Lake Havasu Attractions

Cool And Unusual Attractions In The Lake Havasu City Area

In the first half of the 20th Century, one of the most famous people alive was Robert Ripley: creator of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! newspaper panel series, radio show and television series. Starting in 1919, he made his fortune highlighting odd facts from around the world.

Were he still alive today, we think he'd be fascinated about strange sights and oddities in the Lake Havasu City area. Visitors to the area can explore this fascinating mix of cool, unusual and lesser-known attractions.

World War II Graffiti On The London Bridge

During World War II, two U.S. servicemen left their mark on the London Bridge.

On the Island-side of the bridge, near the abutment, two names are etched into the centuries-old stone:

Aug. 1942

Sgt. Fitzwater

Pfc. Smith

The letters were carved when two American 1st Infantry Division servicemen were participating in field maneuvers with British commandos. They visited the London Bridge while on weekend leave and left their mark. Look closely at the bridge and you can also see strafing scars dating to World War II from German aircraft fire.

Some locals also swear that the bridge is haunted, due in part to Jack The Ripper and the severed heads of criminals that were displayed at the southern gateway of the "old" London Bridge between 1305 and 1660.

Napoleon's Cannons On The London Bridge

When the British defeated the French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, British forces seized the army's cannons, melted them down and cast them into the vintage lampposts lining the London Bridge.

A Section Of Wooden Piling That Once Held A Famous Saint's Head

And speaking of heads, the granite London Bridge is not the only British relic housed in this desert town. There's a second one at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. Sir Thomas More campaigned against Protestantism and opposed King Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church. When More infuriated the tyrant king, the English ruler had More beheaded in 1535.

As was the custom at the time, More's headless corpse was buried, but his head was fixed upon an iron spike for a month near the southern gatehouse of the original London Bridge constructed of timber.

A section of the wooden piling on which More's head was impaled is preserved and displayed in an alcove of the local church. According to a marker affixed to the wood, the "piece of piling ...supported the lamppost from which Saint Thomas More's head hung on display." The hefty chunk of dark wood is about a foot tall and equally as deep.

Lake Havasu City's Dog-Friendly Bar

"A dog walks into a bar" sounds like the start of a corny joke, but it's no joke at That Dane Bar here in Lake Havasu City. One of the country's few dog-friendly bars welcomes owners and canines alike. While the owners order from "barktenders," their best friends enjoy an indoor dog park.

Money From The Skies Near Lake Havasu City

It seems too good to be true, yet amateur meteorite hunters just 17 miles from Lake Havasu City are making money on stones falling from space. In 1912, an estimated 14,000 meteorites fell on northern Arizona alone. Other meteor showers have created a bonanza of space rocks in a dense strewn field in Franconia, off of Interstate 40 at Exit 13 and about a 20-minute drive from Lake Havasu City.

Yucca's UFO Museum

Off Interstate 40 eastbound in Yucca, Arizona, about a 30-minute drive from Franconia's meteorite field, is a roadside attraction that's out of this world and impossible to miss. A former real estate office, Area 66 is a 40-foot diameter geodesic dome that's home to a UFO museum. The museum is dedicated to an alleged 1953 crash of a flying saucer in nearby Kingman.

The World's Creepiest Motel Room

If inner space is more your thing, our area has that as well. The Grand Canyon Caverns is a natural limestone cavern and the largest dry cavern in the U.S., located 200 to 300 feet below the earth's surface. A short drive from Lake Havasu City in Peach Springs (the town that inspired the famous Pixar movie Cars), the temperature stays at 56 degrees F. year-round.

Its Underground Cave Suite is billed as the largest, oldest, deepest, darkest, quietest motel room in the world. When you book a night underground, the loudest sound is your own heartbeat. You and a guest become the only living things inside.

A Spiritual Portal To The Afterlife

Within walking distance from Interstate 40 near Lake Havasu City is a remnant of American Indian heritage and spiritual importance. The Topock Maze (Mystic Maze) is a 600+ year-old geoglyph consisting of intricate patterns and paths designed by the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. The modern Mohave people believe this Maze is a part of the spiritual portal to the next life where bad souls get lost and good souls find their portal to the afterlife.

A Really Big Sandal

Flip flops are an essential element of beach life in Lake Havasu City, which is why "Big Blue" makes for an Insta-worthy selfie spot at the courtyard of The Shops at Lake Havasu.

A Peculiar Choice For A Parking Lot Signpost

Back in the 1960s and '70s, prisoners in Lake Havasu City were confined outdoors in medieval-looking "cages" while awaiting transportation to the county seat in Kingman--over an hour's drive traveling north on Arizona Highway 95 to Interstate 40 east. This cage was repurposed into a signpost directing motorists on the highway to the Lake Havasu Museum of History.

Take A Ride Along The Arizona Peace Trail

Fans of Neil Young often listen to his song, Peace Trail, on the album of the same name. Fans of off-road vehicles have their own Peace Trail to enjoy: the Arizona Peace Trail (AZPT), a 750-mile long Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Loop that explores the dramatic and remote Sonoran Desert landscapes of western Arizona.

The trail stretches from Yuma in the south to Bullhead City in the north, crossing Mohave, La Paz and Yuma Counties, and passing through Lake Havasu City. The trail gets its name from La Paz, the Spanish word for "the peace".

Beautiful Part Of The Southwest

While riding the Arizona Peace Trail, OHV enthusiasts travel through some of the most beautiful parts of the southwestern U.S. deserts. We're talking thousands of tall saguaro cacti, red rock landscapes, sand-filled washes, narrow canyons and mountain passes. Elevations range from 170 ft. along the banks of the Colorado River to the 7,070 ft. mountaintops in the Hualapai Mountains.

Whether for a day, overnight or a week, UTVs, ATVs, dirt bikes, dual sport bikes, and full-size 4x4s can enjoy trails ranging from easy graded dirt roads, challenging hill climbs, and even specialized rock crawling routes.

Mines, Ghost Towns,Wildlife

Along the way are numerous abandoned mines, ghost towns and other interesting past artifacts. You can also see various plants and wildlife including deer, antelope, owls, and snakes.

Combine the Arizona Peace Trail with the hundreds of miles of side trails and connector trails that reach as far away as the Phoenix area, and the off-road enthusiast can explore thousands of miles of trails in Arizona: the state with the friendliest OHV laws.