Indian Pass Road
East of Ogilby Road, Indian Pass Road provides numerous opportunities for recreation. The road extends east, dropping into Gavilan Wash. Following the wash east, leads to Picacho State Recreation Area. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended in Gavilan Wash. Indian Pass Wilderness and Picacho Peak Wilderness border Indian Pass Road and Gavilan Wash. The Indian Pass area has been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Please respect all posted signs.
The Wilderness
The Wilderness
Dark gray, massive mountains extending southeast from Indian Pass make up the central and western portions of the diminutive Picacho Peak Wilderness. Mica Peak stands near the center of this range, the highest point in the Wilderness at 1,499 feet. South of these mountains, bench land rolls away, dissected by narrow arroyos with vertical walls. The northeastern section of the area makes up a third distinctive region: open basins and large washes overlooked by small peaks. In Gavilan Wash on the north and Carrizo Wash on the east, you'll find the lowest points in the region. Carrizo Wash holds a natural rock tank at the foot of Carrizo Falls that traps the runoff from desert cloudbursts. From above the tank, rainwater cascades 40 feet down a series of rock ledges into a pool lined with cattails, a desert oasis for a variety of wildlife including bighorn sheep.
You may see some wild horses and burros roaming Picacho Peak Wilderness, or a desert tortoise burrowing into the soft volcanic soil. You also may discover a couple of old jeep tracks to follow. Picacho Peak itself lies southeast of the Wilderness boundary.
Directions
From Interstate Highway 8, about 15 miles west of Yuma, turn north on S34, also known as Ogilby Road, and drive approximately 13 miles to Indian Pass Road. At the junction of Ogilby and Indian Pass roads, your GPS should read about N32°56'18" by W114°52'04".
Location-Directions
(Front entrance to Picacho)
Take the 24-mile (mostly unpaved) road north from Winterhaven near the Mexican border. The road to Picacho from Winterhaven is paved only for the first 6 of 24 miles. The last 18 miles is over a dirt road that is passable for cars and vehicles with trailers and motorhomes. At times during the summer thunderstorms are likely to cause flash flooding in the washes, temporarily making short sections of the road impassable.