Christmas Recreation Site

BLM campground. The Christmas Recreation Site is along the Gila River approximately 6½ miles upstream from the Town of Winkelman, and 3½ miles upstream from the Shores 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 a toilet.

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.

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. A valid Arizona fishing license is required for Arizona resident and non-resident anglers 10 years of age or older fishing any publicly accessible water in Arizona.