Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area

Yuma Crossing Overlook

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Arizona

Significance:

The first Europeans to visit Yuma Crossing arrived in 1540, when Hernando de Alarcon led a small band of sailors up the Colorado River in support of Coronado’s expedition into the Southwest. Over the next five and one-half centuries, events occurred at the Yuma Crossing that are of significance in the development of the Southwest, California, and the nation.

Designation:

National Heritage Area

MANAGED BY:

Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation

The Colorado River crossing at Yuma, Arizona, has a rich history, accented in recent years by irrigation works that have transformed the region into an agricultural oasis. But in the process, riparian areas suffered and the riverfront became blighted. Today, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is working to restore the region’s wetlands and reconnect the city to its historic downtown. 

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area boasts two state historic parks, one National Historic Landmark—Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites—two new riverfront parks connected by a multi-use path, 400 acres of restored wetlands, and an interpretive plaza that tells the many stories of the Yuma Crossing.

This Heritage Area includes the following sites:
 

• Colorado River State Historic Park
• Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
• Yuma East Wetlands
• Yuma West Wetlands
• Pivot Point Plaza