Bullhead City is ideally suited for the outdoor enthusiast. We are at the heart of a fishing and boating paradise. There are miles of fascinating hiking or moutain bike trails such as the old railbed for the historic Mohave Mill Town Railroad between Oatman and the Colorado River. And if you are a fan of off road and back country trips, there are a coutless number of scenic old mining roads that range from moderate to challenging.
A great loop drive that presents the illusion of a backcountry adventure begins at Bullhead City Community Park, a delightful desert oasis with beach and boat launch. Continue south on highway 95 through Fort Mohave to Boundary Cone Road, county road 153. To set the mood for your odyssey, be sure to stop and read the monument at the junction.
As you drive east toward the foothills of the rugged Black Mountains and the easily identified Elephants Tooth rock formation, suburbia quickly gives way to rugged desert wilderness with stunning views of the Colorado River Valley. The next highway junction is with iconic Route 66. Continue into Oatman, an old mining town transformed into the romanticised image of a village on the western frontier complete with burros roaming free in the streets, stage gunfights, and buffalo burgers at the historic Oatman Hotel saloon.
If you make the drive on March 19, internationally acclaimed author Jim Hinckley, creator of the Jim Hinckley’s America network, will be signing books at Jackass Junction that afternoon. He will also be answering questions about Route 66, and assist with Route 66 travel planning as he will have an array of promotional materials available.
The return drive to the park is less than twenty miles via picturesque Silver Creek Road. A four wheel drive is not needed on this rutted, rocky, occasionally graded road but ground clearance is recommended.
Vestiges of the areas rich mining history abound. Long before the last gold rush in Arizona that gave rise to Oatman and Gioldroad, prospectors pulled a bit of color from Silver Creek wash, and the tent camps of Vivian and Snowball were home to a few dozen hardy souls.
This is a dusty but picturesque drive that offers endless opportunities for great photographs. And so do amazing vistas, picturesque valleys, and endless oppoortunities for getting some great photographs. Chollas locally referred to as jumping cactus, yuccas and towering spires of stone dominate the roadside.
A few miles from the junctionof Route 66 and Silver Creek Road find a safe pullout and look to the right side. The multicolored buttes mark the beginning of the incredibly beautiful 28,000 acre Mount Nutt Wilderness in the Black Mountains. Bighorn sheep are often spotted on the mountan sides early in the morning.
On the left side of the road is 3,143 foot Hardy Mountain. Named for Captain William Harrison Hardy, an earlypioneer and namesake for Hardyville, the former county seat near present day Bullhead City, the mountain cast long shadows over the desert landscpae in the late afternoon hours.
Views of the Colorado River Valley are quite spectacular. On the far side of the river, the skyline is dominated by Spirit Mountain in Nevada. There is an excellent scenic overlook about seven and one half miles from the Route 66 junction. This is just a few miles from where Silver Creek road becomes a paved road that joins with the Bullhead Parkway.
If you would like more information about wonderful outdoor recreation oppportunities, or exciting day trips, conact the Bullhead Chamber of Commerce.