Picacho SRA Campground California

Picacho SRA Overview

Picacho SRA Campground (54 first-come first-served campsites) is located next to the Colorado River in a remote area of the Imperial Valley. There are also drive-in group campsites and boat-in camping along the shoreline.

The campground is open year round and is in a really nice area but you’ll have to endure about 19 miles (55 minutes) of a rough dirt road to get there. Amenities include potable (drinking) water, vault toilets, a solar shower, trash collection and dump station.  There’s also a campfire center, two nice picnic areas (with boat ramps/docks) and ranger station.  The lower dock picnic area has a swim beach. Cell service is poor in the area. Horse corrals are also available over by the group camping area.

Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Most campsites are on the small side and have a gravel parking spur, table, fire ring and grill. Hookups are not available. Overflow parking is also available and you can purchase firewood from the friendly camp host.

You might also like Squaw Lake Campground.

Picacho SRA Campground – Area Recreation & Activities

In 1862 gold was discovered in the area and the town of Picacho was established in 1895. At the turn of the century, Picacho boasted a population of 2,500 people, a post office, two saloons, a polo field, and ninety children were enrolled at the school.  Paddle wheelers, like the Uncle Sam carried supplies to the mines and settlements along the Colorado River, including Picacho. In 1910, the Laguna Dam was bujilt downstream from Picacho, cutting off shipping access. Freight costs soared, and the mines closed. Picacho dwindled and in 1939, finally drowned as water rose behind the newly built Imperial Dam.  Today, little remains of the lively town described by Zane Grey in his book Wanderer of the Wasteland.

Today, the area is popular with campers, boaters, anglers and hikers. It’s also a great place for stargazing and OHV trail riding is popular in the area.

The park offers diverse scenery, including beavertail cactus, wild burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of migratory waterfowl.

Location-Directions

Take the 24-mile (mostly unpaved) road north from Winterhaven near the Mexican border. The road to Picacho from Winterhaven is paved only for the first 6 of 24 miles. The last 18 miles is over a dirt road that is passable for cars and vehicles with trailers and motorhomes. At times during the summer thunderstorms are likely to cause flash flooding in the washes, temporarily making short sections of the road impassable.

Amenities

• BBQ Grills
• Boat Launch/Ramp
• Boat Ramp
• Boat Trailer Lot
• Campground Host
• Campsite Tables
• Cell Service Poor
• Corrals
• Dock
• Drinking Water
• Dumpsters
• Fire Pit
• Fire Rings
• Firewood Available
• Grills
• Hiking & Biking Trails
• Horseshoe Pit
• Overflow Parking
• Pets OK
• Picnic Tables
• Ranger Station
• RV Dump Station
• Showers
• Stalls
• Swim Beach
• Trash Collection

Activities

• ATVing
• Boating
• Canoeing
• Cultural Sites
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historic Sites
• Horseback riding
• Horseshoes
• Kayaking
• Mountain Biking
• Nature Trails
• OHVing
• OTV Trails/Riding
• Paddle boarding (SUP)
• Paddle Boating
• Photography
• Picnicking
• Stargazing
• Swimming
• Water Sports
• Wildlife Viewing