Recreation Tour

Southern California Outdoor Adventure
Astronomy - Observatories * Clubs
Aviation - Airports & Airshows
Beach - Adventure Guide
Biking - Trails * Clubs
Birding - Best parks and nature refuges
Boating - Rivers, Lakes and Marinas
Scouting - Youth Outdoor Groups
Camping - Campgrounds
Fishing - Guides & Outfitters
Ghost Towns - Trails * Clubs
Golf - Courses & Tournaments
Pacific Crest Trail - Trails * Clubs
Guest Ranches - Trails * Clubs
Equistrian - Horse Racing & Etc
Kayaking
Marathon - Road Races & Competitions
Recreation - Outdoor Recreation & Sports
Rock Climbing -
Scenic Trails -
Spelunking - Cave Explorers
State Parks - Recreational Programs
Summer Camps - Sports & Academics
Tennis - Courts & Tournaments
Watersports - Pools & Competition
Wildlife - Nature Preserves

Wild Adventures in Southern California
Special guide to the most extreme adventures available at area beaches, islands, mountains, deserts and many points in between. See also the links to area state and national parks, forests and beaches.

Salton Sea
Very large inland salt water lake serves as both a national wildlife refuge and state recreation area - numerous outdoor adventure opportunities.

Picacho State Recreation Area
760-393-3052; Park Website;
Location: Dirt road 24 miles north from Winterhaven;
4,880 acres preserve in East Imperial County. 100 years ago Picacho was a gold mining town with 100 citizens. Today the site is a State Park, popular with boaters, hikers, anglers and campers. The park offers diverse scenery, including beavertail cactus, wild burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of migratory waterfowl. Eight miles of the lower Colorado River are the recreation area’s eastern border. As in any desert country, travelers on this road should carry extra water and other essential supplies.

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area
This 40-mile-long dune system is one of the largest in the United States. Formed by windblown beach sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla, some crests reach heights of over 300 feet. These expansive dune formations offer picturesque scenery, opportunities for solitude, a chance to view rare plants and animals, and a playground for OHVs.
Desert Adventure Guide - More Info for this topic.

Heber Dunes State Vehicle Recr Area - Heber CA
Location: Heber Road (SR-86) 8 miles east of Heber; (760) 767-5391; State Parks Website
343 acres area located south of El Centro. It is primarily used for off-road recreation, however, camping, picnicking, and baseball are also popular activities in the park.

Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recr Area - East Borrego
Location: SR-78, about 35 miles east of Julian or about 20 miles west of Highway 86. ; (760) 767-5391; State Parks Website
42,000 acres of desert terrain, from below sea level to 400 foot elevations. It is a motorcycle, four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle, and dune buggy use area. The wash-and-ridge terrain includes a butte with dunes and a sand bowl, a blow-sand dune, springs and a camp on a former homestead site. The park has pay showers, picnic tables, shade ramadas, fire rings and a dump station available.

Old Plank Road - Grays Well CA
From 1915 to 1925, the first highway across the shifting Algodone Sand Dunes was built on a narrow wooden planks. A historic monument and replica of the road can be found about 3 miles west of the I-8 Sand Hills interchange.

Algodones Sand Dunes
Located two miles north of Glamis along Ted Kipf Rd.
Eastern rim of Imperial Valley - Wildlife viewing area and home to several unique species of plants and animals. [Sand Dunes]

Mesquite Mine Overlook Trail
(760) 352-6541;[ Gold Mines ]
Located 3 miles north of SR-78 on GFOC Road. A one-mile trail leads to an overview of the second largest golf mine in California.

The Springs at Borrego RV and Golf Resort
A recreational vehicle resort and luxury nine-hole championship golf course located in the heart of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The RV Park is Big Rig friendly and offers warm weather and many amenities such as swimming pools, hot mineral baths, tennis courts and RV campground facilities.

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
66600 Cibola Lake Road, Cibola, AZ 85328; 928-857-3253;
NWR Website -
FWS Website -

Cibola NWR is located in the floodplain of the lower Colorado River and surrounded by a fringe of desert ridges and washes. The refuge encompasses the historic Colorado River channel and several important backwater areas that are home to many wildlife species. Because of the river’s life sustaining water, wildlife here survive in an environment that reaches 120 degrees in the summer and receives an average of only 2 inches of rain per year.

Wildlife
Cibola NWR - It is not uncommon to see desert mule deer, bobcat, and coyotes on the refuge. Other listed species include the desert tortoise, razorback sucker, bonytail chub, and desert pupfish.

Bird Watching
Over 288 species of birds have been found on Cibola NWR, including many species of migratory songbirds, Gambel’s quail, roadrunners, mourning and white-winged doves, phainopepla, greater sandhill cranes, Canada and snow geese, Vermilion flycatchers, grosbeaks and many more. The bald eagle, southwestern willow flycatcher and Yuma clapper rail are among the endangered birds that use Cibola NWR. Management of farm fields along with restoration of wetlands and moist soil units provide habitat for thousands of Canada geese that migrate to Cibola in the winter. About 85% of Arizona’s wintering goose population resides on Cibola NWR. Other common sights may include a heron and egret rookery, nesting mourning and white-winged doves, barn owls, burrowing owls, kestrels, white-faced ibis and more.

Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Yuma, Arizona 85365; 928-783-3371;
NWR Website -
FWS Website -

Imperial National Wildlife Refuge protects wildlife habitat along 30 miles of the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California, including the last unchannelized section before the river enters Mexico. The river and its associated backwater lakes and wetlands are a green oasis, contrasting with the surrounding desert mountains.

NWR Wildlife
In the desert, wildlife such as black-tailed jackrabbits and western whiptail lizards are plentiful. Watch at dawn and dusk for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer heading to the river for a drink. Ducks, geese, shorebirds, and other waterbirds flock to the lower Colorado River each year to spend the winter. Cinnamon teal and Northern pintail are just a few of the species living here.

Senator Wash Reservoir
25 miles north of Yuma, Senator Wash Reservoir is a water storage reservoir that also provides recreational opportunities such as fishing and water play. During the summer months, this site is a favorite of jet skiers and small boats. Lake shore camping is communal on the south shore of the lake while the north shore offers many small coves and bays. For more information contact BLM's Yuma Field Office at (928) 312-3200.

Squaw Lake
Located east of Senator Wash Reservoir, Squaw Lake is the BLM Yuma Field Office's premier developed recreation site. The lake is a popular day use and camping area, with holiday weekends attracting large crowds. Amenities include handicapped accessible restrooms, outdoor showers, fire rings, potable water, trash removal, and two boat ramps. For more information contact the BLM Yuma Field Office at (928) 317-3200.

Hidden Shores
Located at the east end of Imperial Dam is Hidden Shores. A BLM concession, Hidden Shores provides public recreational opportunities through private sector investment. Popular activities center around the Colorado River. Amenities include RV hookups, boat launch, showers, store, handicapped accessible restrooms, and fuel sales. For more information contact the BLM Yuma Field Office (928) 317-3200.

Senator Wash Reservoir
6 acres 20 miles north of Winterhaven, includes area for watersports, camping, fishing, boating and hiking.

Squaw Lake Park
18 acres located 20 miles north of Winterhaven at the end of Senator Wash Road. Includes area for watersports, camping, fishing, hiking and boating.

Algodones Sand Dunes
Located two miles north of Glamis along Ted Kipf Rd.
Eastern rim of Imperial Valley - Wildlife viewing area and home to several unique species of plants and animals. [Sand Dunes]

Imperial Sand Dunes
Cahuilla Ranger Station, SR-78 (Gecko Rd); (760) 344-3919;
Located along eastern perimeter of Imperial Valley, this 40-mile dune system is one of the largest in the United States. Some dunes crest at over 300 feet high. Popular filming location. [Sand Dunes]

Mesquite Mine Overlook Trail
(760) 352-6541;[ Gold Mines ]
Located 3 miles north of SR-78 on GFOC Road. A one-mile trail leads to an overview of the second largest gold mine in California.

Old Plank Road
Located by Grays Well Road alongside I-8. Portions still exist today of a big wood plank wood build across the sand dunes in 1916 for early motorists.

Fossil Canyon
Located about four miles north of Ocotillo at the end of Painted Gorge Rd. Scenic area noted for its multicolored canyon walls caused by the weathering of copper, iron and sulfur in the rock. The upper part of the gorge contains marine fossils. (Fossils )

Oyster Shell Beds
Located along BLM Route Y1945 are remnants of ancient Lake Leconte, which covered most of the Imperial Valley over 6 million years ago. Fossilized oyster shells are all about. (Fossils )

Tumco Mines
Located on Gold Rock Ranch Rd, 9 miles north of I-8, 1 mile east of County Hwy 35, 4.5 miles NEof Ogilby in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. Tumco was an early gold mining town.

Tour Imperial Valley Dunes
Eastern rim of Imperial Valley - Wildlife viewing area and home to several unique species of plants and animals. Very popular area for offroad vehicle activity.

MainTour Southern California Outdoor Recreation Guide
Click here for more info on this subject.

Rio Bend RV Golf Resort
Two Fishing Lakes

Dove Hunting Season: Sept 1-15 / Nov 8-Dec 22 (Approx)
The Department of Fish and Game have developed 28 hunting fields between Niland and Calipatria, especially along the East Highline Canal. Over 5,000 hunters will converge here for this event. Contact local DFG office for exact times, rules and license.

GPS Gear
Popular for Runners, Boaters, Hikers, Bikers and Adventurers
Recent technology updates have made readily affordable for outdoor adventures a nifty item - the GPS Watch. It uses 3D Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to triangulate your position and elevation to within 20 ft accuracy. Prices and great quality GPS watches now run less than $100 from quality manufactures such as Garmin and Navman. This equipment is popular for athletes to track their race and training trip progress. Adventurers like these to track their position or do geo-cache exploration.

Key GPS features to look for:

• Trip Odometer - tracks your distance traveled between start and finish.
• Trip Timer - Used with the Odometer it can calculate your average trip pace. Some have pause feature.
• Electronic Compass - Never get loss again.
• 3D Location - Display position by Latitude, Longitude and Elevation.
• Battery Size & Life -
• Watch Size and Weight -
• Route Track - Customized Trip Map with waypoint markers.
• Lap History -