I almost hate to leave this review because I don't want any other people going to Willow Springs…read moreLake. Much less popular than the other forest lakes. It has a long shoreline, so it is not good for short hikes, but it is lovely for paddle boarding or kayaking or fishing. Only two pit toilets for the entire area. Parking gets gnarly if you aren't there first thing in the morning. Close to sinkhole campground.

Nice and peaceful lake and you get to watch the birds dive for fish. Lots of little micro trash…read morearound and from what I heard from my friends, the bathroom does not smell nice.

So happy they are open again after being closed for a few years due to covid! Makes a fun and…read moreleisurely outing to look at and feed the fish and just enjoy the cool fresh air. Usually get lucky to see a few other critters each time too. Birds, squirrels, free roaming cows, lizards, crazy bugs, etc. Usually not too crowded either. Best of all its FREE!

Great place to take your kids to see the fish and get out of the heat and a good learning…read moreexperience

Clear Creek Reservoir is the place to be if you luv kayaking or you use a SUP…read more It's located in Northern AZ right out of Winslow. I would have to say it puts Winslow on the map as did The Eagles with there 'Take it Easy' song. You know the famous 'standing on the corner of Winslow AZ' lyrics.... We paddled our kayaks up the creek as it runs through the canyon. The views just keeps getting better and better. The further in you go towards the mouth it continually gets greener and more lush. It definitely starts out like hmmmm, I sure hope this is worth it. Then you see the graffitied walls on the rocks of the canyon. When you keep going you find out why....All these are areas where the literally 100's of kids come and hang out! In the summer they not only swim but jump off the rocky crags from as high as you can imagine. At times I had to hold my breathe watching them rock climb barefooted to reach the pinnacle they were striving for. Once you get beyond that area it gets quieter and more serene and peaceful..... and as I stated more spectacular views. You absolutely have got to find the Petroglyphs!! They are at a distance that is not too high up where yoh can see them clearly. There a a few panels throughout the canyon so keep your eyes peeled!!

The bathrooms were horrendous, but the water was splendid. My mom, dad, and I paddle boarded here…read moreon a Friday early October. We parked around 9:30, got on the water a little after 10, and after two hours, we were turning around since we had forgotten sunscreen and we were hot being in the sun. The views are amazing and it's so awesome how quiet it gets. It's like there is no civilization at all when you're on the water and nothing is around you. When we got back to the parking lot, it was pretty full.

I was not prepared for this. But, I did it and in flip flops! If I did it, you can too. You just…read moreneed to take some extra precautions as you step. I wasn't told of what the activity was until we were near. I kind of started low key freaking out as I started reading the reviews of how you need water shoes or hiking shoes, and to bring water, then reception was lost. Okay, we're doing this, with or without those things. Having water shoes and/or hiking shoes helps but it's not necessary. There was plenty of people in flip flops and crocs: men, women, and children. The water rock slide was cool, there are two other kiddie options for water rock slides just below. You just have to wet it. Water, you'll live without it but the air was dry and I was super thirsty by the time we got back to the car. But, I needed my hands free and my load light since I was worrying about not having the proper footwear. So it's all good in the neighborhood. Definitely recommend!

This has been on my bucket list for the past 5 years and this weekend I finally made it! I was…read moreexpecting it to be busy since it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend, but we went in the afternoon and tons of people were leaving when we were parking. The downside to that is that you are hiking in at the hottest part of the day. Which makes the water feel that much more refreshing. The hike isn't hard, you just follow the creek. Some people were in flip flops- which is doable, but the rocks can be quite slippery in places. Bring lots of water. There's some shade, but not tons. Oh- and watch out for the random cow. He's not friendly.

We had a great time at the rainbow trout farm. Everything was perfect with a lot of room to fish…read moreand plenty of poles (do not bring your own equipment). The staff were very friendly and professional from the cashier to the fish cleaning staff. The trout itself was delicious and extremely clean, I've caught a lot of fish and these are the cleanest I've ever seen, most likely due to the clean water that continually flows from the nearby creek. Make sure to pace yourself because it's really easy to catch too many trout, it is VERY easy fishing and I absolutely recommend taking the kids. Absolutely worth planning a trip around the goal of going to the trout farm.

Entrance fees, then processing 8 fish, cost an additional $151.00…read more About $100 to much for 8 fish. Strongly don't recommend it, unless over paying is your thing!

There is an irate camp host there that should NOT be dealing with people! My cousins were visiting…read morefrom Missouri and we wanted to take a day trip to go fishing there. We went on a Monday 08/25 and we pulled up to a spot that I had been to a few weeks back that the NICE lady camp host let us stay in since there was NOBODY there and it wasn't reserved for that day or even the next. We paid 12 bucks and was able to stay and fish for a few hours. (Thank you nice lady camp host!)... Now the "other" camp host was just the opposite, he was already rude and angry when we go there. He demanded we leave the spot and said "I don't even want to hear it, move you truck!"m "Can you read the sign that says this is not a day area spot" He was yelling at my cousin and I so we were just trying to get back in the truck while he was still yelling. We just wanted to get out of there. I would not usually review a lake camp area, but this guy was ridiculously rude. He was a short older guy and his camp was a tiny trailer that looked home-mde to me. Anyways I hope the Government Park services see this because if makes the wrong person mad he would be a liablilty.

Amazing lake, so peaceful - perfect for kayaking and paddle boarding! Caught rainbow trout as well!read more

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is beautiful, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to finally check it…read moreout! It costs $10/person and you can pay at the entrance booth with cash or go inside to pay with card. We did not hike down to the creek/observation bridge but will definitely check it out on another visit. There are four easily labeled viewpoints that show different angles of the bridge. There was a lot of wildlife when we went and we even got to see a Coati! This place is great, definitely check it out.

Why it is $10 PER PERSON for a park that isn't that big and only has a few trails? And why do the…read moretrails close at 4pm? At least during the months where the sun doesn't set that early, the park should stay open past 5. Anyway, my mom, dad, and I stopped here around 3 on a Friday in early October. There were several different parking lots to choose from with plenty of spaces. There weren't that many people there but there were quite a few groups for them supposedly closing in less than an hour. Even at 3:45 there were still a decent amount of cars in the various lots. The actual natural bridge was pretty cool to see. The waterfall was interesting in that it was many trickles combined to form a "waterfall." I just wish my mom and I weren't experiencing leg/hip injuries that prevented us from doing the couple strenuous trails that we so would've done had it not be for our ongoing pain issues. I really would've liked to do the Gowan trail. Alas. We loved how each trail was nicely marked and there were even arrows painted on the rocks down in the canyon part. Way to go, Arizona!

Today we decided to come to Flagstaff and get out of the city. We stopped at Lake Mary boat rentals…read moreand store to get snacks and rent a canoe. The woman at the counter was so sweet and helpful, and her husband helped us with the canoe. He made sure we could get it on my SUV and secure it properly. As well as helped us get it down when we returned. At $40+tax and 4hrs to paddle around the lake, it was well worth the two hr drive. The entire day was amazing and we'll definitely be back! Thanks guys for all your help and kindness.. The Bell Family

Beautiful Lake Mary, Flagstaff Arizona!! Decided to come…read moreand have a look at Lake Mary unfortunately Lower Lake Mary is a dry land with weeds growing in it but Upper Lake Mary has some remnants of a water or like that used to be full at one time water is dirty but a nice view to see. People here are very active so you see a lot of people walking their dogs on the trail of Lake Mary.

We parked at the Tuzigoot River Access point after visiting the National Monument. This is a large…read moreparking lot, suitable for boat trailers. We went in January to walk along the river. It was very scenic, even though most of the leaves had fallen form the trees. There is a small beach at one location and small rapids for kayaking. Several dog walkers and a few mountain bikes were using the pathways. This would be a lovely place in the spring to fall when the trees are full.

This natural area is located next to Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood. There is no…read morecamping or campfires in the riparian zone, but you can camp at Dead Horse Park. The river is stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. In the winter they stock it with trout. There is a lot of wildlife in this region to see. The Verde River is a great spot to canoe or kayak because of all the twists and turns in the river. You can load your boat at the ramp at the Tuzigoot River Access Point which has plenty of parking nearby. Swimming is at your own risk.

Kaibab Lake Campground is located north of I-40 as you head towards the Grand Canyon (60 miles…read moreaway). I have lost count as to how many times I have passed by this beautiful, well-maintained area without camping here, but this will no longer be the case. We stayed two nights here (June 7-8, 2016) and it wasn't enough during our weeklong trip. Dry camping only - tents, trailers, & RVs. No hook-ups. Just you, your posse, your home away from home. We found that the pull-through sites were not our style. The back-in sites were more level and seemed to have a better feel. If you end up with a pull-through site, though, you will still be a happy camper. It's mostly relatively quiet here. You can still kind of hear the I-40 and trains off in the distance. Otherwise, it's very peaceful. The campground hosts are really friendly and helpful. They sell firewood, ice cream, fishing bait and ice at their check-in area. PROS - vault toilets (but they actually smell nice & toilet paper is provided!) - paved roads & graveled sites - each site also has a fire ring with a grill & a picnic table - leashed pets are allowed - garbage AND recycle bins are nearby CONS - closed from October to April due to weather - no utilities or dump station (and please don't dump your grey water onto the ground!) - no running water except the potable water spigots (for drinking only... FYI... the lake is a water source for the City of Williams) TIPS - reserve your site online at recreation.gov - day use areas are by the lake - fishing is allowed - for license info. go to https://www.azgfd.com/ - daytime average temp. = 82°F & night time = 54°F. HOWEVER, these fluctuate. Be prepared. The pine trees smell amazing here. Or perhaps I had been inhaling the L.A. smog a bit too much - ha! The twinkling stars at night are a breath of fresh air too. The funny little Kaibab squirrels who to my surprise really didn't bother us... They are pretty flippin' smart. So fast. Too fast for cameras. Stay here at least one night if you get the chance! Review #485 '16 Challenge #51

Lake was way too low to access safely. It was also very muddy due to recent monsoons. Campground is…read morenice but without hookups. Fishing was relaxing but the catching was zilch. We will wait for the lake to fill before we go again.