The Ultimate Colorado River Jetski Adventure

The southern section of the Colorado River is a gem that must be seen by every adventurer. With steep canyon cliffs, sandbars, waterfront restaurants, stunning views and more, it is hard to compare any other ridable section of the Colorado River, to the area found just south of Needles, CA.

About one and a half hours outside of Vegas, and four hours from Los Angeles, Needles is the gateway to a sacred section of the Colorado River known for bringing visitors back year after year.

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From Needles the journey on the water heads south. It does not take more than a few minutes for you to realize that on many days, you have the entire river to yourself. The peacefulness, the beauty, it just keeps getting better and better the further you go.

As you had south your first sign of neighbors out on the water will be a line of recreational vehicles lined up along the water at their waterfront campsites. This is the northern end of Pirates Cove Resort. As you follow the line of RV's south, you will eventually encounter an inlet on your right - this is the entrance to Pirates Cove and they have their own restaurant, gasoline docks, and convenience store, too.

You can pass the inlet to Pirates Cove and keep your eyes on a set of bridges about 2 miles south. This is the Topock river crossing, where roads and railways cross back and forth between Arizona and California. As you begin to pass under the bridges, you will notice an inlet and marina on your left, this is the Topock 66 Restaurant and Hotel. You will find many people convening here for the day, lounging in their restaurant pool (awesome for the kids) and we must say, the food is absolutely amazing!

Back on the water - passing under the bridges you enter what is known as hands-down the most scenic and beautiful stretch of the Colorado River that you could ever imagine. And it is ONLY accessible via the water. the most common ways being a boat, jetski, or even a kayak. The river narrows, the canyon cliffs get taller and steeper, and you're surrounded by stunning red landscapes with lush green trees growing all over the river.

This section of the Colorado River is like riding through the Grand Canyon on a jetski - it's a must. Locals refer to it as "The Gorge." You can stop for a break inside The Gorge, and even check out the petroglyphs if you have time!

Continue on through The Gorge and after exiting the no wake zone, the river begins the widen again. The landscape returns to more a flat look, with natural sand dunes on your left. To some of us, this section of the river is even more beautiful than the section you just passed through. It's truly mesmerizing, the way the river widens and the landscape flattens all at once.

As the river begins to take a sharp turn to toward your right, you will eventually come to what looks like a little island in the middle of the river with tall bamboo looking grass growing on the top. This is "The Sandbar." The grass is a somewhat new phenomon, it used to be a hump of pristine sand for the longest time. In the 90s and early 2000s, MTV and others would host gigantic parties of the sandbar, but the grass and regulations banning access to it on holidays, has made this a much more leisurely place to visit. Much like Topock 66 about 45-minutes back up river, this is where you will find a lot of people like to convene for the day.

Believe it or not - at this point in the journey you are at the northern end of Lake Havasu! For many of our friends and family, this is where we decide to return back up river. To continue on toward Havasu without children along for the ride, it's more than okay, but the high endurance little ones involved, we find this out and back trip to be just perfect!

All in all expect a 3 hour round trip adventure if you plan to stop a few times, an add an hour if you opt to stop for lunch!