TRIP OF THE WEEK:
Temple Bar offers slow, leisurely pace away from crowds
Temple Bar in northwestern Arizona offers a slow pace away from the crowds. Illustration by Mike Miller.
Temple Bar, a National Park Service development in northwestern Arizona, enjoys a slower pace than similar facilities around Lake Mead. Its location on the eastern part of the huge lake puts it far enough away from major cities to avoid the crowds that throng other developments. It appeals to boaters, fishermen and campers seeking solitude and a relaxed recreational experience.
Temple Bar lies no great distance from Las Vegas, just a little more than 80 miles from downtown. To reach the lakeside outpost, drive into Arizona over Hoover Dam on U.S, Highway 93. The turnoff to the Temple Bar lies 23 miles from the dam. Watch for it on the left four miles from the exit to Willow Beach. Follow the Temple Bar road 28 miles to the lakeshore.
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Construction of a bypass highway across the Colorado River below Hoover Dam complicates the drive to Temple Bar at times. Traffic slows at truck crossings and at security checkpoints. Thousands of people daily visiting the dam also cause delays. Time your drive for early in the day, before 10 a.m. Expect crowds at the dam on weekends and holidays.
Early wildflowers grace the roadsides on the Arizona side of the dam. Although nature won't repeat the abundance of last year's flower show, this year's scanty rainfall runs off the pavement to encourage stalwarts like golden brittlebush, yellow desert primrose, orange globe mallow and blue lupine. Elsewhere along the route to Temple Bar, desert plants appear to be in drought mode, using natural adaptations to preserve themselves in dry years.
Early settler Daniel Bonelli, a Mormon pioneer, gave names to many of the area's odd flat-topped bluffs with sheer sides several hundred feet high. He called one Napoleon's Tomb and another the Temple, after the Mormon's Salt Lake City Temple. When prospectors discovered gold in the gravel bars along the river near the Temple, the name Temple Bar came into use.
Bonelli lived a few miles north of Temple Bar. Bonelli and his family stayed behind when other Mormon residents left towns long the Virgin, Muddy and Colorado Rivers. The pioneers moved in 1870 after a tax dispute when the territory became part of Nevada. After several years, many of the settlers returned, only to have their towns inundated by the lake decades later.
The Bonellis stayed to farm and operate a ferry across the Colorado at Bonelli Landing. Before the construction of Boulder Dam in the 1930s, anyone crossing the river used one of several small ferries at various locations. Bonelli constructed a rock house at the landing, now under water, and a fine two-story home in Kingman, Ariz., now open for tours.
Stop at the Temple Bar ranger station for information. Rangers man the desk when other duties allow. A trail begins at the edge of the ranger station parking lot. Pick up a self-guiding brochure at a box at the trailhead. Along the three-quarters of a mile of pathway, 12 signed stops acquaint hikers with many desert plants and animals, points of interest and regional history.
Nearby, campers find a park service campground with 153 tree-shaded campsites for tents, trailers or recreational vehicles at a cost of $10 per night or $5 for park pass holders. Typically, sites include table, grill and centrally located water, trash receptacles and restrooms.
A complex operated by Seven Crown Resorts, a National Park Service concessionaire, offers lodging, dining and boating facilities. The resort includes motel rooms, fishing cabins, RV hookups and a longer-termed trailer village. Launching, docking and fuel facilities at the marina serve boaters. Rental boats range from personal watercraft through fishing boats to patio boats.
Visitors relax at the restaurant and lounge. An attached store and gift shop stocks bait, tackle, rental rods, licenses and camping supplies. Fishermen find a fish cleaning station and supplies of ice available near the store. For more information and to make reservations for motel rooms, RV spaces or boat rentals, call Seven Crown Resorts at (800) 752-9669 or Temple Bar Resort at (928) 767-3211.
