Laughlin: the Oasis on the Colorado River

Laughlin, Nevada was founded in the 1960s by Don Laughlin, who saw an opportunity to build a resort town on the Colorado River. Originally a small community, it grew quickly with the construction of casinos, hotels, and other tourist attractions. Its location on the river and its proximity to major cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix helped make Laughlin a popular gaming and leisure destination, attracting visitors with a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the energetic Las Vegas Strip.

Just across the Colorado River from Laughlin is Bullhead City, Arizona. The two cities have strong ties and locals and tourists frequently commute between the two places. The state line between Nevada and Arizona is marked by the river and bridges connect the two cities, making it easy to cross over for shopping, dining and other services not available in Laughlin. Laughlin and Bullhead City have a shared tourist base, with visitors exploring both areas for river activities such as boating, fishing and jet skiing, as well as taking advantage of the Nevada gambling scene.

I first heard about Laughlin about two years ago and finally visited in the spring of 2024. This first impression sparked a desire in me to return and explore more.

On paper, or rather on the internet, almost all major casino resorts offer poker, but supply and demand have hardly aligned in recent years. In practice, real regular game rounds are held in two poker rooms: Harrah's Beach Resort and Riverside. While no poker games are running at any of the other properties, it's still a lot of fun to walk from one casino to the other to experience the different atmospheres from a different era. It's a bit like a Vegas strip tourist tour. Minus the luxury boutiques. Plus great river and mountain views at almost every resort bar and restaurant.

Riverside is the home of live poker in this oasis and has built a reputation for keeping the game of poker alive in Laughlin, which locals mention in light of the series of poker room closures since the pandemic. While the room at Harrah's is open Thursday through Sunday, Riverside poker management is putting more effort into keeping the room running every day thanks to all sorts of promotions. The staff and players are generally older than in Las Vegas, and tourists are not hard to spot as there are not many. The atmosphere at Riverside is generally very relaxed. The staff is cheerful and the players are mostly grateful that this room still exists and continues to offer daily games despite the large shadow that Las Vegas casts over the area.

While the action seems to be concentrated in the small section of resorts along the banks of the Colorado River, Bullhead City on the other side is much larger than Laughlin and offers numerous opportunities, from bars and restaurants to jet ski rentals and boat tours for tourists. Bullhead City is also the location of the Laughlin/Bullhead City International Airport, which is mainly used for charter flights and as a parking facility for events that bring dozens of private jets to Las Vegas, such as the Super Bowl or the F1 Grand Prix. Opposite Harrah's Beach Resort, on a dry dock on the Arizona side, the Bullhead Belle is a great alternative for lunch at the resorts. The restaurant offers rich American cuisine with numerous drinks, served in the charming setting of an old river barge from a bygone era, with regular live performances by blues and country musicians.

For a nice day off, the Davis Dam and Lake Mohave offer a beautiful recreation area that thrives especially in the spring and summer months. All in all, the Colorado River is at the heart of everything. Trade, tourism and resources in the region depend on it and it is an incredibly beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert.

Davis Dam is a significant structure located north of Laughlin on the Colorado River. Completed in 1951, the dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation to regulate the flow of water between Hoover Dam and communities downstream, to aid in flood control, and to generate hydroelectric power. Davis Dam created Lake Mohave, a large reservoir popular for recreational activities such as fishing, boating and water sports. Lake Mohave is to Laughlin what Lake Mead is to Las Vegas, as the dam plays a key role in water storage and distribution for much of the surrounding area in Nevada, Arizona and California.

For more information about Laughlin, visit the local tourist information site at https://www.visitlaughlin.com/discover/.

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