. Turn left and continue 2 miles to the AVI.
• From Phoenix:
  Take I-10 W toward Los Angeles. Take Exit 19 to AZ-95 N. Follow AZ-95 N and go left on I-40. Take I-40 to River Road Cutoff , which becomes Needles Hwy, North 14 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn right and continue 2 miles to the AVI.
  Approximately 225 miles from Phoenix; 4 hours.
• From Southern California:
  Take I-40 to River Road Cutoff , which becomes Needles Hwy, North 14 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn right and continue 2 miles to the AVI.
  Approximately 283 miles from Los Angeles; 5 hours.
  Approximately 335 miles from San Diego; 6 hours.

Regional Attractions

• Oatman - Historic Mining Town W
  The old town of Oatman is one of the most popular sites in the region. It is located along famous Route 66. Oatman is an historic gold mining town established in 1906 as a tent camp for the miners. It is 18 miles southeast of Bullhead City (take Highway 95 south, then Boundary Cone Road east into the Black Mountains). Oatman offers visitors quaint shops, restaurants and saloons with live entertainment. Town landmarks include the wild burros that roam the streets looking for carrots and a friendly pat and the Oatman Gunfighters, who stage daily shootouts on historic Route 66.
• Lake Mojave W
  Lake Mohave, located within the National Mead Recreation Area, offers ideal boating and fishing opportunities. The 67-mile-long lake offers hundreds of miles of shoreline, cliffs, sandy beaches and sheer rock faces. Marinas rent fishing boats, ski boats, patio boats, personal watercraft and houseboats. One-day raft trips and guided kayak trips are offered through the waters of the Black Canyon from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach, at the north end of the Lake.
• Davis Dam
  Located in Pyramid Canyon just north of Laughlin and named in 1941 for then Director of Reclamation, Arthur Powell Davis, the $67 million earth and rock embankment along the Colorado River has a concrete spillway, intake structure and power plant. The dam is 200 feet high and was completed in 1953 to control floods and to generate hydroelectric energy.
• Bullhead City - Lariat Bar W
  Laughlin's sister city across the Colorado River was named after a unique rock formation in the shape of a bull's head which once jutted upward out of the river. It became submerged in the 1950s when Davis Dam was completed and Lake Mohave filled. The general area of Bullhead City was once inhabited by the Mojave Indians. American soldiers, many of whom were previous miners from California, arrived in the area in the late 1850's, looking to mine gold and silver along the river. Navigation by steamboat of the upper Colorado River became the best way to furnish supplies to the mines and the miners who began flocking to the area in record numbers.

  It was during this era that William Harrison Hardy (1821-1906) helped build Hardyville, the forerunner of Bullhead City. Hardyville became an active river port and community from 1865 to 1872 when it was destroyed by fire. With the advent of the railroad and other new industry, there was little incentive to rebuild, although the population in the region continued to grow.

  In the late 1930s, Bullhead City subdivided and the town began to grow after World War II and the completion of Davis Dam, in 1950. When Don Laughlin opened the Riverside Resort in 1966, no one could have predicted the growth that would forever change the City of Bullhead City. Now the home to more than 40,000 residents, the booming community has survived its growing pains and developed into a unique and vibrant city.

  The only remnants of Hardyville existing today are the Hardyville Pioneer Cemetery and items preserved in the Colorado River Museum.

• Big Bend State Park
  The Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area is one mile south of Laughlin's residential area. This is a new state park offering picnic areas, RV parking, camping, sandy beaches and a boat launching ramp.
• Grapevine Canyon - Petroglyphs W
  Native American petroglyphs pecked into sheer rock faces by ancient Native Americans adorn the walls of this canyon located near Christmas Tree Pass northwest of Laughlin, inside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. There is a two-mile gravel road leading to the trail head off Highway 163, about 10 miles west of Laughlin. The canyon was named for the grape plants found in the area. A short walk from the parking lot is required to reach the petroglyphs. Ranger-guided hikes are offered regularly.
• London Bridge in Havasu City W
  Lake Havasu's London Bridge spanned the Thames River for about 80 years before being dismantled and brought piece by piece to Arizona in 1964. The unique attraction is greeted by the English Village, filled with shops and eateries. A carousel, boat rentals and tours of the lake are available.
• Colorado Museum
  The museum includes replicas of the area landmarks and historical displays…items from early settlers to the first slot machines. Located at Davis Camp area on the Arizona side of the Colorado River just north of the Laughlin Bridge.