There is a beautiful movement taking place in the Town of Laughlin. It is gradually developing into a regional eco tourism destination. In recent years, ribbons of beautiful hiking trails reaching from the Riverside and State Route 163 toward Davis Dam and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area have been placed on the this landscape of desert and hills. This review discusses the Horseshoe Trail. Introduction: The Horseshoe Trail is 2.75 unpaved trail that forms a half Loop to the west of the Colorado River Heritage Trail near Davis Dam. You could say that the Colorado River Heritage Trail is the flat road where Horseshoe Trail is the high road. The Riverwalk to Horseshoe Trail Junction Via the Colorado River Heritage Trail segment: In order to reach Horseshoe Trail it is necessary for hikers to hike on the Colorado River Heritage Trail, which generally speaking is the name of the Riverwalk in the pristine parkland north of State Route 163. The awesome thing about this hike is that you can park at any of the casinos, then hike along the Riverwalk, then cut through the Riverside along an enclosed pedestrian bridge that will bring you over Laughlin Boulevard to the west casino. From here you want to walk a short distance north along Laughlin Boulevard past the Chamber of Commerce to the trailhead. Above the small hill, the pristine hiking begins. The paved trail crosses State Route 163 on a modern bridge before following s-curves that weave between the sandstone hills. The trail meets up with a parking lot before taking a due course north towards the Pyramid Canyon Recreation Area at Davis Dam with the Colorado River consistently to the east. If you drew a straight line south it would connect to the discontinuous Riverwalk that connects the casino resorts. The topography of the trail is consistent. Complimenting the mesas to the west and Colorado River shoreline to the east are informative signs. By this point, there is a parallel horseback riding trail. As you progress deeper into the natural landscape, there is a break in the mesas. This is the junction of the Horseshoe Trail. The Horseshoe Trail: The Horseshoe Trail is a moderate hike that climbs up and down a mesa. The hikes monumental moment is reaching the top of the Davis Dam overlook. As soon as you step on the trail, you know you are going to be doing some moderate climbing when you set eyes on that Mesa with the powerlines. A neat thing about the Horseshoe Trail is that the beginning segments are a red sandstone color. This gives the impression that you are stepping into a novel adventure. When I hiked on the Horseshoe Trail I was on a novel western adventure. Glen Campbell’s «Rhinestone Cowboy» would consequently play in the mental jukebox inside my head as I took in horseback riders descending down the ridge of the mesa, following trail markers with a horseshoe symbol, and glancing at the horses in the coral as the West appeared in real life before my eyes. The uphill climbs were gradual making my New Balance sneakers sufficient. At the point where the trail meats the saddle, there is a junction at the powerlines. The Horseshoe Trail proper descends down a hill to the horse corral where it will return to Street level then follow the road that leads to the Pyramid Canyon Recreation Area at Davis Dam and return to the Colorado River Heritage Trail toward Laughlin. It is that this junction that you want to turn right toward the Davis Dam Overlook. The Davis Dam Overlook : The spur trail continues to climb uphill on a topography that starts off a red sandstone color transitioning into dirt and rocks. A few minutes later, it is time to stop, corroborate, and take pictures. The view is mesmerizing. To the north is the Davis Dam holding back Lake Mohave. To the northwest are the brown Mountain ranges marching into the southernmost reaches of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. To the southeast is the gentle Colorado River bordering the states of Arizona & Nevada with vista’s of Bullhead City. And to the south is the Laughlin skyline. This is the zenith of the Horseshoe Trail experience. Eco tourism lives in Laughlin: The encouraging thing about the new trails including Horseshoe Trail that connect from the north of the Laughlin casino Riverwalk is that they encourage me to return to Laughlin. Already I am looking forward to my next adventure in the real West north of Laughlin.
