Southern Nevada Birding & Wildlife Trails Partnership

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Laughlin / Lower Colorado River


Overview

Laughlin is at an elevation of 535′/163m on the west bank of the lower Colorado River at the southern boundary of Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Interstate 15 in Las Vegas is 95mi/153km to the north and Interstate 40 in Needles, California, is about 25mi/40km to the south.  Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, and Tucson are each within a half day’s drive of Laughlin.  Salt Lake City is a nine-hour drive away.

Laughlin contains more hotel rooms (10,000) than permanent residents (8,800).  A full range of abundant visitor support services accompanies the abundance of hotel rooms: banks, campgrounds, entertainment, golf courses (10), outlet mall, restaurants, and RV park (750 spaces).  Sun Country Airlines has its southwest hub at Laughlin/Bullhead City International Airport, less than 5mi/8km from town.

Laughlin serves as the regional hub for visits to birding/wildlife viewing sites in the tri-state region where Arizona, California, and Nevada meet.  Situated along the west bank of one of America’s truly great rivers – the Colorado – Laughlin is the gateway to birds and other wildlife in this tri-state region.  Southwestern, wintering, spring migrant, summer nesting, and fall migrant species use an impressive diversity of habitats found within an hour’s drive of Laughlin.  Chaparral/scrub oak, Colorado River, desert scrub, Gambel oak, Joshua tree, mesquite, open water (large and small, deep and shallow), pinyon pine, Ponderosa pine, riparian, and wetland habitats are all found among the numerous satellite wildlife viewing areas all around Laughlin.

Some of the region’s noted wildlife viewing areas include Big Bend of the Colorado River State Recreation Area, Colorado River Heritage Greenway Trail, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Hualapai Mountain Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area.  Guided Colorado River bird/nature trips by kayak are offered through both Black Canyon to the north and Topock Gorge to the south.  Access to the Colorado River from Laughlin itself is excellent.

Birding/wildlife viewing opportunities are present year-round in the Laughlin region.  Laughlin leads to Snow Geese, American White Pelicans, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Desert Bighorn Sheep, and Rocky Mountain Elk.  Spring and fall migration along the lower Colorado River corridor can be outstanding.  In addition to exploring multiple habitats, be sure to gravitate toward water and green oases at any time of year.

Winter birding/wildlife viewing may be comfortable and productive all day.  November-February average low temperatures are in the 40s (F) while average high temperatures are in the 60s (F).  Water birds are a highlight in winter with good to great viewing on Lake Mohave, the Colorado River below Davis Dam through Laughlin, and Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.  Resident and wintering land birds may be found in native habitats and parks.  The recommended time for best winter visits is January through early February, after Christmas Bird count results/rarities are known.  March is a best-weather month with an average low temperature of 51F and an average high temperature of 82F; most wintering birds are still present and early spring migrants show-up throughout the month.

Spring and fall are the best seasons for seeing the greatest diversity of bird species, with activity in the lowlands lasting virtually all morning and wetland or mountain birding recommended in the afternoon.  March, April, and October average low temperatures are in the 50s (F) while average high temperatures are in the 80s (F).  Birding/wildlife viewing in May is best in the morning with an average low temperature of 69F in the morning and an average high temperature of 96F (as temperatures warm throughout the month).  September’s average low temperature is 75F while the average high is 106F.  Recommended times for best spring and fall visits are mid-April into early May and mid-September into early October.  Follow the Laughlin/Colorado River Corridor Loop and make stops at several sites along the way.

Summer lowland temperatures from mid-morning well into the evening are high.  June average low temperature is 75F, July is 80F, and August is 80F.  Productive birding/wildlife viewing in summer requires a combination of the earliest daylight hours spent in lowlands and mid-morning to early afternoon in the mountains.  The recommended time for best summer visits is late May through June after nesting season species have all arrived in the mountains.

Laughlin also serves well as the southern hub for a mid-May to late June visit to Southern Nevada, emphasizing a south to north transect highlighting mountain birding/wildlife viewing.  The lowlands of Southern Nevada are hot this time of year, but the mountains are temperate.  Such a trip would start using the Laughlin Regional Hub to visit the nearby Hualapai Mountains for birds typical of Southeastern Arizona and for a birding by kayak trip through Black Canyon below Hoover Dam and/or Topock Gorge in Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.  The Boulder City/Henderson/Las Vegas Regional Hub would be used for an early morning visit to Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve followed by all day on Mt. Charleston in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.  Then it would be north on U.S. Hwy. 93 for visits to Alamo and Caliente/Panaca/Pioche wildlife viewing areas in late May or early June.  Ely would be next – the hub to use for exploring regional wildlife viewing areas with visits to Great Basin National Park on the way in and Ruby Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on the way out.  The Monitor Range, Toquima Range, and Toiyabe Range accessed from the Tonopah Regional Hub could add even further spice to such a “Grand Southern Nevada Mountain Birding Loop.”  Such a trip could capture southern birds, late migrants, mountain birds, songbirds, and water birds in abundance. It would be quite the trip!  NOTE: Minus migrants, this trip is a best summer trip as well.

From south to north the suite of mountain areas comprising the Grand Southern Nevada Mountain Birding Loop (and their visitor support services hubs) are:

  • Hualapai Mountains (Laughlin/Lower Colorado River Regional Hub)
  • Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -East (Indian Springs Satellite Hub)
  • Echo Canyon State Park/Spring Valley State Park (Caliente/Panaca/Pioche Regional Hub)
  • Great Basin National Park (Baker Satellite Hub)
  • Cave Lake State Park/Success Summit Loop (Ely Regional Hub)
  • Monitor Range & Toquima Range (Belmont Satellite Hub)
  • Toiyabe Range (Tonopah Regional Hub)
  • Spring Mountains National Recreation Area – West (Pahrump Regional Hub)

These areas offer relief from summer heat.  Birding/wildlife viewing in associated lowlands during early morning hours combined with visits to these mountain areas will yield an impressive array of rewarding experiences