Every Trail Tells a Story
Picacho State Recreation Area
To walk in the footsteps of miners and steamboat crews who once made Picacho boom.
To hike into Ice Cream Canyon, a desert sundae of colors and cactus.
To experience the blend of history, geology, and wildlife along the Colorado River.
Picacho State Recreation Area beckons the visitor with spectacular Colorado River and Colorado Desert scenery. Colorful canyons, rugged volcanic peaks and isolated backwater lakes are among the diverse landforms of this obscure park located in the Colorado River Basin on the California- Arizona border.
In spring and fall, Picacho is the place to view migratory waterfowl, including egrets, blue herons and a multitude of ducks. Perhaps the showiest of the winged congregants along the Colorado River is the Canada goose a stirring sight and an unmistakable sound.
Hikers often spot large animals roaming the park: mule deer, coyotes and feral burros. Some lucky hikers even get fleeting glimpses of the elusive big horn sheep. Three park inhabitants always seem to be in a hurry, even in the heat: quail, raccoons and roadrunners.
For most visitors, Picacho is a nine-month park. During the mid and late summer months, Picacho is extremely hot place. Its low elevation and southerly positioning means temperatures routinely reach 105 to 115 degrees in high summer.
Rangers report that mosquito season extends from April through July. The pesky bugs are particularly thick and annoying on the shores by the areas still backwater lakes.
The parks main dirt road twists through ironwood-filled washes and offers vistas of the mighty Colorado River. Towering above it all is park namesake 1,942-foot Picacho Peak, a plug-dome volcano.
Picacho was a bustling boomtown in the 1890s. Some 700 men worked the mine and Picachos population soared to 2,500 in the early 20th century. Steamboats chugged up and down the Colorado, bringing lifes necessities to the town, and taking the ore to market. When the Colorado River was dammed, the historic hamlet was flooded.
For the hiker, Picacho offers several signed trails plus numerous opportunities to trek cross-country up beckoning washes. Stamp Mill Trail (2 miles round trip) crosses the parks volcanic slopes and visits Picachos stamp-mill sites. Ice Cream Canyon Trail tours the tuff and winds among the odd iron- wood trees. Above, cacti-dotted canyon walls soar higher and higher and the feeling is that of entering a very special world.
Stewart Lake Trail (2.5 mile loop) crosses an intriguing volcanic landscape as it skirts the shore of (usually dry) Stewart Lake. An interpretive brochure describes the desert flora to be found along this trail, named for early Picacho prospector Clyde Stewart.
Picacho State Recreation Area is located off Picacho Rd., 22 miles from Winterhaven, CA 92283. From County Road S-24, turn onto Picacho Road (sometimes called Indian Pass Road). The road is paved for 4 miles, then turns to dirt for 18 miles. For Stamp Mill Trailhead, take the road to Lower Dock, then turn right on the spur to the small trailhead lot.
Stamp Mill Trail descends gently through cactus-studded slopes, with views of Picacho Peak and the Colorado River. A side path leads to the old “jail,” a rocky hollow. Continue past stamp mill ruins before turning back. For the longer option, return to the junction and fork right into Ice Cream Canyon, where volcanic tuff formations paint the walls in pastel hues. The canyon narrows, sometimes sheltering bighorn sheep. Loop back on Railroad Canyon Jeep Trail for a 4.5-mile round trip.