Why I Love Winter Around the Salton Sea
Quiet farm roads, green fields, and the birds that keep me coming back to the southeastern Salton Sea.
There is so much going on around the Salton Sea in winter, yet it can feel almost completely silent.
That is what keeps drawing me back. The fields are green. Migratory birds are in town. On many of the winter mornings I visit, the air is clear and the weather feels just about perfect. I can park beside a road, roll down the windows, and spend time watching whatever happens to be there.
I live in Indio, and over the past two or three years, I have spent more time exploring the Salton Sea with my camera. One area I especially love is the agricultural landscape near Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, toward the southeastern end of the Sea in Imperial Valley.
There is farming all around me and energy infrastructure in the distance. Birds move between the fields and the surrounding habitat. It feels alive, and there is enough quiet to take it all in.
In this story:
- The drive from Indio and the stops that shape my mornings.
- What I love about the farmland near Sonny Bono.
- The unexpected bird encounters that make me want to return.
Starting early and following my curiosity
I like to wake up early for these trips. If I can catch the sunrise, even better. I usually have a general direction in mind, but I leave room to follow my curiosity.
Driving south from Indio along the eastern side of the Sea, I often stop at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area to see what is happening. I look for birds around the water and in the trees. Sometimes, if someone is working in the visitor center, I go inside and talk with them.
I enjoy those conversations. They give me a feel for what is happening at the Salton Sea at that moment, from someone who is spending time there.
Farther along, I sometimes turn into Bombay Beach and look around. It has an artistic character that makes me curious, and it is also a place people call home. Parts of it feel more remote and weathered to me. As I continue toward the farmland near Sonny Bono, the landscape takes on a different feeling.
I might walk the refuge trails, or I might spend much of the visit exploring the surrounding roads and stopping to take photographs. A lot depends on what catches my attention.
The green fields near Sonny Bono
The green is one of the first things I notice in this area.
There are broad agricultural fields, signs of ongoing work, and white plumes rising above geothermal facilities. Those plumes are a striking part of the view, especially with the Sea behind them.
The geothermal plants generate electricity using heat from underground brine. That brine is also the focus of the region’s lithium extraction projects. The farming and energy operations each deserve a closer look in their own stories. Here, they are part of what gives this landscape its character.
I can see that people are working and things are happening. There is activity and purpose around me, even when the road itself is quiet.
That combination makes the area feel comfortable to me. I have space to be on my own, watch birds, and take photographs while still feeling connected to a place that is being lived in and worked.
Winter with the windows down
One of my favorite ways to spend time here is simply sitting in the car with the windows down.
The air often feels fresh to me on these winter visits. I can see green fields, hear birds, and enjoy the cool weather. There are moments when I am happy to stay right where I am and watch.
The Salton Sea has a reputation for odor, but a strong unpleasant smell has not defined my experience of visiting it. I remember one very early, foggy morning when I noticed the smell more. It seemed stronger while the fog lingered, then became less noticeable as the sun came up and the fog cleared.
Most of the time, what I remember from the agricultural area is how pleasant it felt to have the windows open. Winter brings that feeling to many places around the Coachella Valley, but I especially enjoy it out here, with so much open space around me.
Plan your winter visit
Picture your own morning out here. Compare the cooler months, check the daylight for your date, then look at the forecast before you leave.
Compare November through March
January · average daily temperatures
Historical averages, not a forecast. NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Brawley 2 SW (USC00041048) provide a nearby Imperial Valley reference. Conditions beside the Salton Sea can differ. Overnight lows are not hourly morning predictions.
Compare all five months
| Month | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| November | 80 / 49 | 27 / 9 |
| December | 70 / 41 | 21 / 5 |
| January | 72 / 41 | 22 / 5 |
| February | 75 / 45 | 24 / 7 |
| March | 81 / 50 | 27 / 10 |
Find the daylight for your date
Choose a date to calculate daylight.
Approximate times near Sonny Bono refuge headquarters, shown in local Pacific time with daylight saving adjustments. The date controls daylight only; use the month selector above to compare temperatures. Hills, clouds, and atmospheric conditions affect the light you actually see.
Opens the National Weather Service forecast for the refuge area, including temperature, wind, and rain. For an early start, bring a layer you can take off as the morning warms.
The birds I almost drive past
Some of my favorite discoveries have happened while I was looking around the farmland, away from the main viewing areas.
A quick stop at a viewing deck can leave you wondering whether you have seen what everyone came for. In my experience, the place becomes more interesting as I give it time and start paying attention to the surrounding landscape.
Several times, I have spotted burrowing owls near the edges of agricultural fields. I will be driving along and notice something small beside the road, near where the field begins.
There is that moment of uncertainty: Did I just see something?
Then I look again, and there is an owl poking its head up, looking right back at me.
Those encounters stay with me. They make me more attentive on the next visit because I know how easily I could have passed without noticing.
I also love seeing sandhill cranes. Often, I notice them well out in a field. Even at a distance, their size catches my eye, and I find myself trying to work out what I am looking at.
I have yet to get especially close to one, and I am careful about disturbing them. Watching from a distance is part of the experience. I would rather give them space and enjoy the encounter as it unfolds.
My real life Pokémon moment
Birdwatching sometimes reminds me of Pokémon Go, or the feeling of discovery in the Pokémon story.
I remember walking in the Salton Sea area and seeing huge birds fly overhead. At the time, I did not know they were sandhill cranes. I just looked up in awe, trying to understand what I was seeing.
It reminded me of Ash Ketchum seeing a legendary Pokémon pass above him. Something unfamiliar appears, and suddenly you want to know everything about it.
That is a real part of birdwatching for me. I do not always arrive knowing what I hope to find. Sometimes the encounter comes first, and learning its name comes afterward.
Around the Salton Sea, I have seen birds I do not normally encounter during everyday life in the Coachella Valley. The unfamiliarity makes those moments exciting. I get a glimpse of an animal going about its life, and for a little while, it has my full attention.
The fields and wetlands feel like bird territory. That feeling is a big part of why I enjoy being there.
Getting comfortable with the quiet
It took several visits for me to feel familiar with these roads.
The open space and long stretches with little activity were an adjustment at first. With each trip, I became more comfortable with the area and more aware of what I wanted to explore.
Now, the quiet is one of the things I look forward to. I can let my curiosity set the pace, stop when something catches my eye, and spend time with a scene instead of moving straight to the next destination.
For anyone exploring this working landscape, that freedom still comes with respecting the people and wildlife already there. Stay on public roads and designated visitor areas, use appropriate places to pull over, keep farm access clear, and give birds room.
I have a separate Salton Sea birdwatching guide for readers who want to explore the locations, habitats, and birds in more detail.
What keeps bringing me back personally is the feeling of being here in winter: the green fields, the open windows, and the possibility of seeing something I have never noticed before.
Sometimes I get a photograph I love. Sometimes I spend a while watching birds in the distance. Either way, I am glad I made the drive.
A few questions about my visits
Why do I enjoy the Salton Sea most in winter?
I love the cooler weather, the green agricultural fields, the birds, and the clear views I often encounter. Winter is the season when I most enjoy spending time outside and lingering with my camera.
Which part of the Salton Sea am I describing?
Much of this story centers on the agricultural area near Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, toward the southeastern end of the Sea in Imperial Valley. My drive from Indio also takes me past the state recreation area and Bombay Beach along the eastern side.
Do I spend the whole visit inside the refuge?
No. Sometimes I walk the refuge trails, but I also spend time exploring surrounding public roads and watching birds from suitable stopping places. The agricultural landscape is a big part of what draws me back.
Does the Salton Sea always smell bad?
That has not been my experience. I have often enjoyed having the windows down during winter visits, although I have noticed odor at times. Conditions vary; these are my personal observations from the days I have spent there.
Where can I find more detailed birdwatching information?
Read my Salton Sea birdwatching guide. It covers the practical birdwatching side of a visit and complements this personal account.
Sources and related reading
This essay is based on Mark Miller’s firsthand experiences over multiple visits. The shoreline and farmland photographs were captured in January 2026. The sandhill crane photograph shows the encounter described in the Pokémon section. The bird encounters and foggy morning are memories from separate visits and are not presented as events from one day.
- California Energy Commission — Geothermal brine and lithium recovery. Background for the distinction between geothermal electricity generation and lithium extraction.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Seasons and wildlife at Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. Background on seasonal birdlife and the refuge’s agricultural habitat.
- Desert Oasis Insider — Salton Sea Birdwatching Guide.
- Desert Oasis Insider — Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.
- NOAA NCEI — Brawley 2 SW, 1991–2020 monthly climate normals. Temperature averages used by the visit planner.
- NOAA — General Solar Position Calculations. Approximate sunrise and sunset equations, evaluated near 33.18°N, 115.62°W. Terrain is not modeled.
