Shores Recreation Site | Arizona
The Shores Recreation Site is along the Gila River approximately 3½ miles upstream from the Town of Winkelman, and 3½ miles downstream from the Christmas Recreation Site. The site has gravel-surfaced driveways, unimproved campsites, and two toilets.
The Shores Recreation Site is minimally developed to provide access for river-related recreation opportunities such as sightseeing, wildlife viewing, picnicking, camping, fishing and small craft floating. Warm water fish (channel catfish and carp, as well as some large flathead catfish and largemouth bass) may be found in this section of the Gila River.
The site is in the riparian area in mesquite-willow and cottonwood woodland, in a Sonoran Desert canyon with saguaro, mesquite and palo verde-covered hills.
The Gila River crosses private and Arizona State Trust land. Please respect private property rights by not stopping on private land without permission and obtain a permit from the Arizona State Land Department for use of State Trust lands. A valid Arizona Game and Fish Department license is required for hunting or fishing.
CAUTION RIVER FLOATERS: The river channel has many navigation hazards that make it unsafe and practically impossible to float downstream to the Shores or Winkelman and river floating is not recommended. Hazards may include a fence across the river trees and branches overhanging the river or blocking passage, steep riverbanks and dense vegetation preventing portage, swift current at high flows, blind river bends.
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
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At this camping area located in the Gila River Recreation Area, an accessible double vault toilet sits on concrete several hundred yards east of the entrance. A concrete path connects this toilet to a concrete pad in the parking area. The pad provides accessible parking for 2-3 vehicles. A second double vault toilet, sitting on natural surface close to the entrance, may present challenges for some visitors.
Signs with site and safety information sit on gravel near the entrance to the site. At the entrance a compacted-gravel road slopes east and west from a T intersection, at a grade of 7-8 percent. At the bottom of the hill in each direction the road flattens out and serves as a there-and-back connector to about 18 individual campsites.
Many of the campsites should be usable for visitors who use mobility devices, although none of them are designated as accessible. Each campsite has a parking spur, and 4 of the sites have metal picnic tables with extended ends to accommodate wheelchair users.
Trash cans, angled toward the user sit on a concrete slab on a flat packed dirt surface, should be accessible to people using mobility devices.
Cell phone service is spotty.
Descriptions and photos uploaded March 2025. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
Contact Us
Activities
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
The Gila River recreation area is located along the 9 mile section of the Gila River and Arizona Route 77 between the town of Winkelman and Globe in Gila County, Arizona, approximately 70 miles north of Tucson and 100 miles southeast of Phoenix. From Winkelman, take Route 77 east to milepost 141.4 to the Shores Recreation Site entrance road.
Fees
The Shores and Christmas recreation sites are available at no cost on a first come, first served basis.
A permit is not required for private, non-commercial use of the sites. However, commercial, competitive, and large organized group events require a special recreation permit. Contact the local managing field office for more information about special recreation permits.
Recreational activities on any nearby state trust land require a permit from the State of Arizona.