The Serene Splendor of the Salty Salton Sea

Salton Sea

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area came into being in 1955. Over 150,000 people visit this popular recreational area each summer. It has hundreds of day-use picnic sites, over 1,500 campsites and boat ramp areas. This large California recreational area extends from Bombay Beach along the southern shore to the town of North Shore. [Related: Top 10 Most Visited National Parks]

Salton Sea

A modern visitor center is located at the recreational area's headquarters. Displays of many birds, animals and other wildlife that make the Salton Sea their home are found here. Continual video presentations illustrating how the Salton Sea was formed are found in the air-conditioned center.

Salton Sea

Water recreation co-exists with the sea's wildlife. Kayaking, bird watching trips on the park's interpretive boat and boat races are all ways that modern man makes use of this most unusual lake. Fisherman can keep all the tilapia they can catch as there is no daily limit. And, the Salton Sea is a bird watcher's paradise during the fall and spring migrations.

Salton Sea

The daily warm weather, brilliant sunshine and desert soil found near the Salton Sea are ideal factors for a vast variety of agricultural crops, including grapes. With such a variety of recreational activities and agricultural products, the Salton Sea and its surrounding area has been called a California paradise. Even with the significant ecological challenges, the Salton Sea is a vibrant and important desert environment .

Salton Sea

The Salton Sea has been called "California's crown jewel of avian biodiversity." It just might be the most productive fishery in the world. How ironic that this environmental treasure was formed by a failure of an irrigation system over 100 years ago and has survived and thrived in the Sonoran Desert region of southeastern California.