About this place
Back country byways run through scenic corridors here, well off the beaten path. It is a long oasis.
The Parker Dam Road is called the Thread of Life. It runs 11 miles, or 18 km, along the California shore of the Colorado River, past scenery, natural features, history and prehistory.
People, wildlife and plants have all gathered along this narrow strip of water in the desert. That is where the name comes from.
There is camping, swimming, boating, fishing, rock hounding, walking, off-highway play areas and wildlife to watch.
The facts
- Cost
- Camping fee not confirmed
- Type
- Specific campsite
- Managed by
- Bureau of Land Management
Getting there
The byway starts at Parker Dam and runs south along the Parker Dam Road to the edge of the Colorado River Indian Reservation. There are pullouts with information boards along the way.
Coordinates 34.275, -114.1384
Open in Google Maps Agency page
What is near here
There are some well-known places within reach of this site.
- Parker Dam Directions
- Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Directions
- Blythe Intaglios Directions
- Lake Havasu Directions
Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.
Nearest town and supplies
- Parker Strip, AZ Directions
- Cienega Springs, AZ Directions
Cienega Springs is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.
Have you been here?
Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.
Thank you, that is recorded. It helps the next person.
Add road notes for this site
The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.
Thank you. A person will read it before it goes on the page.
Where this information comes from
The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Bureau of Land Management’s own records, read in August 2026.