Lower Salt River Recreation Area
The Salt's final run below Saguaro
Lake offers a glimpse of what the riparian life of the Valley looked like before
the coming of modern irrigation canals. Visitors come to enjoy tubing in the Salt
during the warm months, camping in winter (Oct. 15-April 15 only), and fishing and
picnicking year-round. Recreation areas have vault toilets but no drinking water;
day use is free, campers pay $6.
The Bush Highway connects
the area with Mesa to the south and AZ 87 to the north. If coming from Mesa, you'll
first reach the turnoff for Phon D. Sutton Recreation Area; it's 1.2 miles
in and has lots of parking for RVs. The Lower Salt River Nature Trail, an
easy 2.3-mile loop, begins at the downstream end of Phon D. Sutton, follows the
shore downstream, turns inland through cottonwood and mesquite woodlands, then returns
via some desert uplands; signs tell of life here and the changes that settlement
has brought.
Coon Bluff Recreation Area is one mile
east on Bush Highway past the Sutton turnoff, then one mile in. Picnic tables under
the trees overlook the river. This is an especially good spot for tent camping.
Goldfield Recreation Area is 1.3 miles past the Coon Bluff
turnoff, then 1.3 miles in. Tube rental and the shuttle-bus center are near the
turnoff. Usery Pass Road ends at this junction; turn south for Usery Mountain Recreation
Area and good views back to the Salt River Valley.
You'll
find three recreation areas near where the Bush Highway crosses the Salt on Blue
Point Bridge, 2.5 miles east of the Goldfield turnoff: Pebble Beach is southeast
of the bridge, Blue Point is northeast of the bridge, and Sheep Crossing
is northwest of the bridge. Another two miles east takes you to Water Users Recreation
Area and some impressive canyon scenery; a short trail leads to the river. All
of these have a $4/vehicle day-use fee. Continue up a hill on the Bush Highway to
the turnoff for Saguaro Lake.
Saguaro Lake
The scenery, fishing, and boating on Saguaro Lake attract
people year-round. The 10-mile-long, 1,100-acre lake within Tonto National Forest
is the last in the chain of lakes on the Salt River and the closest to Phoenix.
Anglers catch largemouth and yellow bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and walleye.
Lakeshore Restaurant (480/984-5311) serves breakfast and lunch daily and
dinner Wed.-Sun., either indoors or out on the patio (great views). Saguaro Lake
Marina (480/986-5546 marina, 480/986-0969 rentals) offers boating supplies and
rentals of fishing, patio, and ski boats.
The adjacent
Saguaro del Norte area provides day-use boat ramps, picnic areas with shaded
tables, and Saguaro Lake Vista Trail, but no water; $4/vehicle and $2/boat. Butcher
Jones Recreation Area offers a picnic area and hiking along the northern lakeshore,
but no boat ramp; $4/vehicle day use. Butcher Jones Trail follows the shore—the
first quarter mile is paved for wheelchair fishing access—and crosses a ridge
(115-foot climb) to Burro Cove in 2.5 miles one-way. The road to Butcher Jones turns
off the Bush Highway one mile north of the marina. Picnic and boating areas almost
always fill up on Sunday and sometimes on Saturday from mid-spring to mid-summer;
try to arrive by early morning. Only boaters can reach Bagley Flat Campground,
about four miles from the marina; it has tables and pit toilets, but no water or
fee. Dispersed camping is also permitted, but again, you'll need a boat.
To reach Saguaro Lake, take the Bush Highway or AZ 87 from eastern Mesa. The Mesa
Ranger District Office of the Tonto National Forest (5140 E. Ingram St., Mesa, AZ
85205, 480/610-3300, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.) stocks recreation information for
the Saguaro Lake, lower Salt River, Superstitions, and Four Peaks areas. You can
also contact the main Tonto office (2324 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006, 602/225-5200,
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.).
Bartlett and Horseshoe Reservoirs
These lakes on the Verde River offer
fine scenery and outdoor recreation, including fishing for largemouth bass, catfish,
crappie, bluegill, and carp. Horseshoe also supports endangered razorback sucker
and Colorado pikeminnow, which must be returned to the water. At each reservoir,
you'll need to pay daily use fees at vending machines of $4/vehicle and $2/boat,
but there's no additional charge for camping. For more information, contact the
Cave Creek Ranger Station (40202 N. Cave Creek Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85262, 480/595-3300,
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto).
You'll pass the ranger station on the left just after turning toward the reservoirs
from Cave Creek Road.
From the town of Cave Creek, go east
seven miles on Cave Creek Road, turn right and drive six miles on Forest Road 205,
then continue eight miles on Forest Road 19 to the lake. These roads are paved and
make a great scenic drive, especially on weekdays when traffic is light.
The main road to Bartlett ends at Jojoba Boating Site, which has a paved
boat ramp. A sign says that RV camping is permitted here from Oct. 31 to May 1.
The nearby sheriff's office is staffed on summer weekends and has an emergency phone.
Jojoba Trail begins on the north side of the parking area and winds north
about one mile through granite boulders and desert plants. The Mazatzal Mountains
soar into the sky across the lake. Bartlett Lake Marina (602/316-3378,
www.bartlettlake.com), just south of Jojoba
Boating Site, provides two convenience stores, pontoon boat rentals, wet and dry
storage, auto and boat fuel, and bait and tackle year-round. Continue south 2.1
miles past the marina turnoff on an unpaved road through boulder-strewn hills for
Riverside Campground (vault toilets but no drinking water) below the dam.
North Lake Road (Forest Road 459) leads to recreation areas on the lake; the turnoff
from the main road is half a mile before Jojoba Boating Site. In 0.6 mile you'll
reach the entrance for Rattlesnake Cove Recreation Site, a day-use area with
water, shaded tables, grills, restrooms, and fishing pier. Pavement ends in another
2.5 miles at Yellow Cliffs Boating Site, which has a paved boat ramp, water,
and restrooms. Primitive camping is just beyond at S. B. Cove. The road ends 0.7
farther at Bartlett Flat, popular with boaters and campers; outhouses are the only
facilities.
Horseshoe Lake, upstream from Bartlett, offers
a quieter experience. The road is unpaved and facilities are very basic. Personal
watercraft and water-skiing are not permitted, and there's a 15-mph speed limit.
Follow directions toward Bartlett, but turn left on unpaved Forest Road 205 and
follow it for 10 miles all the way to the dam. You can stay on the Verde River at
Mesquite Recreation Site, which has tables, grills, and outhouses in a mesquite
grove; the turnoff is 8.2 miles in on your right. Horseshoe Campground offers
similar facilities near the river 1.5 miles farther north. Catfish Point nearby
has river access just below the dam; you can hand launch boats here. Canoeists enjoy
the eight miles of river between Horseshoe and Bartlett; for information on flow
and lake levels, call the Salt River Project, 602/236-5929. A few shaded picnic
tables overlook the lake near road's end. The boat ramp here is paved, but narrow
and usable only at higher lake levels. Visitors pay the same daily fees as at Bartlett,
$4/vehicle and $2/boat.
Sears-Kay Ruin
About 900 years ago, the Hohokam built this hilltop
village as one of a series between the Valley and the mountains to the north. A
one-mile loop trail climbs to the 40-room pueblo and its main plaza, laboriously
constructed with a retaining wall. On top, you'll enjoy a great view of Weaver's
Needle in the Superstitions, Four Peaks, the fountain in Fountain Hills, and many
hills to the north. The trailhead has a few covered picnic tables for day use only;
no water or fee. Follow Cave Creek Road east from Carefree, turn left (north) 2.6
miles on Forest Road 24 at the Bartlett Lake junction (the last one-third mile of
Forest Road 24 is gravel), then turn right at the sign.
Seven Springs and CCC Campgrounds
Large sycamore and ash trees provide
shade for these two adjacent campgrounds among hills of the Tonto National Forest,
north of the Valley. Sites have picnic tables and pit toilets but no drinking water,
$4/vehicle. From the town of Cave Creek go seven miles east on Cave Creek Road to
a junction, then keep left on Forest Road 24. It becomes dirt after 2.3 miles, then
it's another 11 miles of scenic, winding road to the two campgrounds. Cave Creek
Campground, a mile farther, is a group fee area requiring reservations from
the Cave Creek Ranger Station. The Cave Creek Trail System offers about 30
miles of trails for hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers. The Cave Creek
Ranger Station (480/595-3300, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto)
has recreation information for this area.
Bloody Basin Road
Drivers with high-clearance vehicles can leave the
crowds behind on this 60-mile scenic back road through the Tonto National Forest.
The road connects Carefree/Cave Creek with I-17 Exit 259 (Bloody Basin/Crown King).
You'll enjoy views of the Mazatzals, rugged high-desert hill country, and wooded
canyons. In Bloody Basin, 26 miles from I-17, a very bumpy side road goes southeast
12 miles to the Verde River and Sheep Bridge, where hikers can head into the Mazatzal
Wilderness. Primitive camping is possible almost anywhere in Tonto National Forest,
or you can stop at Seven Springs or CCC Campgrounds near the south end of Bloody
Basin Road. Follow directions to Seven Springs Campground above, then continue north
on Forest Road 24.