{"id":1534,"date":"2022-04-02T03:03:31","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T10:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/?p=1534"},"modified":"2022-10-12T14:18:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T21:18:14","slug":"picacho-park-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/picacho-park-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Picacho Park California"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Picacho Campground<br \/>\nPicacho State Park @ Colorado River<br \/>\nPicacho SRA, California<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/smoketreecamps.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1539\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/smoketreecamps.jpg\" alt=\"tree camps\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/smoketreecamps.jpg 640w, https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/smoketreecamps-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Winter camping is great at Picacho. Hunters, fisherman, snowbirds &amp; RVers alike, all know this best kept secret. Picacho Peak on the Colorado River is prime spot for outdoor recreation &amp; camping. Canoe, kayak, fish, hunt, mountain bike, hike, and mining history. All this desert fun, less than a 3 hour drive from San Diego.<\/p>\n<p>The main attraction here is the Colorado River, fishing, hunting, plus easy freeway access &amp; the off roading options are an added bonus.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1544\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1544\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1544\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/river.jpg\" alt=\"colorado river\" width=\"480\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/river.jpg 480w, https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/river-231x300.jpg 231w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colorado River, California<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ancient volcanic peaks surround this wetlands area of the Colorado River. Picacho makes a good stopping point on a river trip between Walter&#8217;s Camp and Martinez Lake.<\/p>\n<p>A century ago Picacho was a mining town with 100 citizens. Now it is a State Park, offering diverse scenery, including cactus, burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of waterfowl. The impressive lower Colorado River is the recreation area on the eastern border of California.<\/p>\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/canoe.png\" alt=\"canoe\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><\/h1>\n<p>Take the 20+ mile road north from Winterhaven, off Interstate 8 (W of Yuma,\u00a0AZ). The side road to Picacho is paved only a few miles, then becomes graded dirt. The last\u00a018 miles is over a desert road that is easily passable for passenger cars &amp;\u00a0motorhomes.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> In the summer months thunderstorms can cause flash flooding in the washes, making sections of the road impassable. Check weather forecast before traveling into this flash-flood region of the California desert.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/RV.png\" alt=\"RV\" width=\"151\" height=\"157\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Picacho SRA Park Info:<br \/>\n760-393-3052<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nearby cities:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destin\/california-towns.php?tid=547\">Blythe CA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destin\/california-towns.php?tid=134\">El Centro CA<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1541\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/hikingpicacho.jpg\" alt=\"hiking picacho\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/hikingpicacho.jpg 480w, https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/hikingpicacho-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>EASY HIKES @ CAMP:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nPicacho California, rich in desert history, was once a small mining town. Historic signs, trails &amp; buildings surround the Picacho Campground.<\/p>\n<p>Hike straight from the main campground to many areas along the scenic rivers edge. Stroll through the old graveyard &amp; read about the areas history. Walk the washes in early spring and look for wildflowers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1941384072\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1941384072&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=totalescape-20&amp;linkId=78fe017876307e4c92c9bbf22eb447b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ASIN=1941384072&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;tag=totalescape-20\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Picacho Park River Camping\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/danamite\/1720881784\/in\/photolist-6NSyWH-6NSxoX-3C4YcA-3C4TJC-6NWGA9-6NSADD-6NWKyE-32pumf-6NSvmV-6NStFK-6NSsgH\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2301\/1720881784_fe8e6edd99.jpg\" alt=\"Picacho Park River Camping\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h1>Imperial Desert Hiking<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/sites\/blm.gov\/files\/maps-avenza-california-eastern_imperial_county_route.pdf\">PDF Map download EAST IMPERIAL<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Indian Pass Wilderness<\/li>\n<li>Picacho Peak Wilderness<\/li>\n<li>Little Picacho Wilderness<\/li>\n<li>Carrizo Falls<\/li>\n<li>Quartz Peak<\/li>\n<li>Hyduke Mine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.net\/shop\/blm-maps\/\">BLM Maps for the Desert Regions<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/elevation.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1540\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/campgrnd.jpg\" alt=\"campground\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/campgrnd.jpg 640w, https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/campgrnd-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/GIFS\/parks\/picacho\/RVsloveit.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1538\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RVsloveit_i.jpg\" alt=\"desert RV campers\" width=\"200\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #007300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;\">Desert River Campgrounds<br \/>\n@\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #007300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;\">Picacho Park<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-936\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/camp.png\" alt=\"camp\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;\">Most camps are on first-come, first-served basis<\/span><\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"500\" cellspacing=\"3\" cellpadding=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>campground<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>elev<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>spots<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>toilet<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>water<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>fee<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><strong>notes<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#999999\"><b>comments<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td nowrap=\"nowrap\" bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b>Taylor Lake Camp<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">4<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river edge<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">Boaters or vehicles ok<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b>Outpost Camp<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">3<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river edge<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">Boaters or vehicles ok<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b>4-S Beach Camp<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">4<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river edge<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">Boaters or vehicles ok<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b>Paddle Wheeler<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">2<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river edge<\/td>\n<td nowrap=\"nowrap\" bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">Boat-in<br \/>\n(no vehicles)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b>Carrizo Camp<\/b><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">2<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">river edge<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">Boat-in<br \/>\n(no vehicles)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Picacho Camp<\/a><\/b><br \/>\nmain campground<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">100&#8242;<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">54<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">pit<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">piped<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">yes<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">large sites<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c8e1c1\">plenty tent + RV spots<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>The main dirt road up to Picacho Campground is fine &#8211; for RVers that don&#8217;t mind the long haul on a wash board road.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/camptruck.png\" alt=\"camptruck\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Primitive River Camping<\/h1>\n<p><b>Senator Wash<\/b> &#8211; south end of park, open dispersed camping between Squaw Lake &amp; Senators Wash. No other back road dispersed camping inside State Park boundaries.<\/p>\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/boatramp.png\" alt=\"boatramp\" width=\"142\" height=\"146\" \/><\/h1>\n<p><b>BOAT IN CAMPING<\/b><br \/>\nSmall campgrounds for boat in camping listed above on chart.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #808000;\">Colorado River Back Roads<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>The majority of this desert scenic area is dirt back roads, so get prepared &amp; take precautions: water, warm clothes, matches, maps. \u00a0Best to get your SUV out &amp; ready to explore on milder terrain, by driving out close to camp. Walking back to camp (note mileage) could be an option, if you get stuck.<\/p>\n<p>Many roads could require 4-wheel drive, but there are still plenty suitable for 2WD. Tell a camping neighbor where you are headed and what time you should be back, just in case you get stranded or lost.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Heading all the way to Anza Borrego Desert, Salton Sea, or Mecca&#8217;s Box Canyon &#8211; just a day trip (?) \u00a0is unreasonable and should not be attempted. <\/strong>Rest and relax. Picacho Park has more than enough to keep you entertained and occupied.<\/p>\n<p>OHV PARK &#8211;<strong> IMPERIAL SAND DUNES RECREATION AREA<\/strong> is due west of Picacho SRA, about 20 miles away (as the crow flies).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-41\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/4x4.png\" alt=\"4x4\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>California has 2 nearby desert parks &#8211;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destin\/lakes\/salton.html\">Salton Sea SRA<\/a><\/b>: 760-767-5311 about 100 miles NW<\/li>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/active\/campstuff\/SP\/anza.html\">Anza Borrego Desert State Park<\/a><\/b>, 100 miles W, off Interstate 8.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>COLORADO RIVER PARKS:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Bordering the Colorado River on the\u00a0opposite side is the state of Arizona, with wetlands known as <b><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Imperial_National_Wildlife_Refuge\">Imperial National Wildlife Refuge<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About 200 miles east of YUMA is another park called <a href=\"https:\/\/azstateparks.com\/picacho\/\">Picacho Peak State Park<\/a> (AZ): 520-586-2283 and that place closes for summer months. <span style=\"color: #808080;\">NOTE: This park is often confused online with\u00a0Picacho State Recreation Area, inside California. There is a Picacho Peak Wilderness on the California side, within the\u00a0State Park boundary. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\namzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit0\";\namzn_assoc_search_bar = \"true\";\namzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"totalescape-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region = \"US\";\namzn_assoc_title = \"California Deserts\";\namzn_assoc_linkid = \"12f898dd002a43463f8454836b61ded2\";\namzn_assoc_asins = \"B004MCW046,0899976646,0520287479,0816531234,0998287121,0520219805,1560373490,0692938745\";\namzn_assoc_size = \"5<span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span>00x900\";\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/califrepublic.png\" alt=\"California\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Picacho State Recreation Area\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=641<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Picacho Campground Picacho State Park @ Colorado River Picacho SRA, California Winter camping is great at Picacho. Hunters, fisherman, snowbirds &amp; RVers alike, all know this best kept secret. Picacho Peak on the Colorado River is prime spot for outdoor recreation &amp; camping. Canoe, kayak, fish, hunt, mountain bike, hike, and mining history. All this &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/picacho-park-california\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Picacho Park California<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,85],"tags":[195,20,139,212,661,662,596,598,32,597],"class_list":["post-1534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-parks","category-river","tag-az","tag-california","tag-campground","tag-colorado-river","tag-pecachio","tag-pecacho","tag-picacho","tag-sra","tag-state-park","tag-yuma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1534"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1700,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions\/1700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totalescape.com\/destinations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}