In the late 1800s, Picacho, California was a thriving gold mining town of 2,500 people located on the Colorado River. But, by the early 1900s, mining slowed down, the steamboats were no more, then due to increased dams on the river, the water began to rise. Now, the townsite of Picacho is located on Picacho State Recreation Area, one of the most remote and least visited state parks in California.

Located north of Yuma, Arizona, on the California side of the Colorado River, Picacho State Recreation Area is accessed by boat on the Colorado River or by one of two dirt roads through the desert. In this video we took the 18 mile Picacho Road to access the park, passing by Picacho Peak (California's Picacho Peak, not the more famous one in Arizona) and the Picacho Gold Mine.

After arriving at the park, we hiked to the townsite, talking about the town's history and exploring the sites, such as the Picacho town jail, located in a cave, before exploring the ruins of two 1800s stamp mills.

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