Western Arizona

West Arizona is a region in Arizona mostly with desert and mountains. It is west of Phoenix and Tucson, north of the border with Sonora, Mexico, and east California and the Colorado River.

Cities

Other destinations

  • 🌍 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (From I-8 at Gila Bend, go south on AZ 85), +1 520-387-6849. A national monument and biosphere reserve of the Sonoran Desert. Auto tour, hiking, camping, horse-back riding, birding, wildflower viewing, photography, star gazing.
  • 🌍 Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, +1 520-387-6483. Visitor Center: M-F 8AM-4PM; Lands, roads and trails: always open. Wildlife refuge and habitat of the Sonoran Desert. Auto tour, hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, birding, wildflower viewing, hunting, photography, star gazing. Free, but permits are required.
  • 🌍 Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, +1 928-857-3253. Visitor Center: Nov-Mar: daily 8AM-4:30PM; Lands, roads and trails: daily from sunrise to sunset. Established to protect and recreate the marshes and backwaters that historically provided wintering grounds for waterfowl and other wildlife along the Colorado River. Auto tour, boating, hiking, birding, fishing, horseback riding, photography. Free.
  • 🌍 Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (Along US 95, north of Yuma, south of Quartzsite; between mile markers 46 and 47, turn west onto Martinez Lake Rd, continue for 10 mi (16 km), turn north onto Red Could Mine Rd, continue 3 mi (4.8 km) miles to visitor center and refuge), +1 928-783-3371. Visitor Center: Nov-Mar: M-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa/Su 8AM-4PM; Apr-Oct: M-F call ahead; Lands, roads and trails: daily, dawn to dusk. (in Arizona and California) A wetland in the middle of the desert, a wildlife refuge of 30 mi (48 km) along the lower Colorado River. Boating, hiking, birding, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, photography. Free.
  • 🌍 Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Along US 95, north of Yuma, south of Quartzsite; major entrances at Crystal Hill, Palm Canyon, King Valley, or the Castle Dome), +1 928-783-7861. Visitor Center: M-F 8AM-4:30PM; Lands, roads and trails: open daily, year-round w/ some temporary closures due to military range testing. Wildlife refuge and habitat of the Kofa Mountains. Hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, horseback riding, birding, hunting, photography. Free.
  • 🌍 Picacho State Recreation Area, +1 760-996-2963. (in California) On the site of a defunct gold mining town, a general recreation area on a 9 mi (14 km) stretch of the lower Colorado River. Camping, boating.

Get in

By car

  • U.S. Route 60 (US 60) is a major east-west route entering Arizona from New Mexico, west through Globe and Phoenix (known as the Superstition Freeway), then from Phoenix northwest to Wickenburg (known as the Phoenix-Wickenburg Highway), where the route bends southwest, intersecting and terminating at I-10 east of Quartzsite.

By train

Yuma is served by Amtrak, by the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle routes that between Los Angeles to New Orleans and Chicago, respectively.

By plane

Yuma is a regional airport served by American Eagle with flights from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Get around

As there is no public transportation, a car is essential. A four-wheel drive is recommended if you want to get off the beaten track.

Stay safe

Outdoors

See also: Arid region safety, Flash floods, Hot weather

As elsewhere in the region, precautions should be taken to guard against heatstroke and dehydration which can come about very rapidly – always take more water than you think you will need. Heat exhaustion can occur very quickly, with symptoms including dizziness, rapid breathing, heavy sweating, and muscle spasms.

The most commonly encountered wildlife is rattlesnakes, which are active from spring through fall, and tend to hide in brush or in crevices during the heat of the day. The best way to avoid bites is to never place your hands or feet where you haven't looked first. Wear boots or sturdy shoes for outdoor activity. If you are bitten, seek medical attention immediately.

Also commonly encountered are javelinas (peccaries), pig-like mammals which travel in herds. While they generally avoid people, they are very near-sighted and protective of their young, and will attack if they feel at all threatened. Make as much noise as possible so that they are not surprised and panic.

      For more information, see: Arizona : Stay Safe > Deserts

Arizona / Mexico border

The region is on the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to the remoteness of the area, it is used for illegal border crossings.

      For more information, see: Arizona: Stay Safe > Arizona / Mexico border

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