If you're looking for an amazing place to camp on the beach this is it. They have great showers and…read morebathrooms, a pool, water at every camp site and miles of beach. You can bring your ATV's or dune buggy and spend hours on their off road course. Punta Estrella is the best place to camp in the San Felipe area. It's far away from town that you can see a billion stars but it's close enough to go get ice and supplies as needed. I highly recommend a visit even if it''s just for the day to play on the clean beach.

Haven't camped here yet, but Rancho Punta Estrella is our favorite beach to come spend the day at…read morein San Felipe. The beach is beautiful and clean and there are tons of shells on the sand at low tide. The coco and pina trucks come through frequently as well. We love making memories here.

The Salton Sea is really unbelievable. Haven't really ever heard of it before my mom moved to La…read moreQuinta 14 years ago. But after hearing the stories, I had to go. Recently, it finally came true. When you finally get your sights on it, it's more unreal. The lake is about 15 by 35 miles at its widest and longest. So, it's HUGE, and there's a hell of a lot of water. Sure, it's getting smaller, but still. If you go, you should decide to go on the West or East side...because it's very far to go all around. My mom and I went east, but I think there's more to see on the west side (which has Salton City, Desert Shores, Salton Sea Beach). What we did see was a few "campgrounds", former structures, and the highlight -- Bombay Beach, an little town with some artistic endeavors, but mostly low income and off-grid living. It's just not healthy to live nearby this. It has a little market and an old motel, the Ski Inn, that is now a coffee shop and dive bar. It wasn't very smelly on a 75 degree day, but I'm sure it is in the heat of summer. It's both marvelous and a engineering disaster. I asked Siri a million things while driving, but I'm left with more questions than answers.

It's my second time to visit this desolate place in two years because of its art installations. The…read moreart is amazing and quirky that makes Salton Sea Beach a nice getaway spot and admiration. Unfortunately, the sea is receding fast, nevertheless its environment is breathtaking! As long as interesting and quirky art installation continues, Salton Sea Beach will never be a desolate place.

Great fascinating place to visit. See the separate entry for its interpretive center. That's a…read more"must visit." Sadly, New Camp is closed. Copper wire thieves stripped the RV hook ups, and the state gated the campsite, even though us tent campers don't need hook ups. Mecca campground, one mile south, is also closed. Its plumbing has been broke for years. Unfortunately fixing this gem of a state park is probably not a high priority for Sacramento. Still, visit it & do the best you can. Try Salt Wash campground (separate Yelp entry).

The Salton Sea is a large and hyper saline lake with high concentrations of minerals and salts…read more While many fishes no longer survive here due to increasing salinity, the primary fish species that currently inhabit are tilapia and the native desert pupfish. I have to say it's very smelly in this area, and the lake has a distinct rotten egg odor.

I had a great visit at Sunbeam lake today, Tuesday Jan 13. I took a walk mainly to take some…read morepictures for Tic Tok. I enjoyed a picnic lunch, some bird watching and just being outside.

What a GEM!! Park by the lake with covered playgrounds. Pretty grounds. Large grassy area. Small…read moreand large play set by the lake! Alot of tables.

We visited the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge toward the end of March and…read moreunfortunately the timing did not work in our favor. It was already around 100 degrees, which made it too hot to venture out toward the lake. My son loves bird photography and uses a telephoto lens, so we were hoping to see more wildlife. Instead, we mostly stayed near the visitor center area. We did spot quite a few adorable cottontail bunnies resting in the shade. They dig little shallow pockets in the cool dirt, which was fun to watch. There were also a few birds chirping and some doves, but overall not much activity. The visitor center itself is small but nice and worth a quick stop. From what I have heard, this area can be amazing for migratory birds, but we did not see many during our visit. I am guessing earlier in the year or during the winter would be a much better time to go. It is also pretty out of the way, so not somewhere you will just casually swing by. Overall, it was an okay visit, but I would definitely plan for a cooler season next time. 3 stars

I just went for the first time from 9:30-12pm on Saturday 10/19/24. My main goal was to see…read moreburrowing owls and I was successful!!!! Unfortunately the visitor center was closed even though it was supposed to be open according to the posted hours. Luckily a couple walking their dog were very well informed and helpful! They told me volunteers man the visitor center in winter when the winter bird migration is happening. They said to return in 3 weeks (11/9/24) and there would be thousands of birds and the center should be open. I recommend waiting and coming then. The couple also told me how to find the burrowing owls, they live on the drainage ditches and their nests are labeled with a stick with a pink ribbon tied to it. You have to drive very slow or stop and wait to see them. Luckily there was a sign posted on the visitor center window with a map and "X's" drawn where the burrowing owl nests are. So I used that to drive around the dirt roads that are in grids in the farmland. I went to 4 near areas and two were occupied, one with a pair of burrowing owls and one with a single owl. I also saw a roadrunner, American kestrel, lots of egrets, quail, blackbirds, what looked like a prairie dog, and other birds. The visitor center area is considered "Unit 2." There is a 2 mile trail round trip called Rock Hill Trail that leads to the shore of the Salton Sea. I will do that next time. There is a huge two story observation deck, a shaded picnic area, a very nice restroom, and water dispenser. Unit 1 is 30 minutes away on the southwest edge of the lake. It has another huge two story observation deck, a toilet, a 0.7 mile hiking trail around a large pond with two photography blinds. I'll do that next time. This area will be great for waterfowl viewing when the winter migration occurs. I recommend stopping and taking pictures on the east side of the Salton Sea while driving to the southeast corner where the visitor center is. Once you're at the refuge there is pretty much no view of the lake, same with Unit 1. Next time I also want to explore Salton City. I got a hotel in Palm Springs for the night but it is 1 hour 45 minutes away! So next time I will stay in the a hotel in Brawley. It takes a lot of time to explore this whole area and bird watch.

This review is for Ladder Canyon & Painted Canyon Trail which was a ~4.4 miles round trip that took…read more~2.5 hours to complete. Ladder Canyon & Painted Canyon Trail was a popular and crowded hike near Mecca, California. Trail was flat and sandy while you're at the bottom of the canyons. Started the loop clockwise; look for the ladder on your left. Requires a little bit of rock scrambling at this part and some ladders to get to the slot canyons. Trail becomes a bit more rocky with a slight incline towards the top of the canyons. Furthermore, there was a rope and ladder near the end of the loop. Overall, this was unique trail with stunning views throughout the hike! Required to drive on a well maintained dirt road for ~4.6 miles. Low clearance cars could make it; go slow and dodge the bigger bumps as you get closer to the parking. No restroom at the trailhead! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/7HECQHARzvs

I went there on April 6, 2025. There's 7 cars at parking area. I ran into 6 hikers while I was on…read morethe trail. It's quiet and really enjoyed the nature. Gloves and hiking boots are game changers. Last 2 miles are very rocky and sandy, so it's hard to walk. I forgot my sunscreen and sunglasses.

We planned our yearly trip to Palm Springs last year and decided to leave a day earlier than…read moreexpected. Since we always to the 10 frwy west we have to go through the secluded town of Blythe. My boyfriend discovered this RV resort thought it looked really cool so we made a 1 night reservation to stay as fun as it was I wished we had stayed 2 nights. This is by no means is a brand new RV resort it's actually pretty dated but it's super quiet and right on the river. There was an over abundance of mosquitoes and there was a lot of permanent residents that don't keep their mobile homes or lots kept up. But the view was absolutely beautiful, staff was kind and the had a very convenient little store/check in office right on site. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again for a couple of nights during the off season.

Stayed here while working out here. They require a deposit to stay month to month which was fine…read moreplus first months rent. Which is fine, signed a contact for staying there with all the rules and requirements. After a few months they raised the rent and said they where going to fix up the place well the bathrooms where horrible and broken shower heads, locks on door and the site smelled like sewer which made our trailer stink up. I decided to find somewhere else to stay let them know. Well when it was time to refund my money since I only stayed a week in the month they said they can't do that. No where did it state if you leave earlier you don't get a pro-rate amount back. Another thing is the contract states no loud noise after 10pm but when I complained about people partying till 2am they said they can't do anything about it. I would wouldn't recommended this place to anyone.

Even with the tide really low due to the lack of rain, this makes a great place to relax, picnic or…read morewhat have you. Seemingly all the times we've been here the other groups of people have been very mellow. I mean, yes they're into their own get - togethers but the hootin' and hollerin' you'd expect from other beaches? Not so much here. The lake current is nice and strong; you could float on your back down the river if you wanted too. I got a good workout in there just crawling around and things. Like I said, most of the river is not as deep as after a rainfall. Recommended!

Beautiful park underneath the Ocean to Ocean Highway bridge, which crosses the Colorado River in…read moreYuma on the CA/AZ border. The park has bathrooms, picnic tables under a large pavilion, a play ground, and a sandy beach. There's even an outdoor shower for cleaning off the sand when you're done. On an August weekday around noon, there were multiple families at the park to lounge and swim. The bridge provides ample shade for sitting on the beach or swimming in the water. The water was clear and looked clean. Some kids had tied a rope swing to the bridge and were swing jumping into the water - so fun! Yuma is HOT and frankly quite ugly, without much to offer the passerby outside of food, fuel, and the prison (also worth a stop!!). Gateway Park is an exception - a beautiful spot and a great break point for the weary traveler. Bring swimsuits - you won't just want to dip your feet in!

Mayflower Regional Park was a fun and relaxing place to visit with someone. I saw many teenagers…read morecamping and spending time by the Colorado River and the whole area felt clean and welcoming. The atmosphere felt calm and friendly with campfires, laughter, and the sound of water nearby. Teenagers would love how social and laid back it feels because it gives them a chance to enjoy nature without pressure. The service was helpful especially when checking in or asking about campsite options. The value was excellent with affordable camping and RV spots. The quality of the grounds and river access was high and everything felt safe and well managed. The selection of activities like camping, exploring, and relaxing by the water made it perfect for teenagers who enjoy the outdoors. I have only been there once before writing this review but it was one of the most refreshing places I have visited. I highly recommend that teenagers go there because it gives them a chance to enjoy nature in a playful and peaceful way.

Clean picnic tables and park, and very helpful staff. $6/person, but worth it. Will come back!read more

My husband loves co.ing here to fish. I am glad I never came. We are doing a Drive by. These…read morebathrooms definitely invoke the squat and hold your nose and breath rule! Right by the California border. Nice park and BBQ grill area. The birds singing made my heart sing! I would "stop by" but never be here at night! Bring your own toilet and paper if you can.

This is a random stop on the way from California to Arizona. It cost $5 to park, but it was on the…read morehonor system. It was really fun and a nice break from driving for my kids (1, 5, & 7) to play in the waterfall. There's a little lake type area too but the water looked gross so I was happy to find the shaded waterfall on a hot day. The mud was slippery but overall, a much better stop than a rest stop. The bathrooms were awful, but get the job done.