A Salton Sea Day Trip from Joshua Tree: Winter Birds at the State Recreation Area and Sonny Bono Refuge

The best long day trip from Joshua Tree this week is a winter birding run to the Salton Sea: the visitor center and shoreline at Salton Sea State Recreation Area on the north shore, then south to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge near Calipatria. Go the long way, through Indio. Box Canyon Road, the usual shortcut to Mecca, is closed after flood damage from Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel. Plan on roughly 250 miles of driving round trip (our estimate) and a 7 AM start, because the sun sets at 4:45 PM at the north shore. The state recreation area costs $7 per vehicle, and the refuge is free. The National Weather Service calls for sunny skies, highs in the low to mid 80s, and light winds all week, with no active weather alerts this morning. If you want the refuge visitor center open too, skip Monday and Wednesday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

Updated Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, 7:40 AM PT

Why go to the Salton Sea in November?

Because the birds are back. California State Parks' park brochure calls the sea "one of the world's most important winter stops for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway." Birds begin arriving by the tens of thousands in October, and most have moved on by May. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says more than 400 species have been recorded at the refuge, and that it provides habitat for more than 100,000 birds, close to 40,000 of them waterbirds. The refuge grows ryegrass and wheat for waterfowl during the fall and winter migration.

It's also the right season for the heat. State Parks lists October through May as the best time to visit, with June through September running 70 to 115 degrees.

Are the roads to the Salton Sea open?

Mostly, but the shortcut isn't. These are the official reports from this morning:

• Box Canyon Road (Highway 195) is closed. The BLM says it's closed from Pinto Road to Painted Canyon Road because of flood damage from Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel. It has asked visitors to follow Riverside County's closure signs since Oct. 21. That's the road from I-10 down through the Mecca Hills to Mecca, so don't plan on it.
• Highway 62: Caltrans still shows SR 62 closed due to flooding from Godwin Road, 2.4 miles east of Twentynine Palms, to the SR 177 junction. This route heads west on 62 toward I-10, so the closure doesn't affect it.
• Highway 111: Caltrans reports one-way controlled traffic 6.3 miles north of Durmid, at Elm Ditch, because of a washout. By our reading of the map, that's on the east shore just south of the state recreation area's visitor center, on your way to the refuge. Expect a wait at the flagging.
• I-10, SR 86 and SR 195: Caltrans reports no restrictions on SR 86 or the open part of SR 195. On I-10, the only restriction is a westbound lane closure in the city of San Bernardino, far from this route.
• Weather alerts: the National Weather Service had no active alerts this morning for the north shore or the refuge.

How far is it, and how long does the drive take?

It's a long day. The distances and times below are our own estimates from mapping software, not official figures.

Leg	Distance	Drive time
Joshua Tree to Salton Sea SRA Visitor Center (Hwy 62, I-10, Indio, SR 86, Hwy 111)	about 79 miles	about 1 hour 45 minutes
Salton Sea SRA to Sonny Bono refuge headquarters (Hwy 111 south through Niland)	about 43 miles	about 1 hour 10 minutes, plus any wait at the Hwy 111 washout
Sonny Bono refuge back to Joshua Tree	about 128 miles	about 2 hours 45 minutes

The route: take Highway 62 west through Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley down to I-10, then head east past Palm Springs toward Indio. The refuge's driving directions pick up from there. Take the Highway 86S exit toward Brawley and El Centro and drive about 15 miles. Turn left on Route 195 (66th Avenue), then turn right at the next stop sign onto Highway 111. State Parks puts the entrance to the state recreation area's visitor center about 12 miles south on 111. For the refuge, stay on 111 through Niland, continue 4 miles south to Sinclair Road, and turn right. Sinclair Road ends at the refuge headquarters lot.

What does it cost?

• Salton Sea State Recreation Area: $7 per vehicle for day use, or $5 for seniors 62 and over, per State Parks. The park accepts state passes, including the California Explorer and Golden Poppy annual day-use passes and the California State Library Parks Pass.
• Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge: free. The refuge says there are no fees to visit.
• Joshua Tree National Park: this route never enters the park, so you don't need a park pass.

What's at Salton Sea State Recreation Area?

The state recreation area runs along 14 miles of shoreline at the northeast corner of the sea, on 15,000 acres of land and water. State Parks says the area is the ancestral homeland of the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, Quechan and Cocopah peoples. The park opened in 1955 and was classified as a state recreation area in 1963.

• Visitor center: open year-round, daily from 9 AM to 4 PM. It closes on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and Dec. 24 and 25. Phone: (760) 393-3810.
• The park itself: day use and the campground are open around the clock. State Parks lists the park as open with some restrictions.
• What's closed: Mecca Beach Campground is closed for maintenance repairs, with no reopening date. Bombay Beach Campground is also closed. Varner Harbor is closed to boats because of the falling water level. You can still carry or wheel a kayak across the beach to the water.
• No driving on the beach, ever.
• Dogs: allowed on a leash of 6 feet or less in developed areas like roads and campgrounds, but not on beaches or trails.
• Walking: the brochure says nature trails loop around each campground, and the best hiking is along the shoreline.

How did the Salton Sea get there?

According to the State Parks brochure, the Salton Sink is essentially a landlocked extension of the Gulf of California. It once held ancient Lake Cahuilla, a much larger freshwater lake. The current sea formed in 1905, when the flooding Colorado River was accidentally diverted into the sink. The brochure describes California's largest lake as about 35 miles long and 15 miles wide, sitting about 235 feet below sea level. It has no natural outlet. Water leaves only through evaporation and by soaking into the ground. State Parks says reduced inflows in recent decades have lowered the water and raised its salinity, which creates ecological challenges for the sea and the communities around it.

What's at the Sonny Bono refuge?

The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1930. It sits at the south end of the sea, 227 feet below sea level, between desert and the farm fields of the Imperial Valley. It has two areas you can visit:

• Headquarters and visitor center (Unit 2), 906 W. Sinclair Rd., Calipatria: this is where you'll find the visitor center, flush restrooms, a water fountain, an observation tower and picnic areas. The Rockhill Trail is about 2 miles and ends on top of a small volcano the refuge calls "active," with wide views of the sea and shoreline. The visitor center has a bird diorama and a bookstore run by the Sea and Desert Interpretive Association. Check the bulletin board for recent sightings.
• Unit 1, at Vendel and Bannister roads: this unit holds most of the refuge's accessible wetlands. It has the Hardenberger Trail, two photo blinds, an observation tower and platform by the parking lot, a small outhouse and a kiosk.

Hours: from November through April, the visitor center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM. The refuge says those hours depend on volunteers, and the visitor center closes on all national holidays, so it should be closed this Wednesday, Veterans Day. Trails, observation platforms and restrooms are open sunrise to sunset. Call (760) 348-5278 to confirm the visitor center's hours before you go.

What should we bring, and how do we keep it low-impact?

Bring binoculars, a spotting scope or a camera, and pack lunch, water, sunscreen and a hat. Even in November, the forecast this week is in the 80s at the sea. The refuge asks visitors to keep noise down, give birds room, and respect other people's viewing spots. Stay on trails and in designated areas, carry out everything you bring in, and never chase or flush birds for a photo. If you're thinking about the Mecca Hills on the way, the BLM manages them as wilderness: no vehicles or bikes off the roads, and the Leave No Trace principles apply. For now, the closure leaves Painted Canyon Road reachable only from the Mecca side, and the BLM calls it a four-wheel-drive road.

Can we do it in a shorter day?

Yes. Make it a north-shore day: drive to the state recreation area, walk the shoreline, stop at the visitor center, and head home. That's about 160 miles round trip (our estimate), and it should keep you north of the Highway 111 washout. Save the refuge for a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or weekend, when its visitor center is most likely open.

Stop by the shop on your way out

Heading west on 62 in the morning? JT Trading Post is at 61716 29 Palms Hwy in Joshua Tree, with work from 42+ local vendors. We're open Monday through Friday, noon to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM. On weekends we open at 8 AM, in time to stop before a Salton Sea run.

FAQ

Is Box Canyon Road open to Mecca? No. The BLM says Box Canyon Road is closed from Pinto Road to Painted Canyon Road because of flood damage from Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel, and that's been the case since Oct. 21. Go through Indio instead.

How much does it cost to visit the Salton Sea? Salton Sea State Recreation Area charges $7 per vehicle for day use ($5 for seniors 62 and over). The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is free.

When is the Sonny Bono refuge visitor center open? From November through April, it's open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM, depending on volunteers, and closed on national holidays. Trails and observation platforms are open sunrise to sunset.

Can we bring dogs? At the state recreation area, leashed dogs are allowed in developed areas like roads and campgrounds, but not on beaches or trails. Check the refuge's rules with the refuge before bringing a dog.

What's the weather at the Salton Sea this week? The National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies with highs from 82 to 84 degrees and light winds Monday through Thursday, with lows in the 60s.

Sources

• California State Parks, Salton Sea State Recreation Area: fees, hours, closures, and pet rules (checked Nov. 9, 2026)
• California State Parks, Salton Sea SRA park brochure (PDF)
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge and its Visit Us page
• Bureau of Land Management, Mecca Hills Wilderness: Box Canyon Road closure notice
• Caltrans, highway conditions for SR 62, SR 111, SR 86, SR 195 and I-10 (as of 6:59 AM PT, Nov. 9, 2026)
• National Weather Service, forecast for the Salton Sea north shore and forecast near the refuge
• U.S. Naval Observatory, sun and moon data for Nov. 9, 2026, at the north shore (sunset 4:45 PM PST)

Hi-Desert Field Desk is JT Trading Post's events and guides desk in Joshua Tree. We check every date, price, and closure against official sources the morning we publish.