Last Adventure of 2021

Saguaro lake is located northeast of Phoenix, and the lake itself and surrounding area is well worth a visit. The lake flows into the Salt River, which is also super popular with the locals — especially in the Summer months.

During this time of year — hordes of people will flock to the lake to carry out activities such as paddleboarding and tubing. Just jump on a paddleboard or relax into a tube and meander down the river. The surrounding beauty is immense and to add to this impressive nature setting, wild horses roam in the area.

Yes, I said wild horses, and there are many of them! They come to the river to chill out from the blazing heat, and you get to enjoy watching them in their natural habitat as you sail on by.

Saguaro Lake

The lake is also very popular and has something for everyone, swimming, fishing, boating, or even the option to take a hike around the lake. On this chilly - by Phoenix standards - Winter day, we decided to go for a hike around the lake.

It’s a great hike and a nice way to spend a couple of hours, even longer, if you have the time. Prior to the hike, we explored various areas around the lake, including a small beach that is covered in stone. There were some kids in the lake paddleboarding, and it looked like they were having a lot of fun.

Not too far from the beach, the hiking trail starts. Terrain wise, there are multiple changes in levels. You travel on flat ground, descend in areas and ascend in areas. Great form of exercise — just be careful with your footing as there are a lot of rogue stones and I have no doubt that people fall on the trail on a regular basis.

I nearly slipped, some that are huge and very impressive. Another element I like about the lake are all the residing cactus - including some enormous ones. It’s not called Saguaro Lake for nothing, right?

We arrived in the park in the afternoon on a cloudy day — we knew we had a finite amount of time for the hike because we wanted to get back to the car before sunset. Once we reached a certain area on the trail, we decided to turn back.

Our turning point was an ideal place to stop — it’s one of the highest areas of the trail, and you get amazing views of the lake from this area. For me, it felt like this is the highlight point of the trail, so turning back here was no problem for me.

On our way back, the setting sun started to peek out from under the heavy clouds, and the sunlight lit up the lake. It was a fitting end to our hike, and it was a nice memory to leave the park with.

Wrapping Up

Saguaro Lake and surrounding area is well worth a visit. Especially if you like all things water, hiking and nature. Even if you are just there for the views, you won’t be disappointed. For me — it was a unique hike as the trail goes round the lake.

The views of the lake are stunning, and they constantly change as you progress on the hike. You get up close to all the impressive Saguaro cacti and immerse yourself into the surrounding nature. We even saw some bald eagles while on the trail. The numerous elevation changes make it a good challenge — but it’s not going to exhaust you.

Doing the hike while the sun is setting is also a fantastic time to complete the hike because the setting sun and colour add so much atmosphere and character to the hike and lake.