A good warm weather hotspot for RVers seeking to get out of winter snow is Yuma, Arizona. Located in the Yuma and Gila valley on the southwest corner of Arizona, Yuma offers plenty of water activities, good weather and a generous dose of colorful history.  Yuma was home to the Yuma Territorial prison from 1876 to 1909 and offers an entertaining peek into this time period when some of Arizona’s most notorious criminals were incarcerated here. Just to the west of the prison, visitors can see the famous Ocean to Ocean bridge that spanned the Colorado River and made driving from east to west coast a reality. Once the only crossing point across the mighty Colorado, today, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park lies on eastern river bank. Some other visitor attractions in this area are the Cocopah Indian Museum and the St. Thomas Mission. 

Just 18 miles north of the city on Highway 95, you can see the McPhaul “Swinging Bridge to Nowhere.”  Once spanning the Gila river, the bridge now only spans desert sand. Originally known as “Dome Bridge” the structure, built in 1929 was renamed after a local “old timer” by the name of Harry McPhaul, a guard at the Yuma Territorial Prison, who mined in the local area near the bridge.
If you enjoy animals, be sure to take in the Saihati Camel farm. The farm boasts the largest camel herd in North America. Enjoy many other exotic animals here such as Arabian Wild cats, ostrich, emu, donkeys, llama, deer, sheep, goats and many other wonderful animals. Be sure to pick up a cup of feed since the animals expect it when you pass their cages. The park is open from Oct 1st to May 31st from 9AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday. Admission is $4.00 per person. The park is located at 15672 S. Avenue 1E at the corner of County 16 and Avenue 1E.