National Heritage Areas (Non-Units) - Arizona

Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area

9/13/2008 Headed west, through the Sonoran Desert NM (lots of Saguaro cactus) to Yuma and sites in the Yuma Crossing NHA [Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites NHL]. First stop, the Territorial Prison SHP. The prison was built in the 1870s by the prisoners. Saw the prison cells, yard, watch tower and other remaining stuff as well as a museum. Next to the Quartermaster Depot SHP. The depot stored supplies for the military posts throughout the west, brought up the Colorado. Toured a few of the remaining buildings and exhibits in them.

One park sign

Territorial Prison watch tower

The prison gates ...

... and me in it

Another park area sign

A nice view of one of the buildings

Another of the depot buildings

4/7/2019 We then did what we could at the late hour (5:30) for the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites NHL and Yuma Crossing NHA. Both commemorate a natural crossing over the Colorado, important during the westward expansion. Directly up the hill from the park is the Yuma Territorial Prison, but it was closed and there didn't seem to be much of a view, so we continued to the Yuma Quartermaster Depot. This was also closed but at least Ken could see into the area through the gate and fence. Being a little frustrated by this, we did what we thought we would accomplish tomorrow - we continued over the river into California and around to the Fort Yuma site, also in the NHL[, and on the Butterfield Overland NHT]. There was just a plaque here, but at least we firmly accomplished a site and also had some good views back into Yuma. We headed back into Arizona over the 1914 Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge (in the NHA), which unusually predates the adjacent railroad bridge by a few years.

Fort Yuma site (in CA)

Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge

4/8/2019 Headed out, and pulled over about 50 feet later to check out the railroad engine and support car displayed in the hotel parking lot. Right behind it were around a dozen interpretive panels about the Yuma Crossing NHL and NHA. We knew we stayed overnight in the NHA but didn't realize how much stuff was right outside our window, including information on the Depot, the truss bridge we crossed over, Fort Yuma, etc. Now finally back on the road, after only a short distance we pulled over again - the Quartermaster Depot parking lot gate was open, so we could get some better views and photos of the NHL plaque, even though the museum was not open yet.

The exhibit by our hotel!

Ken by the exhibit area

One of the signs ...

... with the NHA logo

A map of the NHA

Quartermaster Depot

Ken photoing ...

... the NHL plaque