Saguaro Lake
Cruises and water sports may not be top of mind when planning a trip to Arizona. But despite its desert climate, the city is less than an hour’s drive from several lakes and reservoirs created by dams holding back rivers in order to control their flow and provide irrigation.
Saguaro Lake is one of these. Located in Tonto National Forest, approximately forty miles east of downtown Phoenix, the lake was created by the construction of the Steward Mountain Dam on the Salt River. Completed in 1930, it was the last of four reservoirs formed by the damming of that river.
The 1,200-acre lake is 10 miles long and reaches depths of more than 110 feet at its deepest point. Its 22 miles of shoreline include rocky crags, canyon walls, marshland, and desert shrubland. Saguaro Lake offers a variety of recreational activities and is the site of a scenic and educational riverboat cruise.
Saguaro Lake is surrounded by mountains and has 22 miles of shoreline. Boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, skiing, and sailing are all available here. Guests can rent a boat from the Saguaro Lake Marina. The marina is part of the Saguaro del Note Recreation site, which also has a beach as well as picnic and restroom facilities. For those reasons, it makes a very fine day trip from Arizona.
- Tripadvisor Rating: 4.0/5
- Website: https://www.saguarolakemarina.com/
- Admission: $8.00 Tonto Daily Pass / or $80 Tonto Annual Pass for parking per vehicle plus $4.00 watercraft sticker per watercraft
- Address: 12000 N Bush Hwy. Mesa, AZ 85215
