When this bridge was built in 1991, it crossed a desert wash. A lower patio was eventually added, with a kitchen leased by the owners of a Lake Havasu restaurant.
An unpaved road reads to the oasis that is the Desert Bar.
The quiet before the storm. It won't be long before tables are crowded with patrons at the Desert Bar.
Solar panels catch enough sunlight to power the lights and appliances at the Desert Bar. Scott Craven/The Republic
Ken Coughlin designed and built the Desert Bar, which has been an ongoing project for more than 30 years.
Patrons, including a dirt-bike rider in a banana suit, order food and beer on the Desert Bar’s upper patio. Owner Ken Coughlin said he often sees people in costumes, part of the bar’s quirky nature.
Though nestled in desert foothills far from civilization, the Desert Bar has become a popular weekend destination.
The multi-level Desert Bar slowly fills with people shortly after the 11 a.m. opening.
An old fire truck parked outside the bar adds character.
Those willing to hike the nearby peaks and ridges are rewarded with a view found at no other bar.
An ultra-terrain vehicle embarks on the rough five-mile unpaved road to the Desert Bar outside Parker.
Ken Coughlin, who built much of the Desert Bar by hand, stands outside one of the first structures he erected, the restrooms. He knew without the proper necessities, no one would come.
The original Desert Bar, opened in 1983, had five stools, a couple of coolers and no access to the back of the bar, requiring Coughlin to vault the counter. Today, it serves no purpose other than a quaint reminder of the bar's roots.
A dark tower looms in the main parking lot of the Desert Bar. Dozens of couples have been married in the alcove of the architecturally-abbreviated church.
The Desert Bar was built atop a former mining claim. The camp sat at what now is the bar's parking lot.
Owner Ken Coughlin built the facsimile of a church to add some architectural interest to the desert.
About an hour after the bar has opened for business, cars fill the main parking lot. Stalls marked by fire hoses and canvas straps.
As the sun sets and shadows claim more territory, the Desert Bar empties out, leaving behind a dozen or so staffers to clean and prep for the next day.
The tank perched above the Desert Bar offers sage advice.
Several signs around the Desert Bar warn patrons that alcohol is not permitted off the grounds. Bartenders also make sure to open every can of beer before serving.
Customers quickly fill tables near the stage at the Desert Bar. Live music is a popular feature.
Sharp-eyed visitors will notice some weathered antiques scattered around the Desert Bar.
A covered bridge leads from the parking lot to the Desert Bar.
Patrons inside the Nellie E Saloon belly up to the bar for a beer or a T-shirt, if not both.
The Nellie E Saloon offers a respite from the weather, as outdoor seating comprises much of the Desert Bar.
Cars and trucks arrive even before the Desert Bar opens at noon.
ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles offer the only way to tackle the back road leading to the Desert Bar.
Solar panels provide enough power to keep the lights on and the beer cold at the Desert Bar.
Chairs await customers on a ridge overlooking the Desert Bar.
A metal sculpture of a desert bighorn sheep overlooks the parking lot.
Trails lead to scenic overlooks around the Desert Bar.
Given its location, the Desert Bar has no competition.
Local teens are hired to assist with operations at the Desert Bar.
Silence returns to the desert as the bar closes just before the sun sets.
MiChael Lane Revelation Real Estate
When this bridge was built in 1991, it crossed a desert wash. A lower patio was eventually added, with a kitchen leased by the owners of a Lake Havasu restaurant.
If you like your beer in a can, your burgers fresh off the grill and your drinking establishments in the middle of nowhere, we have some great news.
The Desert Bar has reopened for business.
Arizona’s most remote bar is again serving hot dishes and cold beer now that temperatures have dipped into the tolerable zone. The unique establishment outside Parker will be open weekends through the end of April.
For many customers, the trip to the Desert Bar, sitting at the end of a twisting and unpaved five-mile road, is an annual rite of passage. Many arrive via Jeep or pickup truck. Others travel the back way over a more challenging trail, their all-terrain and utility vehicles parked in jumbled rows that are a short walk to the outdoor, multilevel bar.
Particularly popular with the winter visitors who settle in along Arizona’s west coast, the Desert Bar goes back to 1983 when owner Ken Coughlin built a small wooden stand, added a plank as a counter and cracked open a cooler full of canned beer (serving the same brands then as he does now).
It wasn’t long before Coughlin’s makeshift bar was standing room only, which occurred when a sixth person arrived, given the five available stools. Even as he built out the bar — restrooms were part of his first addition — Coughlin had no idea that one day his establishment would sport a kitchen, solar panels and enough business to finance the home he’s since built nearby that eliminated his commute.
More recently, Coughlin expanded one of the patios and added shade structures. He always tackles the latest project between seasons. The 76-year-old plans to keep building until his body tells him otherwise.
The real stars are the surrounding desert foothills supplying the perfect backdrop for an afternoon of eating and drinking. Most of the Desert Bar is outside, save for the Nellie E Saloon, a bar/giftshop where visitors can choose among a plethora of T-shirts to mark their journey.
What you won’t find at the Desert Bar: attentive servers or craft beer on tap. Everyone who visits the egalitarian bar finds their own table, orders their own food and, if thirsty and old enough, chooses a can of their favorite domestic.
There is also live music every weekend, typically country-western as befitting the environment.
And if you're curious about that odd looking façade of a frontier church spire sprouting in the middle of the parking lot, know that Coughlin has long believed the Desert Bar is a great place to tie the knot. Many couples have exchanged vows at the base of the tower, perhaps riding off into the sunset on their ATVs.
Those planning a trip this season should know the Desert Bar is busiest after the first of the new year. By March and April, it can be standing room only — just like the old days.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Peek inside the highly anticipated cocktail bar Century Grand
When: Open noon-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 26, 2020.
Directions: From Parker (a 2½-hour drive west of Phoenix), take State Route 95 north about 5 miles to Cienega Springs Road. Turn right and go 5 miles to the Desert Bar. Cienega Springs Road is unpaved and not regularly maintained. Carefully driven sedans can make it. You may be more comfortable in a high-clearance vehicle.
Details: thedesertbar.com, https://www.facebook.com/Desert-Bar-113900255334758/.