Story and photos by Cheryl and Myron Hartz
Just call her SARA: the Special Activities and Recreation Area is a regional county-leased park just five miles south of Lake Havasu City. We love exploring here as a sideline to camping expeditions at Lake Havasu, Cattail Cove, River Island or Buckskin Mountain State Parks.
That’s because SARA is a generously sized lady who has it all. Her softball and baseball fields, covered playground, rodeo grounds, picnic areas, motocross course, BMX track, r/c vehicle track, an area to fly model planes, shooting and archery ranges, dog park—and even a motor speedway—cover 1,100 acres. Whew!
Because we visited on a weekday in early December while school was in session, we missed all of that busy-ness. But the many parts we saw appeared well-maintained and a wonderful offering for the locals and tourists alike.
Oh, yes, SARA has several miles of hiking trails, too, over a variety of desert terrain. You can hike in soft dirt, loose rock, smooth rock plates, over and between boulders, up and down mountains and all the way to the cool blue Colorado River.
The Crack in the Wall Trail is a 5-mile round trip which starts out easy and becomes more strenuous as it takes you through a slot canyon that is arguably one of the most famous on the Lower Colorado. We weren’t prepared for a long hike the day we chose to explore for the first time, especially with the boulder climbing we were starting to do. So we didn’t make it all the way to the river and its scenic cove featuring Balance Rock.
Some day we will hike to that monster rock balanced precariously on a slender and eroding pillar. We’ve seen photos of the spectacular river view at trail’s end and think it will be well worth the effort.
We did experience several of the desert landscapes and found a pleasant spot for a picnic while exploring a side trail on the return hike.
Several people were hiking with their dogs. One hapless gentleman had a toy poodle that couldn’t quite manage areas of the boulders. Since we had turned around already, we gently warned him it got worse. He conceded to the inevitable, picked her up and turned around also.
Did I mention there are no admission or parking fees? There is plenty of parking, along with decent restrooms. Take plenty of water and sunblock as you explore this surprising park.
Happy hiking with SARA!
