YUMA, ARIZONA
Celebrating Over 100 years as ‘The Gateway to the Great Southwest’!
Featured Yuma Parks & Rec guests include: Debbie Wendt, Lindsay Benacka, Esther Markle and Drew Smith on Big Blend Radio.
Located in the southwest corner of Arizona on the border of Mexico, Yuma is home to the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, is a main stop on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, and is a river city to the beautiful lower Colorado River. Known as the sunniest place on earth, Yuma is a popular winter destination for sun-seekers as well as a year-round haven for those who enjoy water sports, golf, cycling, hiking and birding. The charming downtown district features a variety of restaurants, boutique shops and galleries, and theaters. From festivals to concerts, art shows, athletic events, expos, and conventions, Yuma boasts a full calendar of events in a variety of venues.
Yuma has a history of brothels and saloons; the building of the Territorial Prison that housed some of the most notorious and dangerous criminals of those times; and attempts to tame the river; steamboats and railroading. With amazing engineering feats like the Yuma Siphon, Laguna Dam and The Yuma Project, agriculture flourished and forever changed the nature and make-up of Yuma. An agricultural hub, Yuma has some incredible dining opportunities, gourmet gift shops, and seasonal farm activities and agricultural events.
The Colorado River winds through rugged mountain canyons, feeds numerous lakes and channels, and makes sure that the creatures of the desert have a place to quench their thirst or clean their feathers. During the evening you can hear owls and coyotes; and the early morning and evening hours are the best times to view the many desert inhabitants. Coyotes, badgers, grey and kit foxes, bobcats, ground squirrels, black-tailed jackrabbits, big horn sheep, mule deer, wild horses and burros, muskrats, beavers, raccoons, bats along with over 400 species of birds and a variety of reptiles are abundant and just calling to nature lovers to come and see them.
The rich green vegetation lining the banks of the Colorado and Gila Rivers makes Yuma an important wintering and migratory area for hundreds of birds. The Pacific flyway follows the Colorado River Valley right through the Yuma area and is used during the fall and spring by various species of hummingbirds, the American redstart, the northern oriole and a variety of warblers. The Yuma region offers numerous outdoor areas to explore including wildlife refuges, hiking trails, parks and campgrounds.
From canoeing down the Colorado River and exploring the nearby Imperial sand dunes, to rolling the dice at a local casino, viewing exhibits a museum or sipping on a cool Medjool date shake, there is so much to experience in this vibrant and historic city!
Local Highlights: Yuma Territorial Prison State Park, Colorado River State Historic Park, East & West Yuma Wetlands, Sanguinetti House Museum and Gardens, Casa De Coronado Museum, Pivot Point and the ‘Ghost’ Train, Yuma Art Center & Historic Yuma Theatre.
Regional Highlights: Los Algodones in Mexico (approx. 12 miles), Picacho CA State Park & Recreation Area (approx. 23 miles), Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (approx. 31 miles), Martinez Lake (approx. 36 miles), Castle Dome Ghost Town (approx. 50 miles), Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (approx. 54 miles), Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (approx. 72 miles), Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area (approx. 55 miles), Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge (approx 95 miles), Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site (approx. 115 miles), and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (approx. 150 miles).
Nearby Cities: El Centro, CA (approx. 64 miles); Quartzite, AZ (approx. 85 miles); Blythe, CA (approx. 90 miles); Gila Bend, AZ (approx 115 miles); Ajo, AZ (approx 156 miles); San Diego, CA (approx 175 miles); Phoenix, AZ (approx 195 miles); and Tucson, AZ (approx 240 miles).
Nearest Airports: Yuma International Airport (approx 3 miles), San Diego International Airport (approx. 175 miles), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (approx. 185 miles), Tucson International Airport (approx. 245 miles).
