Campground Overview:
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area located in southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Operated by the National Park Service, Lake Mead NRA follows the Colorado River corridor from the westernmost boundary of Grand Canyon National Park to just north of the cities of Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona. It includes all of the eponymous Lake Mead as well as the smaller Lake Mohave – reservoirs on the river created by Hoover Dam and Davis Dam, respectively – and the surrounding desert terrain and wilderness.
Cottonwood Cove Campground is a large desert campground located slightly inland on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave, and is one of three campgrounds on the lake. The campground is split between a larger upper campground has three main loops and is located further inland from the lake, and a smaller lower campground located closer to the water. The upper campground is pretty much closed and abandoned. Both the upper and lower campgrounds are suitable for tent and RV camping, but the lower campground is a little more private and better for tent camping. Boating is one of the main draw of Cottonwood Cove Campground.
Campsites:
There are 145 campsites at Cottonwood Cove Campground for tent and RV camping, 75 campsites offer full RV hookups as well as a picnic table, fire ring, and access to bathrooms with showers. A laundry facility is also available onsite. Another 45 campsites are available for tents and RVs without hookups. Primitive camping is available nearby, as well. Supplies are available at the nearby Cottonwood Cove Marina and Resort. Tent camping in the summer is not recommended at Cottonwood Cove Campground due to the high temperatures.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Developed |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Bullhead City/ Laughlin, NV |
Fishing: |
Lake Mohave |
Campground Website: |
Cottonwood Cove Campground- Lake Mead National Recreation Area |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
Cottonwood Cove RV Park & Campground- 855-918-5253 |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is big, it’s diverse and it’s extreme. Temperatures can be harsh, from 120º Fahrenheit in the summer to well below freezing in winter on the high plateaus. From the mouth of the Grand Canyon, the park follows the Arizona-Nevada border along what was formerly 140 miles of the Colorado River. The two big lakes-Mead and Mohave- are the big draw here.
Lake Mohave is a reservoir on the Colorado River created in 1951 following the completion of Davis Dam near present-day Laughlin, Nevada, and Bullhead City, Arizona. Named for the Mohave Indians who previously inhabited this region of the Colorado River valley, Lake Mohave extends approximately 67 miles along the valley from Hoover Dam to Davis Dam straddling the southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona border, which follows the original river channel.
Lake Mohave lies between the Black Mountains to the east in northwestern Arizona, and the Eldorado and Newberry Mountains to the west in southern Nevada. Most of the lake’s length lies within the steep, narrow walls of Black, Eldorado, Painted, and Pyramid canyons. The northern section of the reservoir is constrained by the steep rock walls of Black Canyon for a length of 22 miles and is narrower than 300 ft in places. This portion of the reservoir is primarily riverine. South of Black Canyon, Lake Mohave gradually widens to nearly four miles in Cottonwood Basin. The transition between river and true reservoir conditions occurs in Eldorado Canyon, between Black Canyon and Cottonwood Basin.
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Originally known as Boulder Dam from 1933, it was officially renamed Hoover Dam by a joint resolution of Congress in 1947. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives. The dam was named after President Herbert Hoover.
Laughlin, NV – Cottonwood Cove Campground is located just down the road from the Casino town of Laughlin, NV. A handful of Casinos line the Nevada side of the Colorado river and provide all the typical amenities that come with them.
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 for the primary purpose of providing migratory bird habitat. The refuge is comprised of 37,515 acres along the lower Colorado river in Arizona and California. The refuge protects 30 river miles and encompasses 300 miles of shoreline from Needles, California, to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. One of the last remaining natural stretches of the lower Colorado River flows through the 20-mile long Topock Gorge.
Nearby Campgrounds:
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