The 6 best Phoenix lakes to beat the heat – Arizona Hikers Guide

• Time: 35 minutes from downtown Phoenix
• Website: Lake Pleasant
• Area Map: Map

Lake Pleasant is the biggest lake in the Phoenix area covering over 116 miles of shoreline and over 10,000 acres of water surface! This lake is open 365 days a year and is a very popular spot for fishing, camping, boating, and all sorts of outdoor recreation. Although the lake is well known for it’s younger crowds on holiday weekends, Lake Pleasant is a family friendly lake. There is plenty of room on this lake to fish, kayak, water ski, or relax on the houseboat. The lake is also home to bobcat, bald eagles, and famous wild burros so bring your binoculars and keep your eyes open!

The lake has a large parking lot that supports 700 vehicles as well as 2 boat ramps (Scorpion Bay and Pleasant Harbor). Don’t have a boat? Don’t worry, Lake Pleasant has plenty of picnic and hiking trails for just about everyone to enjoy.