Shores
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 is minimally developed to provide access for river-related recreation opportunities such as sightseeing, wildlife viewing, picnicking, camping, fishing and small craft floating. The site has gravel surfaced driveways, unimproved campsites, and two toilets. 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.
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 river banks 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 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.
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.
Phone
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, AZ, 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. Use of public lands in connection with commercial recreational use requires a BLM Special Recreation Permit.