Parker Tube Float Draws Winter River Users to La Paz County

The Parker Tube Float, a longstanding community event on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River, ran on Jan. 6 with participants putting in at Buckskin Mountain State Park and floating downstream to La Paz County Park, commonly known as Pirate’s Den. Organizers coordinate registration and logistics for the annual run, and have historically required participants to register and pay a modest fee to cover staging, safety support, and downstream access.

Local water recreation activity peaks during the winter season on the lower Colorado River, and the tube float concentrates river users along a popular stretch that interfaces directly with La Paz County Park operations. County park staff and event organizers worked together ahead of the float to manage parking rotations at staging and landing zones, coordinate safety patrols, and set expectations for waste control and river etiquette. Those logistical measures aim to reduce strain on park facilities and limit traffic spillover onto neighborhood streets.

The Parker Regional Chamber serves as the event organizer and primary contact for registration, safety updates, and parking arrangements. Verify registration and safety/parking arrangements with the Parker Regional Chamber before heading to the river to confirm current procedures and any last-minute changes. The event page that accompanied the float included archival information from past runs and links to organizer contacts so residents and visitors could confirm details in advance.

Economically, the tube float is part of a broader winter recreation pattern that supports local vendors, outfitters, and food-and-beverage businesses in and around Parker and La Paz County Park. Increased river activity during the cooler months provides steady off-peak revenue for riverfront services, but it also requires public agencies to allocate staffing and maintenance resources out of seasonal budgets. Local officials balancing recreation promotion with infrastructure constraints will need to monitor how recurring events affect parking capacity, restroom servicing, and safety enforcement.

For river users, the primary concerns remain safety on moving water, responsible disposal of refuse, and following posted county park rules at launch and landing sites. Residents who rely on park access for daily use should expect higher foot and vehicle traffic around staging areas after community floats and plan accordingly. As the winter recreation season continues, organizers and county staff say coordinated registration and clear logistics are the most effective tools to preserve both a positive visitor experience and the quality of La Paz County’s riverfront resources.