Haze hung over the Salton Sea on a recent winter day, while black-necked stilts and kildeer waded in the shallows, pecking at crustaceans. Something else emerged a few steps closer to the ...

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area is open year-round for birdwatching, fishing, camping, and boating. Because of high summer temperatures, the best time to visit is October through May.

In the sweltering Coachella Valley, community advocates are calling for the state to transform its recreation area at the Salton Sea into a vibrant destination where families could gather in nature.

At 35 miles long and 15 miles wide, the Salton Sea is California’s largest lake. Its most recent incarnation formed in 1905, when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal and millions of ...