Yuma, Arizona

Well before we even started full-time living in our motorhome, many people mentioned that Yuma Arizona is the place to go for the winter. Since we will be traveling the west coast in 2024, Yuma seemed like the logical starting point for a short winter stay. So is Yuma simply a place for snowbirds to escape the brutal winter and enjoy the 70 degree weather or is there more to it?

Yuma might just have the largest concentration of RV resorts per square mile then anyplace else in the country. Yes, this place caters to snowbirds from the northern states and Canada. We stayed at Del Pueblo RV Resort for a month and we were the short-term residents, as most folks were staying for three to four months. And many of these RV’ers come back year after year to enjoy the camaraderie and the many amenities offered at these RV resorts. I certainly enjoyed brushing up on my pickleball game.

Yuma sits in far southwest Arizona on the California border and just a short 15 miles from the Mexico border. It has the bragging rights to be the “Sunniest City on Earth” with an average of 310 sunny days per year. The winters are typically around 70 degrees and it rarely rains so you can see why this is such a popular winter destination.

There’s about everything you would need in Yuma, from shopping, restaurants, medical care and such. It’s also a huge agriculture area and produces 91% of the leafy greens eaten in North America during the winter. Mexican workers come across the border daily to work in the meticulously irrigated fields. Yuma is also home to a Marine Corps Air Station. Our campground was near the base and the regular air show was a real bonus for us.

There is a historic downtown district that is very nice and we were even there for the annual Date Festival (the kind that grow on trees). We found an amazing coffee shop called Cafecito with a huge outdoor patio and lots of quirkiness. I was also very impressed with the burger I got at Prison Hill Brewing Company.

Although the amenities at the RV park were nice and the town has a lot to offer, we also wanted to experience what the broader area had to offer. We found some very interesting places and a considerable change to the landscape as we traveled further away from Yuma. Here’s our list of “get out of the park” places to see:

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park

Possibly the biggest tourist attraction in Yuma is the Territorial Prison built in 1876. It was a modern facility for its time and housed over 3,069 murderers, thieves, bank robbers, and other outlaws over its 33 years of operation. It’s very interesting walking through the prison and even being able to enter the cells and the famous “hellhole”.

Cloud Museum

What do you do when you have a collection of over 120 Model T’s and Model A’s along with a plethora of other collectables including farm equipment, mining equipment and antique household items? Well, open a museum of course, and that is exactly what Johnny Cloud has done. Every item has a story behind it and Johnny is more than willing to share that history with you. Be sure to check out the fruit stand on the way out.

Yuma Proving Grounds

The Army’s premier test center, features the longest overland artillery range in the nation, and conducts tests on nearly every weapon in the ground combat arsenal. The area encumpasses over 1,300 square miles of the Sonoran desert, however there is only a small area with a display of tanks and ground to air missile launchers that can be visited by civilians.

Martha’s Gardens

A trip to Yuma is not complete without a visit to one of the many date farms. These beautiful trees stand out like a tropical oasis in the desert. We liked Martha’s Garden, possibly because of their delicious date shakes.

Center of the World

Felicity California, with a population of between 2 and 10 people, is said to be the (theoretical) center of the world. You can read more about that here but the History of Humanity in Granite is the main attraction. You can spend days visiting this granite museum of history and not get through it all. Frenchman Jacques-André Istel bought the land in the 1950’s and for the last four decades has been developing this amazing display of history for future generations to enjoy. The site also includes a 21-foot-tall stone and glass structure (the center of the world) a small church on top of a hill and a section of the original stairway from the Eiffel Tower.

Imperial Sand Dunes

Just west of Yuma is the largest mass of sand dunes in California and a meca playground for off-highway vehicles (OHV). The dunes extend 40 miles north from the Mexico border and 5 miles wide with dunes as high as 300 feet above the desert floor. It’s an amazing site to see and was quite a challenge for us in the Jeep.

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

This is one of many wilderness areas north of Yuma to do some exploring. King Road is a gravel road that cuts through the wildlife refuge and leads to a short and slightly more difficult Polaris Trail. At the end of this off-road trail is an old abandoned mine which you can explore on foot. McPherson Pass is another fun off-road trail that traverses through some beautiful mountain terrain including the Castle Dome, a very unique rock formation.

Valley of the Names

This might just be one of the most unique places we’ve visited. In a very remote area north of Yuma within the Sonoran desert and accessible only via a long dirt and sand road is a vast display of names written on the desert floor with rocks. The names seem to immortalize people, some containing dates or short messages. The area covers over 1,200 acres with names dating back over 60 years. No one knows exactly how this all started, but it seems to be well respected by those who come visit.

Little Picacho Wilderness

Continuing up Picacho Road from Valley of the Names is another great off-road wilderness area. The road passes through places like Grace’s Corner, with a great viewpoint and Arturos Bridge Natural Arch, which can be seen from the road. Although Picacho road is not challenging there are many trails off of this road that traverse the narrow hilltops that can be. Plan your route accordingly because there are minimal places to turnaround once you get on the ridge.

Picacho State Recreation Area

At the end of Picacho Road is a small state park along the Colorado River with rustic camping and some hiking. The park has a significant native american history and was once a fruitful gold mining town. We hiked the Upper and Lower Picacho Mill Trails and visited the gold mine ruins. The ruins were very cool and the hike provided some amazing views.

Although people flock to Yuma and stay for months, many of them rarely leave the confines of the RV resort. That might be the perfect winter getaway for some, but for those looking for a little more adventure, the surrounding areas of Yuma actually have a lot to offer. We enjoyed our stay and especially appreciated our son and fiance coming to visit us for Christmas.

And now it’s time to start our 2024 adventures. Follow along as we spend the next nine months traveling through the west coast states. For now, be sure to check out all of our pictures from our Yuma visit.