I can't begin to tell you how gorgeous this lake is. What a hidden gem! I'm a native of AZ and only…read morejust recently learned about Blue Ridge Reservoir (also known as C.C. Cragin). I almost didn't want to review it because I want to keep it all to myself. Because it is so narrow, it almost looks like a river. Blue Ridge is 8 miles end-to-end and is stocked with rainbow and brown trout. It is a popular destination for canoers and kayakers because of restrictions to motor boats more than 10 horsepower. I could have floated on this water for hours. The scenery at Blue Ridge reservoir is beautiful. It's located off Highway 87 about 30 miles north of Strawberry on the Mogollon Rim. There is only one convenience store with gas pumps nearby and no cell service. Rock Crossing Campground is the only organized campsite nearby if you want to stay overnight. The great thing is there are no permits needed or fees to enter Blue Ridge Reservoir. But it does get crowded at times and Forest Service workers will only allow one car at a time to enter when the lot is full. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle as the gravel road to the reservoir can get pretty bumpy. There is a bathroom on site at the overflow parking lot. Blue Ridge Reservoir is very peaceful and relaxing. I went over Memorial Weekend and it wasn't too crowed at all. It's definitely worth camping nearby so you can spend a full day here.

Great day here! Much larger than anticipated. Beautiful location within Coconino National Forest…read more Apparently this road is not open year round, nor are some of the local camprounds. Gravel forest road that any car can drive but beware of some deep ruts in areas. Vault toilets in upper parking lot. Nice concrete boat ramp. Jealous of those that were camping via kayaks.

I have rented Kayaks from Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch several times over the past few years and have…read morealways had great service and a wonderful experience. Reserving a spot and kayak is easy on the online website. Once you navigate down to the main road to the Guest Ranch, it can be a little confusing as they always have a roadblock as you progress towards the parking lot. Just proceed past the sign to the parking lot ahead. After parking, walk back towards the ranch and check in. Guest services will provide a wrist band as well as a parking pass to place on your dashboard. Once your reservation time is ready, you will be provided a quick orientation of the equipment, navigation of the river and where the staff will pick you up at the end of your float. The staff is always super helpful. Be sure to bring plenty of water and a carabiner to hook on your dry bag or backpack to the kayak. Even though the majority of the river is an easy float, there are some small rapids. You may accidentally flip the kayak if you get caught in a tough spot on the River. This will prevent you from losing your bag! I'm experienced and have flipped once or twice. Depending on the time of year and water flow, the float can take 2 or 3 hours. Beautiful views of the landscape, wildlife including various birds and the gorgeous wild horses! At the end of the float, the staff will load your kayaks and take you back to the Guest Ranch. In the main building, be sure to stop by the gift shop prior or after the float for souvenirs or in case you forgot supplies you may need. They have several items including sunscreen, water shoes, hats, shirts snd much more. I found prices to be reasonable. This is the perfect place to bring out of town visitors. They will love it.

Such a fantastic time! I cannot recommend this enough…read more My bf and I are not outdoorsy people so I was nervous about how to take on the salt river. This was PERFECT, so happy we did this over the tubing. There's a reason tubing has mixed reviews and these are all positive! It took us exactly 2 hours and it was very leisure. We wanted to sit and enjoy the beauty, it was fun to race in our kayaks, and one time we pulled over to jump in the water to refresh. We did the 7:15am Sat July 5 hoping we would get a nice serene time and compared to how it usually sounds, it was very peaceful. Few party people down the river but nothing too crazy. I recommend not going later than 7:30 if you want a more peaceful time to yourself and low crowds. Plus the sun wasn't as brutal. Saw a woman go on her own, and you're definitely fine to do it by yourself. Charge up your phone so you have plenty of juice for photos and videos and in case you need to make a "help call" "Rapids" are not bad at all so fun and simple. The quality of what they provide is very nice. They send detailed instructions of what to expect, including parking (refer to email). Do not forget your water shoes. We didn't need a snack during but it was nice to have after, obviously water is a must plus sunscreen. We wore rash guards and hats and I recc that. Pre buy a waterproof phone lanyard. I got wonderful photos and videos from something cheap on Amazon The most wild life we saw was one horse and like 5 fish lol I wish there was an easier way to keep my water in front with me because every time I went to grab it behind me I was worried I would tip myself. I also wish they had little signs to point which way to go, it's simple, but after the excitement heat etc, it's like "wait they did say left middle right left, right?" lol Can't think of any other tips, besides just do this, can't imagine you would regret. We are new to the area and wanted to do something that felt very Arizona, super happy with the decision

Great service. They brought equipment to our vrbo and picked it up. Even gave us an extra kayak…read more Would definitely use them again. 5 stars

My partner and I had a great experience renting kayaks from Michelle! The kayak rental was…read morestraightforward, smooth, and lots of fun :) The assistance in attaching the kayaks to the car was also very appreciated. What a great way to enjoy the beauty of Payson and Willow Lake Pros: Responsiveness: Michelle was incredibly responsive and helpful over text! She was clear and prompt and great to communicate with. Help with securing kayaks: Michelle and her friend helped my partner and I secure kayaks to the car, and were patient with us as we figured out the best way to get them stacked and loaded. Flexibility: Michelle was flexible to our needs and allowed us to keep the kayaks as long as we wanted, and was there to give us the kayaks and coordinate the drop off as well. Straightforward pricing: Pricing was clear and straightforward and just as stated on the website and in all communication with Michelle. The Kayaks were $45 for a full day of use! Convenient location to Payson and Willow Lake: We were staying in Payson, and the kayak pick-up and drop off point was incredibly convenient. Dog friendly: Our pups enjoyed getting in the kayak, as seen in the pictures! They had a great day as well! Michelle's dogs were also at the kayak pick-up site, and we had so much fun petting them and playing with them. Cons: No cons to speak of! I will happily rent a Kayak from Michelle in the future!

Everything from start to finish went well & exceeded expectations ! Jeff was very responsive from…read morethe beginning! Very easy to connect with via phone or text , answered any questions I threw his way . I was looking for a boat plus kayak rental business for our Memorial Day weekend escape with two teens . This company very reasonable! Jeff met us at the dock with gassed up boat & 2 kayaks . We used the lil Bentley & what a treat for the day on Rainbow Lake . The boat is well cared for , clean , canopy was a plus , easy to operate & bring drink / snacks along . Great day on the water with the ability for everyone to do what they wanted! Jeff is very accommodating with end of day closure, quick call & he's there to trailer it all away ! We definitely will use him again in the future. Super find in Pinetop area!

Everything went well! Jeff is an incredible person to work with and accommodated us very last…read moreminute on a holiday weekend. He has a great supply of non motorized watercraft to rent. I definitely will rent from them again!

Let me recommend TUCKTEC to you folks. It's a foldable,lightweight kayak that does well on Rim…read moreLakes. I'm a happy kayaker that can manage getting this great kayak in and out of the back seat of my Jeep! #tucktec

Great experience with a wonderful staff that had great recommendations depending on what we wanted…read moreout of our experience. First time kayaking Canyon lake and definitely won't be our last! Thanks for a great time!

10/10 recommend SUP rentals here. Reservations online were very easy. The staff were very friendly…read more We had Daniel help us get onto our SUP and he was great! Great views also!

We went paddle boarding, the staff was so friendly and it was such an easy process. The prices were…read moreincredibly reasonable, they take walk ins, the quality of the equipment was great. Would definitely rent from them again!

Highly recommend Go Paddle AZ for Paddle board and kayak rentals on lake Pleasant. Appointments are…read moreavailable online for week days. Staff are helpful. We rented two kayaks during Memorial Day weekend and there was plenty of selection available when we arrived about half hour after they opened. Life jackets are provided and included in the price. Tips: - Park I'm the North Ramp Lot but walk down to the marina, not the North Ramp! (we made that mistake) - We walked down and back but there is also a free shuttle available about every ten mins. Drivers work for tips. - The walk back up to the parking lots is quite steep and on a hot day after paddle boarding we regretted opting to walk about half way up - Two hours seems like the best amount of time to explore a good amount of the lake and paddle back to the marina without being too tired - Restrooms are available right next to the store front where you rent.

What a great trip. Kayaking is the way to go if you want to see some incredible scenery in the…read moreSuperstition mountains. Nick and the guys at Desertrex showed us a great time. The lake was beautiful. The sheer rock walls were awesom. I highly recommend Desertrex to anyone thinking of taking a day trip in Phoenix. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. Well worth the $$$