There are many ways to spend the Fourth of July. You could sit in traffic on the way to a crowded park. You could watch fireworks from a parking lot. Or you could be floating on one of the most stunning desert lakes in the Southwest, cold drink in hand, with a world-champion jet ski show lighting up the water in front of you and a live band playing behind you.

We vote for the lake.

Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina on Lake Mohave is celebrating Independence Day weekend with a full lineup of events, specials, and pure desert magic — and this guide has everything you need to plan your Fourth of July getaway before spots fill up.

The Jet Ski Show You Have to See to Believe

Mark Gomez is a World Champion. His JETEFX freestyle and LED laser jet ski show is the kind of performance that stops a crowd mid-conversation and sends kids sprinting to the water’s edge. On the Fourth of July, he’s bringing the full spectacle to the marina — right in front of the Cottonwood Cove Cafe.

First show: 5:30 PM | Second show: 7:30 PM

If you want to be front and center — and trust us, you do — call Cottonwood Cove Marina to reserve your spot in the splash zone. This is the centerpiece of the Independence Day celebration on Lake Mohave, and it’s the kind of marina activity that lives in the memory long after you’ve dried off.

The All-American 250 BBQ Brisket Dinner

The Cottonwood Cove Cafe is going all out for the holiday weekend with America250-themed specials running Friday through Sunday. But the main event? Saturday night’s All-American 250 BBQ Brisket Dinner.

Dinner service: Saturday, 6 PM – 8 PM

The bar opens at 4 PM (and may run late — it’s the Fourth, after all), giving you plenty of time to settle in before the Velvet Moon Band takes the stage at 6 PM. Live music, brisket, a cold drink, and a desert sunset over Lake Mohave? That’s an Independence Day celebration worth driving for.

Weekend cafe hours:

• Friday: 8 AM – 3 PM
• Saturday: 8 AM – 10 PM (or later)
• Sunday: 8 AM – 3 PM

All weekend long, the cafe is serving America250-themed breakfast and lunch specials like red, white and blue pancakes as well as BBQ hot dogs with all the fixings — a classic nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary and the deep history that runs through this stretch of the Colorado River. Come hungry.

Holiday Specials at the Store

The Cottonwood Cove store is getting in on the Fourth of July spirit with select souvenirs and merchandise dropping to $2.50 throughout the weekend. Items rotate and change as the weekend goes on, so if something catches your eye, grab it — it may not be there when you circle back. It’s part treasure hunt, part holiday deal, and entirely worth a browse between lake sessions.

The Lake Is the Main Attraction

All of this is happening against the backdrop of one of the best boating weekends of the year on Lake Mohave. Sixty-seven miles of brilliant blue water, dramatic desert canyon walls, and hidden coves that feel like they belong on a movie poster — that’s the setting for your Lake Mohave holiday weekend.

Rent a WaveRunner for a white-knuckle run across open water. Take a swim into a quiet cove for a morning paddle before the crowds wake up. Or anchor out in your own private spot and spend the afternoon doing absolutely nothing. All of it counts.

The full marina rental lineup — houseboats, WaveRunners, ski boats, pontoons — is available to make your Fourth of July weekend on Lake Mohave exactly what you want it to be.

Where to Stay: Lodging and RV Camping

The Fourth of July at Cottonwood Cove is not a day trip. This is a long weekend that deserves the full experience, and the resort has the lodging to match.

Houseboat Rentals put your family or group directly on the water — a floating vacation home with full kitchen, bedrooms, a sun deck, and a BBQ grill. Wake up on the lake. Walk out the door and jump in. Live the weekend entirely on the water.

The Houseboat Hotel is the perfect option if you want the romance of sleeping on the water without the responsibility of captaining your own vessel. Permanently docked at the marina, it offers waterfront views and easy access to every event happening this weekend.

The Cottonwood Cove Motel puts you right at the resort with covered patios, easy lake access, and proximity to the cafe, the store, and the marina show on the Fourth.

The RV Park offers full-hookup RV sites for those who prefer bringing their home with them. Roll in, hook up, and let the kids run to the beach while you set up camp. The RV park’s showers, easy beach access, and proximity to the weekend’s events make this a family-friendly Fourth that works on everyone’s terms.

Availability is going fast. Call Cottonwood Cove Marina directly to check lodging availability and lock in your stay before the holiday weekend fills up.

This Is the Fourth of July Getaway You’ve Been Looking For

The history beneath Cottonwood Cove runs deep — Army outposts, gold-rush barges, CCC crews, the new lake that rose in 1951 — and celebrating America’s 250th anniversary here, on one of the West’s most scenic stretches of the Colorado River, feels exactly right. The desert is stunning. The water is clear. The weekend is packed.

A world-champion jet ski show. Live music and brisket under the stars. Holiday specials, lake rentals, and miles of open water to explore. Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina is ready for the Fourth — the only question is whether you are.

Call to reserve your splash zone spot and check lodging availability. Then get here.

Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina is located on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a short drive from Laughlin, Nevada.