Went to the lake today for the first time and it was much bigger than I expected. It was nice and…read morepeaceful and it was a nice change of scene. My only complaint is that I did not see any trash bins nearby so people seem to leave bottles behind. Also there is a lot of broken glass on the floor. Besides that, would go back again to get some relaxing views by the water.

Keep in mind Lake is off the main road and you take a dirt road, so expect your vehicle to get…read moredirty. It's a great spot for fishing though.

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.

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!

This is a well maintained and fun playground. We stop by every time we drive to Yuma. My kids all…read moreenjoy their time here. Plenty of things for kids to do, for all ages. The park is clean and so are its bathroom. Large field to picnic or kick a ball. Highly recommend stopping by for some fun family time. There is a lot of wildlife to observe as well.

We loved this park!…read more The park itself has a large playground area (seen in photo) for bigger kids to run around. There is also a side, smaller area for toddlers with smaller slides, swings, climbing tubes, etc. Along the perimeter there is a traditional zip line and one with a chair. This is also connected to a trail that goes along the Colorado River that has very nice views and is quite long!

On this visit we stayed for 2 days. And this time BOTH bedrooms had bunk beds (I thought I was in…read moreBoot Camp again), but no worries! It was a great time to get away and recharge! We usually come in the fall when it's not blazing out. A trip to the beach (we rented one of those huge "floaty-mats" for the lake. We walked our dogs either morning and/or nighttime. Too hot for the paddle boats, didn't finish the online boat license cert, no problem. Overall, a good time and will come again...in the fall!

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

Initial Impression: So I've been to this park a handful of…read moretimes & if you don't know the area, it can be a little hard to find. The park is huge & secluded & its own parking & restrooms. Pros: Its secluded & has many trees & lush green grass, a perfect venue. It has 1 Ramada so you don't have to share the space. The ramada features 3 rectangular tables about 11ft long. The lighting is dim. There are 2 extra benches to the right of the ramada. The grass is well kept. There is a fun little train track to the right of the park, on certain days & times you can pay a fee to ride the tiny train. The views are gorgeous. There is a huge bbq grill to the left of the ramada. There is one outlet all the way to the left of the ramada by an electrical pole. Its about 250ft from the ramada, you'll need your own extension cord to plug in to it. There is 1 bench to the left of the ramada. The restrooms are right around the corner. About a 2min walk.. Cons: The restrooms are not as close as I'd prefer.... you can't send your kids bu themselves because you can't see them because the hill blocks the restroom. The restrooms are always surrounded by the older senior crowd. I think they play pokemon.... there... the closest outlet is about 250ft away. The lighting is dim... in the ramada. Overall Experience: We had a BIRTHDAY party here & it was awesome, we were not surrounded by 10 other parties or random strangers walking by. The grass area is huge. Its a perfect venue for any event. Maybe Easter or something. We had a jumpee on the left of the ramada & it was perfect. The kids ran around barefoot & there were no stickers anywhere in sight. The grass is very fresh. You can explore to the right along the tiny tracks & go on a scavenger hunt.its quite peaceful & very nice. We loved it.

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.

My family loved this!!! Just letting everyone know it is a bit scary. The museum had lots of detail…read moreand the staff was nice! Super interactive! 5 stars!!!! My kids went to jail..... JK

A historical landmark for Yuma and it located right on the point of 2 rivers meet and right next to…read morethe free. Great place to visit and learn about how it became and who are the prisoners and their history (which similar to current ones). How it opened and closed and how it developed through that small period. What you see now is just a portion of the original but you got the picture of how the life in prison back then. The guider was fantastic and he informed us all the infos and the background of all or majority of the prisoners. Definitely quite a place to visit plus this prison would considered the 2nd island prison in the US.

A beautiful Wildlife Refuge with a drive-loop and a nature trail. On the border of California and…read moreArizona about a hour from Yuma. We did not get to actually go inside Visitor Center as it was closed for the season, so plan ahead as it is not really close to much of anything except the great outdoors. There are pit toilets near the nature trail if needed. The loop drive is very nice along open fields where there are burrowing Owls habitats (did not see any) We missed the wintering birds by a couple weeks. We did see this beautiful American Kestrel hanging out overlooking the fields.

Refuge for wildlife, fishing hunting and something for everyone Swimming & free camping Dune buggy…read morein the winter. Bible study and exercise much needed. Breathtaking mountain views! Although, the Sunrise and sunsets r totally amazing.

The station was closed on the day we came here, however the parking area was nice. There were some…read moreinformational signs about the area. It was definitely hot (came in August) and there was a ton of sand. The US - Mexico border wall is visible from the roadway and there were tons of fat lizards!