Beautiful great hiking trails and amazing vistas. Lots of birds and flowers…read more Painted Desert Trail is a relatively easy hike with lots to learn about the desert along the way

For a stayca-getaway, we rented a cabin for 3 days. It's a great way to unwind and reset, mentally…read moreand physically, while having the basic amenities of a household. Of course, the military base nearby offers up 24/7 laundry machines, as well as a grocery store and gas station. The nature center down the road offers nice hiking trails. Consider securing a cabin (or a RV spot) 30 days out to avoid any hassle.

Interesting little desert oasis with natural hot springs surrounded by palm trees. The area feels…read morepeaceful and surprisingly green for being in the middle of the desert. There are a few small soaking pools fed by the spring where people can relax. The place is very rustic though. Facilities are minimal and the pools are simple, so don't expect a resort-style experience. It feels more like a local hidden spot than a developed attraction. Worth checking out if you're curious about natural hot springs and don't mind rough conditions. Just come with the right expectations.

I didn't actually enter the Hot Springs, but it got close enough to check the place out. Curiosity…read morehad the best of me when I discovered there is a hot spring in Holtville, CA! You can see the 8 freeway from the entrance to the hot spring. Very easy access with a large dirt parking lot. A dirt, gravel trail leads to the entrance. Free admission. It's small. There were many people when we arrived. The hot spring is surrounded in a grove of palm trees. There is a large fountain/shower. It looks like it could be a cozy place. I would worry about how sanitary it may or may not be.

Absolutely stunning place, ruined by off-roaders. If you want to feel like you're in a modern…read moreversion of Mad Max's post-apocalyptic world, this is the place. Teams of folks flying their Trump flags in their ATV's, and "Don't Tread on Me" flags blowing in the wind tear up the dunes for no discernable reason other than a raw quest for thrills and a sense of power. But if you can dodge the lunatics, there is much beautiful landscape and nature to appreciate. Parking can be tricky; there are only a few spots that are free. Check with the Visitor's Center and purchase a permit if you plan to stay a while.

WOW. I can't believe that I have waited 15+ years to go out and explore these dunes…read more I have passed them 50+ times on the way to AZ and never stopped. Amazing, beautiful, and a wonderful photo opportunity. It is 3 hours from the San Diego area but worth it if that is what you are looking for, to explore Sand Dunes. Amazing sunrise, people driving dune buggies, etc. Great views.

We saw quite a bit of interesting stuff, more history it seems than actually centering on the…read moreColorado River, which is good too, and we enjoyed the experience. The workers were helpful and well informed.

If I could give a rating of zero, I would. We would never have come here except we were misinformed…read moreof the price. I'm not sure what the entrance fee was for, because the place looks like it's incomplete and the information is dated. The video was good which was about the river restoration, however you couldn't get a picture of the work they showed us in the film. You couldn't see the river at all! I've been ripped off.

If you dont have 4 wheel drive you will not get far. The scenery is beautiful but do not try to go…read morevery far in the park if you are in a car or towing a trailer. Even though the pamphlet suggests you can, you can NOT get through the park without 4 wheel drive. That's why i gave a 3 star. California needs to revamp their pamphlet to let people know the real conditions of the roads.

Awesome place to would give five stars if they would maintain the road to get into the park more…read more Definitely need four-wheel drive to get out there.

Wonderful getaway. Very romantic.. love the hot tub, pool and the sunsets. Very nice people.read more

I stayed at hidden shores this past weekend and was extremely disappointed with the resorts…read moremanagement. The facility was beautiful, like we had experienced in the past. However, a handful of "new rules" were put in place since we had last stayed. My wife, kids, and I were sitting in the sand watching the sunset and were asked by security to leave the beach because it now closes at 7pm. Sun was still up, many boats out enjoying the water and we were told to pack up or we would be locked out of the gate and given a fine. The sign at the entrance to beach literally says "beach is open until sunset" but management never updated the signs. Super bummed after all the money we paid to not be able to sit and relax for a sunset. Make sure you read the 5 pages of rules on their web site before coming to hidden shores.

We had a very nice overnight stay on our way to San Diego. Very nice new bathrooms and showers…read more Everything was very clean and comfortable. My son had a blast at the pool area playing with their basketball hoop and toys. Will definitely come back!

There is only one negative thing about this area, and let's get it out of the way at the top:…read more You need a high clearance vehicle to really experience this place. There are amazing places to camp, hike, and climb in here but make sure your vehicle has at least 7.5" of clearance (more is always better) or else you're definitely going to get some body-scraping going on. If you're renting a car to come out here, some sort of jeep (or a Tacoma) is probably going to be your best bet. You don't really need 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive, you just need to have your undercarriage up above the ground. Once you get in here though, there's some incredible stuff! I hiked/scrambled to the summits of (you can find my GPS files for your mapping software at the links below): Castle Dome Peak: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4071 Ten Ewe Mountain: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=35522 Signal Peak: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4066 There's also some really great stargazing in here, and lots of spots to pull over and have a campout. This is one of the better places for boondocking in the US provided, again, that you have the clearance. And since this is a merely a National "Wildlife Refuge" rather than a National "Park", it's effectively free and not very crowded. I only saw one other person (and his dog) in the mountains.

~ Crystal Hill Review ~…read more To get to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge's Crystal Hill just look for the turn-off sign just past the 95 mile marker ( off the State Route 95). You will then have to drive 6 miles down a dirt and rocky road.. It's tough sledding (15 mph), but most cars can made it if they avoid the large rocks and go slow. I even saw a compact car make this. About halfway down the dirt road you'll see the official Kofa Park sign and Trailhead.. You'll then keep going for 2.5 miles until you're next to a small mountain / hill on your left. Hopefully there are RVs camping so you know you're at the right place. Just turn LEFT into the campground toward the bottom of the mountain/hill. There are several pullouts ( campsites) here, so park and walk towards the hill. There are a few trails up, all with white signs telling you that no digging tools are allowed on the hill. Walk up the trail and make your way to the top. Please feel free to go off trail as you please. The best finds are off the main trails so explore everywhere. Crystal Hill is very family friendly and you're going to find quartz ( mostly white) everywhere. The clear crystal points (very tough to find) can be found if you really look hard off-trail. Remember, limit of 10. TIPS - - 10 rock limit or 10 pounds.. whichever comes first.. - Most people collect then leave their spoils in a pile for others to find.. This helps out younger rockhounds find cool specimens. - The top is pure tailing, but the midway point on the North West side has some good locations for the cool stuff. - If you see small holes in the hillside those might be illegal mines. Small, but you or your kids can crawl in and take a look. Bring a flashlight.

I love Walter's Camp and appreciate meeting Tabitha today. She's lovely and has a great authentic…read morequality about her. She is a graciously sincere kind person and will be very helpful to make sure her guests are well cared for. Thanks to her yet again for making our trip extra wonderful. It is a great place to launch watercraft and explore. Today on the river was beautiful and I can't wait for next time! Be sure to take the time to visit Walter's Camp and don't let the bumpy gravel road deter you! Say hi to Tabitha and check out the general store. It's well stocked for a small place. Thankful yet again!!

Visited Walter's Camp on my first canoe camp trip on 3/13/25. I was pleased to see that it wasn't…read morebusy. Tabitha, the camp host helped me get set up and gave me the lay of the land. The general store has a few items, merchandise, and even a bar back that is used when the camp is in full swing after Memorial Day according to Tabitha. I chose a far site at the edge of the property underneath two tamarisk/salt cedar trees which was great for shade. I launched my canoe at the concrete boat ramp and paddled the old Colorado River channel right out in front of the camp which is not lacking in it's scenery of Cibola Natl Wildlife Refuge and the beautiful Trigo Mountains Wilderness viewable eastward. Nighttime is where things came alive! Dozens of braying burros, coyotes, and owls that would hoot up a storm in the trees above me. An a/c or refrigeration until by the general store ran in cycles all night and was about as annoying as someone running a generator. The facilities provided had showers and pit toilets, all in good condition. Taking a moment to stretch/yoga before the morning paddle in the communal hang out area in front of the general store was a great idea. I was greeted by an amazing SW sherbet sunrise over the calm waters of the inner channel of the Colorado, it was spectacular. I'm typically a dispersed camper, so some of my gripes about the noise you can probably take with a grain of salt. Would I stay the night again? Sure, but I'd prefer something a bit more isolated. Thank you Tabitha for all your advice on boating the river as a novice, appreciate what you do!

Renting out one of their campers on sight for out of town work. Very helpful and willing to change…read moreout scheduling mess ups from my employer. Very pleasant site. Many other sites and business are very close to this.

I have stayed here a couple of times while passing through the area. It is a well kept park with…read moreamazing employees.