CABEZA PRIETA, THANKSGIVING 1990

This was a private trip In Southern Arizona, bordered by Hwy 8 to the north, Mexican border south, Yuma west, and Ajo east. This includes the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, Goldwater Gunnery Range, and a Marine Gunnery Range. To enter the area you have to get permission from the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge in Ajo, and if you wish to go to the Tinajas Altas mountains, you need to get permission from the Marines in Yuma. The permits are subject to the schedules set for the ranges. Holidays usually are open.

The addresses/phone numbers are:
    Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
    1611 North Second Ave.
    Ajo, AZ 85321            Telephone: (602) 387-6463

    Marine Base               Telephone: (602) 726-3401
    Exit 3 on Hwy 8

Thursday morning at 9:00 we met at Exit 42 on Hwy 8, approximately 40 miles east of Yuma. This is the entrance from the north, we already had the permit. See the inserted map.

We had some problem in finding the dirt road as we did not see any signs, and there were various roads crisscrossing the beginning area. After a while we found it , and their after we did not have any problems. The road in many places was quite sandy, but since all of us had 4-WD vehicles, this did not stop us. I would not recommend driving a standard car because of the
 
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