Picacho

Picacho State Recreation Area P.O. Box 848 • Interpark Road at Picacho Road • 33.023089, -114.609885 Winterhaven, CA 92283 • (760) 996-2963 (Park Office) 100 years ago Picacho was a gold mining town with 100 citizens. Today the site is a state park, popular with boaters, hikers, anglers and campers. The park offers diverse scenery, including beavertail cactus, wild burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of migratory waterfowl. (The park is on one leg of the Pacific Flyway.) Eight miles of the lower Colorado River border the recreation area’s eastern edge. Vehicle usage is strictly regulated to protect and preserve this fragile desert environment. When you arrive at Picacho by motor vehicle, you may camp and/or leave your vehicle overnight ONLY in designated camping or parking areas. PARK USE FEES Fees are due upon entering the park. Park users who enter without paying may be cited. Self-register as you enter. There is no charge for non-motorized vehicles, but they count towards the campsite limit of three. Contact the park for the most current fees. Picacho Main Campground has 54 family campsites. Facilities include tables, fire rings, drinkable water, chemical and CXT toilets, a solar shower and a dump station. Each campsite is limited to eight people and three vehicles. Reservations are not accepted for these sites. Drive-In Group Camps are located near the Main Campground. The sites are secluded to allow group activities away from the family site areas. Reservations are accepted and recommended. Call the park office at (760) 996-2963. River Parking Lot. Overnight parking and camping are not allowed at either boat dock. If you plan to camp on the river, please leave your vehicle in the designated parking area across from the Group Boat-In Camps near the lower dock. Nightly parking fees are due and must be paid in advance. BOAT-IN CAMPING Boat-in camping is allowed along the California shoreline at designated developed campsites within the boundaries of Picacho SRA. The shoreline at the Picacho docks and the Historic Stamp Mill site are closed to camping. Boat-in campers must self-register upon arrival at the campsite. Minimum boat fees apply at all upriver and group boat-in camps. Overnight parking for boaters camping on the river is permitted only in the designated parking area across from the group canoe camps at the lower dock, and fees apply. Camping and overnight parking at either dock area is prohibited. The following boat-in camping areas have picnic tables, fire rings and chemical or CXT toilets. There is no potable water. All sites are first-come, first-served except the group camps (see below). There is no trash collection at these sites: pack it in, pack it out. Minimum fees apply. Outpost Camp: Three sites, cars or boaters okay. Limit of eight people and two vehicles per site. 4S Beach Camp: Four designated sites and large open area for overflow, cars or boaters okay. Limit of eight people and two vehicles per site. Carrizo and Paddlewheeler Camps: Two large sites each, boater/canoe campers only. No vehicles allowed. Carrizo is ADA accessible. Taylor Lake Camp: Four family sites – limit eight people and three vehicles per campsite. Cars or boaters okay. Small vessel launch ramp. One ADA accessible campsite. Group Canoe Camps: Two group boat-in camps at the Picacho lower dock are for use by large canoe groups – 15 or more people. Reservations are highly recommended. Call (760) 996-2963 for reservations. Trash is collected at the group canoe site. PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS Off-highway vehicles are NOT allowed in the park regardless of the type of registration. An OHV = all rhino, quad, gator, golf cart, ROV, etc. Vehicles must be licensed and CA streetlegal. All operators must be licensed. All California vehicle laws apply. Off-road vehicle travel is not permitted. Mountain bikes are permitted on roadways only. All bike riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Campfires are permitted only in park-provided fire rings. Do not move the fire ring in your site. Dead and downed wood cutting or gathering is NOT permitted. Do not bring or burn whole pallets, painted or treated wood, or wood containing nails. Do not throw trash or food into the fire ring. Quiet hours are between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., but AT NO TIME may the sound of radios, voices, etc. extend outside of the individual day-use area or campsite. Be considerate of your neighbors and enjoy the sounds of the desert. Generators may be operated between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. only. DOGS must be on a leash no more than six feet long at all times. They must be in a camper or tent at night and may not be left unattended during the day. Pick up and place dog waste in the trash daily. Natural scenery, plants and animal life are fully protected at Picacho. All features of the park are protected by law, including snakes, scorpions and tarantulas. No killing and no collecting. Fireworks are prohibited at all times of the year! Possession is illegal. Fishing is permitted 24 hours a day with valid California license. Check with CA Department of Fish & Wildlife at www.wildlife.ca.gov for current regulations regarding fishing with an Arizona license on the Lower Colorado River. Litter, including cigarette butts, belongs in the trash cans. Secure all trash in provided receptacles or pack it out. Help protect the animals, and keep Picacho clean! Weapons and target shooting are not allowed in the park. This includes BB guns, airsoft, slingshots and other small weapons. All weapons must be unloaded, encased or rendered temporarily inoperable while in the park. No loaded weapons in camp! Licensed hunters, in season, may possess shotguns. See specific hunting regulations at www.wildlife.ca.gov. Discover the many states of California.TM CAMPING RESERVATIONS: Picacho SRA only accepts reservations for the Group Campsites. To make reservations, call the park office at (760) 996-2963. ALTERNATE FORMAT: This publication can be made available in alternate formats. Contact interp@parks.ca.gov or call (916) 654-2249. Picacho State Recreation Area Colorado River Legend # Upper Dock Stewart L a Accessible Campsite Accessible Feature ke T rail Boat Launch Campfire Center Main Campground Campground CH Camp Host Group Campground Parking Picnic Area Ranger Station Restrooms RV Sanitation Station Solar Showers Trail Unpaved Road Maps not to scale. © 2014 California State Parks to Outpost, 4-S Beach, Carrizo, Paddlewheeler and Taylor Lake Boat-In Campgrounds Lower Dock 17 19 18 16 15 20 21 00 14 22 13 9 8 24 23 12 11 25 7 10 26 27 28 29 31 37 5 6 30 36 3 32 4 2 35 39 38 33 CH 1 40 34 50 51 41 42 43 47 45 44 48 49 46 River Parking Lot Sta m Group Canoe Camp #1 p M ill T rai l Drive-in Group Camps Campground Speed Limit 52 53 54 Employee Housing Group Canoe Camp #2 15 MPH Cemetery Strictly Enforced Maintenance Yard to Railro ad C an yo 2WD not n rec Park Entrance om me nd ed For Emergencies Dial 9-1-1.