Forty miles east of Phoenix on the Apache Trail, Canyon Lake sits in one of the most dramatic desert canyon settings accessible to a regular vehicle without four-wheel drive. The canyon walls rise 1,300 feet above the water. Saguaro cacti sprout from rocky ledges. Hidden coves wind back into the canyon country in every direction. On a January evening in 2011 we were on the Dolly Steamboat when eagles appeared on the cliff faces and bighorn sheep showed on the canyon slopes — one of the finer wildlife encounters on any bucket list entry close to the Phoenix Valley.

Three visits across eight years — the Dolly Steamboat evening dinner cruise with Glen on our anniversary January 8, 2011, jet skiing with Alexis and friends on October 6, 2012, and jet skiing with Luca and friends on September 1, 2019.

Canyon Lake — What It Is

Canyon Lake is the second of four reservoirs created by dams on the Salt River — formed in 1925 when the Mormon Flat Dam was completed. The smallest of the four Salt River lakes at 950 surface acres, it is consistently regarded as the most scenic — the canyon walls that line its shores creating an enclosed, intimate water environment unlike the broader open reservoirs of Roosevelt and Saguaro lakes downstream.

At 1,600 feet elevation the lake sits low enough to be comfortably warm for water recreation from spring through fall and accessible year-round. Twenty-eight miles of shoreline hide coves and channels that are invisible from the Apache Trail above — the best of Canyon Lake is only visible from the water.

The Dolly Steamboat — January 8, 2011

The Dolly Steamboat has been carrying visitors through the canyon walls of Canyon Lake for over four decades — a paddle wheel-style tour boat that departs from the Canyon Lake Marina on 90-minute narrated nature cruises covering six miles of the lake's most scenic canyon sections. An evening dinner cruise option adds the canyon-after-dark experience to the standard daytime tour.

Glen and I took the Dolly evening dinner cruise on our anniversary — January 8, 2011. Jacket weather in January — the canyon environment and the evening timing combining for genuinely cool desert conditions. The cruise ran into darkness — the canyon walls transitioning from the last of the evening light to full dark, the stars appearing above the canyon rim as the boat moved through the water.

The wildlife on this cruise was exceptional. Eagles on the cliff faces with their nest visible — the size of an eagle nest on a canyon wall seen from the water at close range is genuinely striking. A bald eagle nest is not a small thing. Bighorn sheep with a young baby on the rocky slope — the lamb visible among the adults, one of those sightings that makes a wildlife encounter genuinely memorable rather than just a check on a list. The canyon in evening light and then in full darkness — with wildlife, with jacket weather, with the water moving below — made for an anniversary worth remembering.

The Dolly Steamboat cruise — daytime or evening — is the right introduction to Canyon Lake for anyone who has not been. The hidden coves and canyon sections only accessible from the water are the best of what this lake has to offer and the Dolly is how you see them without your own boat.

The Dolly — Practical Details:

• 90-minute narrated nature cruise

• Evening dinner cruise also available

• 6 miles of canyon

• Climate-controlled seating and open deck

• Wildlife commonly seen: bald eagles, desert bighorn sheep, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks

• Departs from Canyon Lake Marina

• Reservations recommended — check dollystemboat.com for current schedule and pricing

Jet Skiing — October 6, 2012

A fall jet ski outing with Alexis, our friend Tri, and his kids — October at Canyon Lake with the summer crowds gone and the canyon walls catching the lower fall light. The combination of 1,300-foot canyon walls and open water makes Canyon Lake one of the more dramatic jet ski environments within easy reach of the Valley. The hidden coves that the Dolly Steamboat visits on its cruise are equally accessible by jet ski — the difference being you can pull into them and sit in the silence of the canyon rather than passing through on a narrated tour.

Jet Skiing — September 1, 2019

A return water visit with Luca, Tri, and his son — back on the lake eight years after the anniversary cruise. Labor Day weekend on Canyon Lake is a different experience from the January anniversary visit — the lake busy, the sun high, the water warm. The canyon setting is equally striking from a jet ski as from the Dolly — the walls rising above and the hidden coves opening up as you move through the water at speed.

Canyon Lake — The Apache Trail Connection

Canyon Lake sits at mile 16 of the Apache Trail from Apache Junction — the point where the paved section of AZ-88 ends and the unpaved switchback section begins heading toward Apache Lake, Roosevelt Lake, and the full length of the trail. The drive from Apache Junction to Canyon Lake on the paved lower section of the Apache Trail is itself a worthwhile destination — the canyon views on the approach to the lake are among the best roadside scenery in central Arizona.

Tortilla Flat — the revived ghost town with a restaurant, bar, and souvenir shop — sits two miles past the Canyon Lake Marina on AZ-88. Worth a stop on any Canyon Lake visit. No gas stations exist between Apache Junction and Roosevelt Lake on the Apache Trail — fill up before you go.

Wildlife

The canyon environment of Canyon Lake supports a remarkable concentration of wildlife for a reservoir this close to the Phoenix Valley. Bald eagles — present year-round but most active in winter — hunt the canyon water for fish and nest on the cliff faces. Desert bighorn sheep occupy the rocky canyon slopes and are regularly visible from the water. Peregrine falcons nest in the 1,300-foot canyon walls. Great blue herons work the shallows. The wildlife viewing from the water is significantly better than anything accessible from the road — the Dolly Steamboat and personal watercraft both get you into the canyon sections where the wildlife concentrates.

Camping at Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake Marina and Campground is operated directly by the marina at 16802 NE Highway 88 — a private campground on the lakeside with reservations through the marina rather than Recreation.gov.

Sites available:

• 9 tent sites

• 19 RV sites with 30-amp hookup

• 8 RV sites with 30/50-amp hookup

• 6 lakeside RV sites with 30/50-amp hookup — directly on the waterfront

All RV sites include table, firepit, and charcoal grill. Private restrooms and showers on site. One boat allowed per reserved campsite in a designated spot with a parking tag. Marina boat ramp accessible to campground guests.

Nightly rate: $77 (as reported 2023 — verify current pricing)

Reservations: Call (480) 288-9233 or visit canyonlakemarina.com reservations required

Max stay: 14 days

Important notes:

• Restaurant permanently closed

• No firewood sold on site — bring your own

• Glass containers prohibited by Tonto National Forest — can result in a fine

• Firearms not permitted on property

• No fireworks — up to $10,000 fine in Tonto National Forest

• Alcohol permitted for guests 21+ on reserved sites — no glass containers

Tortilla Campground — an additional option approximately 2 miles east on AZ-88. A Tonto National Forest winter-season campground operating October through March with 76 sites. Accommodating both tents and RVs up to 30 feet. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grates. Canyon Lake is just down the road from camp — convenient for morning lake access before day use crowds build.

Dispersed Camping — available throughout the Tonto National Forest along the Apache Trail corridor away from the designated day use areas. The Apache Trail / Davis Wash area documented separately in the AZ Places bucket list provides the best dispersed camping option in this corridor with canyon views and lake access. See that entry for GPS coordinates and access details.

Acacia Day Use Area and Palo Verde — day use only, no overnight camping permitted at either site.

Contact

Canyon Lake Marina

(480) 288-9233

canyonlakemarina.com

Dolly Steamboat

(480) 827-9144

http://dollystemboat.com

⚠️ Current Closure — Canyon Lake Drawdown

Canyon Lake is currently closed — all recreational sites including the marina and lakebed are under a Tonto National Forest closure order due to a lake drawdown. Apache Trail SR-88 remains open. Check current status with the Mesa Ranger District before planning any visit — (480) 610-3300 or

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