Indian Pass to Picacho State Recreation Area

Corona de Tucson

March 11, 2025

Fingers crossed...we need the rain!

Our last big adventure in Yuma was a desert drive.  We headed west on I 8 and took Exit 159.  We turned right onto Ogilby Rd for a few miles until we saw the stop sign and right turn for Indian Pass.  

Indian Pass Road is a graded dirt road that crosses the broad open desert and heads toward a tall rock outcrop on the horizon.  There is signage stating to remain on the established roads and do not enter the wilderness boundary.  

Looking towards the Chocolate Mountains and our destination...Picacho State Recreation Area.  

About 9 miles in, we crossed Indian Pass at about 1,040 feet above sea level.  There is a descent...a half mile or so that leads into a rocky wash.

For the next few miles we enjoyed huge rock boulders and the view looking up as we made our way thru the curvy wash with Indian Pass Wilderness on the left  and Picacho Peak Wilderness on the right.

 

When we entered the park, we soon made a right turn which is a beautiful drive along the Colorado River, thru Bear Canyon and White Wash before exiting the park on Picacho Road.  

Drive side view...

Passenger side view...

Picacho State (California) Recreation Area has a rich history.  Quechuan and other native people of the Great Basin culture lived along this part of the Colorado River.  Spanish soldiers discovered the area in the 1500s.  It was a wonderful morning.  Lucy had a great time too...

I took this photo going out of the RV Park before we got on the Interstate.  Lucy did not have her head out the window on the gravel/dirt roads.  Blowing dust/sand in the desert carries a fungus that grows in the soil and can cause Valley Fever.  Not good for humans or puppies... 

Yuma is the "Winter Lettuce Capital of the World" and produces more than 90% of the United States' leafy greens this time of year.  But that isn't all...there are fields of broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cabbage and a variety of root vegetables grown here too.  And it is also home to citrus growers (with lemons being at the top of the list) and date farms.

A 40 acre block of farmland produces 6 million servings of vegetables.
One billion pounds of lettuce is produced a month which is about 170 million servings of lettuce a day.  

The Colorado River has long been the source of water for several states and Mexico. 

We learned a lot about the water usage and the history of irrigation when we visited Colorado River SHP.  And something we never thought about...centuries of flooding have deposited generous amounts of fertile topsoil long before the dams were built.

Irrigation and water conservation is an on-going study in Yuma.   We learned that transplanting seedlings (first established in a greenhouse) uses less water than seeds directly-sown into the soil. The video we watched was so interesting as the mechanics of planting seedlings is developed and much more efficient.   

My research revealed that there are only two farmers selling produce weekly at open-air markets.  The Lemon Grove is one of those.  Farmer Tyler, the owner, states he left Sunkist because he felt disconnected from his community.  Joe and I  visited the market and to say it is a busy place is an understatement.  We arrived mid morning and most of the veggies were gone although we scored on squash and asparagus.  Both were fresh and the squash was especially tasty. 

The Lemon Grove is a citrus farm so varieties of lemons and oranges were for sale.

We chose Valencia and Clementine Mandarin...both sweet and juicy.

They bake a variety of bread too...sourdough loafs, flatbreads and boule and the lemon loaf is heavenly !  But the real reason we went was for a Dole Whip.  They serve vanilla whip and one flavor of a citrus whip everyday.  You can have the citrus and vanilla swirled or each straight up.  Our visit was pineapple day...we chose it straight up...creamy and refreshing after all that shopping ! 

A Dole Whip is made with real fruit puree as the first ingredient and sweetened with honey.  It truly is a unique and yummy experience. 

The last bird I will highlight from our visit to Yuma is the Long-billed Curlew.  I will never forget the first time I saw this graceful creature with its almost impossibly long,  thin, and curved bill.  In  2014 at Cocopah RV Resort I stood in the same spot   I did this year to capture this unique bird.  It was just as exciting this year as it was 11 years ago. 

A member of the sandpiper family, this graceful bird is the largest of America's shorebird.  it also has the longest bill of America's birds.

 

This eye catching bird probes deep into mud for burrowing prey like earthworms and wolf spiders.   

Flying in flocks they head for the California coast and south to Mexico for the winter. Downy young curlews leave the nest soon after hatching.  At first, both parents tend to the growing chicks, but after a few weeks, the female usually leaves the brood to the male and is the first to head south.   

Back at the oasis,  it was a quiet week enjoying being home.  We had one of those epic Arizona sunsets. 

 Lucy had a fun play day at the doggie park...

and wasn't the least bit puzzled by her new puzzle.  It is her third puzzle and the first one a Level 3.  

We did have a few drops of rain...just enough to leave us with wanting lots more.  

And slowly the birds are returning to the feeders, but I haven't had the camera in hand to get many photos.  

Until next time...

Mallards

Snowy Egret

Long-billed Curlew

HAPPY TRAILS !