Lake & Canyons: Saguaro Lake was formed when the Salt River was dammed in 1930. The lake is a few miles long with a combination of open spaces and areas within the canyons. The lake offers various water and outdoor recreational activities for visitors. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Saguaros: The Saguaro Lake is named for the thousands of saguaro cacti that line the shores of the lake. The surrounding desert landscape combined with the blue waters of the lake create dramatic views. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
It’s not often that you visit the desert to go on a boat cruise and tour but that is what we have done on a couple of occasions. We visit southern Arizona often in the winter and spring months. It is always a welcome break from the cold and snow of Colorado.
We enjoy exploring the areas that we visit as time allows. Since we have been to the Phoenix area many times we have explored and visited many of the attractions in the area. During one of our expeditions we decided to visit Saguaro Lake, which was just a few miles from our campsite in Mesa, Ariz.
We discovered a beautiful lake with a marina which included a restaurant, boaters and other water sport enthusiasts and a lake that was surrounded by the beautiful desert landscape. We also found out that a tour of the lake was available on the cruise boat Desert Belle.
We learned that space was available on an afternoon cruise and we were sold. The tours are about 90 minutes long and give riders a chance to see and experience the lake and landscape from a different perspective. The tour is narrated and riders learn of the history, geography, geology and wildlife around the lake.
The Desert Belle has been cruising Saguaro Lake for more than 50 years. There are three narration cruises per day and other special event tours at various times. The double decker boats include a climate controlled cabin and an outdoor deck on the main level and an outdoor deck covered by an awning for shade on the upper deck.
Saguaro Lake is a man-made lake built with a dam on the Salt River northeast of the Phoenix area. The terrain around the lake is canyons and mountains with open space scattered along the shores. The lake is a few miles long but is not very wide in most areas. The name of the lake comes from the thousands of saguaro cacti that surround the lake.
We enjoyed our tour and cruise so much that we have returned for additional tours since that first encounter when we discovered the lake and the amenities that it had to offer. No doubt, there will be additional cruises in the future during a visit to the desert!
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Light and Shadow: Light skims across the hillside lighting a single saguaro and the rocky hillside at the shore of Saguaro Lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Reflections: Reflections shine across the water’s surface on Saguaro Lake with colorful hues of the canyon wall. The various colors of the canyon walls and rocky hillsides create a multitude of views as you travel about the lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Sailing: The sun lights a sailboat while the canyon walls fall within shadows creating a peaceful scene in a canyon on Saguaro Lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Four Peaks: The four peaks seen in the distance in this view make up a popular landmark in Arizona. The peaks are featured on some state brochures and can be seen on versions of Arizona license plates. The tour of Saguaro Lake on the Desert Belle tour boat offers several views of the peaks during the 90 minute tour of the lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Boulder: A large boulder sits at the shore along Saguaro Lake with a hillside covered in saguaro cacti in the background. Seen on the right side of the photo is a pontoon boat as it floats by the boulder. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Canyon Shade: Boaters congregate in the shade of a canyon wall during the afternoon sunshine on a warm spring day at Saguaro Lake. The lake is located a short distance from the Phoenix metro area and offers many activities for visitors. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com