This stunning lake is just outside of Prescott. The scenery is spectacular, with amazing rock formations around and in the lake. There are several hiking trails around it. There is some boating/kayaking allowed. Boat ramps, some playground equipment, picnic tables. It costs to get in, but you can buy an annual pass which gets you into other parks in the area. We love coming here when we're in the area. read more

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Beautiful trail with lots of pathways and cool scenery. Also can get a really nice view of the lake and hear the ducks. Would for sure recommend checking this trail out if you can and just enjoy the scenery. read more

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Beautiful area to hike. We enjoyed hiking here around the lake, nice views and lots of wildlife. We witnessed a hawk hunt a snake here, an incredible moment. read more

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If you are looking for a quiet place to rest from the noise of the busy city Watson Lake is the place. Impressive twisted rock formations surround this still lake that reflects the blue sky above. Its quiet shores are home to water fowl that frequent this oasis. We had a great time hiking around the lake and enjoying the scenery here, sitting on the rocks, climbing the boulders, keeping ourselves from falling and breaking our necks (no kidding!) and legs, and just being awed by the beauty of this magnificent natural wonder of a creation by God. Really quite incredible, you have to see it for yourself. read more

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This lake is amazing for kayaking! The dells are breathtaking, especially as you glide in and out of the many coves! And the famous Aunt Jemima rock formation is a sight to see! So beautiful and majestic. And for a real thrill, try moonlight kayaking in the summer months! Outstanding and unique. read more

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Gorgeous lake with unique rock formations. There's a $3 entry fee to park. The main attraction here is the lake that is surrounded by granite dells. This is a great spot for boating in a small craft (kayak, canoe, small fishing boat). There's also a five mile loop where you can hike around the lake. There's excellent bird watching here. The park itself has a small playground for kids and some picnic tables. read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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I love this lake a lot very beautiful views although you can't swim in it. Lots of places to walk around

I used to absolutely LOVE this gorgeous lake, I would rate this zero but you're not allowed to rate zero on yelp... which personally, I think they should rethink. Especially when it's this bad. I was there on Saturday 8/30/25...from the moment I stepped out of my car with my two small dogs and my mom, all I could smell was crap. From the moment that you hit the portion that goes down to the lake near where they rent kayaks and paddle boards, the entire grassy area all the way down to the water and floating in the water is dog crap. It's everywhere. We paid $3 just to enter and left 20 minutes later. It was so disgusting that we didn't even want my dogs to be around it. I will probably never ever go back to this lake. I can't believe that they will hire people to take your money coming into the park, but they won't hire anyone to keep a watchful eye out for people who don't pick up their dogs' crap on the ground. I am not exaggerating when I say that every square foot of ground had to at least 10 turds on it. It is absolutely disgusting!!!! read more

Great location for both camping and walking. The Watson Loop Trail [not gravel the entire way] is semi-difficult depending on the weather. Amazing views and wildlife can be seen. Bring more water than you think will be needed for this hike in the hot sun. read more

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This Is Great Place to go boating or hiking, there are small kayaks that you can rent on the lake if you catch it at the right time and there is a plethora of different hiking trails. There is a moderately strenuous trail that does go around the lake, which will include climbing over rocks and is just under 5 miles . It's beautiful, but take a lot of water and I wouldn't do it during the high heat of the day. Hike it clockwise!!! That way you take the difficult part first and the second half is much easier read more

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Beautiful, the rock formations are astounding. The have kayak rentals, next time I will have to do. It was a beautiful Monday, no one was around. I WOULD RECOMMEND read more

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A true Prescott gem. Watson Lake is a man made lake about an hour and a half north of Phoenix. On a sunny August day, temps got up to about 90. While this is still hot, it's a great way to beat the 112 temps back home. I wanted to bring up my paddle board to get active while staying in Prescott for the week. I was skeptical of being able to paddle board, with signs that said "no swimming." There was a kayak rental truck so I talked to the employee who told me that paddle boarding is allowed. Life jackets are permitted for ages 12 and under. They must be worn. For 13 and over, you just need to have them on board. I tied my life jacket to my paddle board and was able to enjoy a nice tan. Lots of algae and fish! Beautiful views, some birds enjoying the sun on some rocks, and a nice quiet lake. There are multiple rocks with lots of parking. $3 entrance fee, cash or card. Lots of places to sit and enjoy the weather and a playground for younger kids. Everyone enjoying the lake was super friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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A very beautiful and stunning setting for a park. We hiked on the east side of the lake along the Peavine rails-to-trails trail which was very nice and scenic. Parking is $3. We then drove around to the Watson Lake Park on the west side and did a short hike/ boulder scramble down to the water's edge. Again great views from just a different angle. Parking is also $3. You can rent kayaks, you can play disc golf (on one of the craziest courses I have ever seen), you can picnic, and you can hike. Plenty of photo ops. The Granite Canyon is lovely. read more

A beautiful, short hike close to downtown! The rocks surrounding the lake are breath-taking. I started from the North shore, near the boat ramp and went clockwise. Instead of planning this ahead of time like I normally do, I decided to just wing it and go as far as I had time for and turned around whenever I needed to. The hike is somewhat technical, there are parts where you have to climb up a little. I highly recommend wearing a good pair of grippy trail/hiking shoes to help you get better hold on the rocks. What's great about the trails here are they are marked with white dots, so as long as you're following the white dots, you won't stray off the trails and get yourself lost (even though you might veer off to a different trail). In about a mile in or so, you'd come across a man-made little waterfall! Entrance/parking is $3 for an all-day pass. Check the website for hours because hours vary depending on season. read more

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This is a quiet peaceful lake connected to Willow lake by a small dam. The water level is down here. They allow Kayaks but no swimming. Many picnic areas and bocce ball and horseshoes. The sign said the City of Prescott spent 15 million on property and upgrades. I think it really shows. Wonderful areas. read more

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Beautiful lake and the boulders just add a level of depth to this area. Great trails and easy to get around. It's only $3 for parking which you can tell they use to keep the area nice. read more

Beautiful Lake. Lovely Scenery. Varying-In-Difficulty Hiking Trails. Kayak Rentals Available. $3 Parking. Different Summer & Winter Hours. See Below for More Info: Beautiful Lake: Located in Prescott, Arizona, Watson Lake is beautiful and easily one of my favorite bodies of water. Lovely Scenery: The Watson Lake scenery is lovely. From views of the gorgeous, blue lake to the vibrant, tall trees, one will appreciate being out in nature. If you are a fan of waterfalls, I recommend hiking the Flume Trail to Watson Dam. Varying-In-Difficulty Hiking Trails: One of the many things I appreciate of Watson Lake is that there is a hiking trail available for all difficulties. These trails include the Peavine (12 miles), Watson Lake Loop (4.8 miles), Flume (2.4 miles), Northshore (2 miles), Lakeshore Trail (1.6 miles), Discovery Trail (1.6 miles), and Over the Hill Trail (1 mile). Kayak Rentals Available: Kayak rents are available at Watson Lake for an hourly or daily rate courtesy of Prescott Outdoors. Different Summer & Winter Hours: Watson Lake hours in the summer are from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM whereas in the winter the hours are from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Free Parking: Watson Lake has parking for $3. However, parking is free all day on Wednesdays read more

Watson Lake - Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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Absolutely beautiful and magnificent lake with all the dells and the landscape is truly breathless. We came to explore and decided to go on a hike to the dam and it was about a mile or so. The terrain changes so you're never bored. The hike would be moderate level and very rocky in many places but also some easier stretches. What's extra fun is that the scenery keeps changing so you're never bored on this hike. We didn't go all the way around the lake which would have been the full 5-mile loop, but we sure got plenty of exercise and enjoyed the views. It's a bit intense and strenuous at times if you're not used to hiking and for little ones it's definitely harder, but my kids did well and even better than me. read more

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Have been to Prescott multiple times but never went here unless on our last trip we decided. This is a unique lake and the views are gorgeous. $3 for car parking/entry is very economical. Has a big park as well inside with well-built restrooms. The place has plenty of parking options and we could get it easily. This is picturous lake with big rocks everywhere and you will have to hike a bit to reach near the lakeshore. We loved this lake and would recommend it in Prescott town. read more

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This place is beautiful and less than 5 minutes from my apartment. Located in the City of Prescott about 10 minutes from downtown. The lake has picturesque views, grassy areas for children to play, picnic areas, areas to camp, a lake for kayaking and plenty of trails to choose from for every fitness level. The trails were very safe and marked so even I couldn't get lost. I'm not sure why I've never been before but I will definitely be back to enjoy the beautiful views. read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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Stunning location. I drove up from Phoenix and it ended up raining about twenty minutes into my ISUP adventure. It was okay until it started to hail and lightning so I wasn't sure what my oar was made of and decided I didn't want to hold a potential conductor so I waited out the on and off hard rain, deflated my board and hiked around. Luckily I brought back up clothes because it's not the first time I've driven up north to do something water oriented and it storms. I didn't go all the way around so I'll be back to try it again. I happened to go on a Wednesday too so it was free! Bonus for not getting to do much since it poured basically the entire time. I started to get cold so I dipped out but it was beautiful there. Tip for Arizona: plan for all seasons when you leave your home. read more

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In between his busy schedule, Charmin Chicken decided to visit Watson Lake in Prescott (Preskit) AZ and what a gem it was! If you plan to walk/hike close to the lake, the trails can be rocky and slippery so be prepared. You don't need to go crazy to enjoy the amazing views, but it was a great nature walk and Charmin spotted a heron and a huge koi fish at the lake. How the koi fish got there is anyone's guess, but Charmin highly recommends a visit to Watson Lake if you're in the area! read more

Watson Lake - A photo of Charmin taking it all in. - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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If you are in Arizona and near Prescott this is a must stop. You can drive in pay $3 park and your right at this beautiful view. If you don't want to pay for parking and don't mind the walk there is a small parking lot by willow lake and you walk down some steps to the left and continue to Watson lake. You can walk all the way around Watson lake or just part of it. There are benches along the way and choices of steep trail or steeper trail. There is a small beach area where you can put a paddle board or kayak in. No swimming is allowed. Dog friendly and I felt very safe. Most everyone was wearing a mask and would step off the trail to let me pass. If you're a disc golfer there is also a course here. There is also a huge grassy area people were playing bocce ball and playing with their dogs. If you're not a hiker you can still just enjoy the view from a bench at the top. read more

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This is one of my favorite parks in Prescott. Really great area to take a hike, bike, have a picnic, or even just watch the sunset. It was quiet and peaceful during our time there. I've heard a lot of people kayak here but it was to late for us to do that. Some of the trails have loose rocks so I'd recommend having shoes with some grip. read more

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Beautiful lake! $3 to get in and Wednesday's are free! I asked the lady at the gate if there was benches and a great place to see the view. She said go straight all the way up, don't turn and that's what I did and saw a beautiful view! There's grass and a little kids park as well. If you want to sit on the grass you can bring your own chairs. read more

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This lake has dried up so much. It was sad seeing it. We did however see an eagle from afar on a dried tree.

Prescott was a cool town .. grabbed lunch .. looked at scenery and saw this lake on Yelp. was hoping to take pics of lake with reflections of the cool rocks. theres a pull off on the road that you can see the lake from above for free but limited parking. The fee for getting into the park was 3 dollar but when we went to pay it said it's free on Wednesdays. We stopped and looked ... its pretty but there wasn't the cool reflections in the water that I was hoping for. LOTS of birds ... a lady brought food for them and they were obviously expecting it. the large geese were very loud. there were people walking their dogs, kayaking, hiking. nice place read more

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My favorite place to paddleboard! Great park with tons of amazing views, hiking trails, boat launch, picnic tables, etc. They have a ton of parking and you can pull up and unload your kayaks, paddleboard, etc right at the water. It's so peaceful and stunning here, way less crowded than Saguaro so it's worth the drive. I will be back for sure! read more

I spent an entire month at the RV park that backs up to Watson lake so I was able to hike around the lake nearly every day. I definitely recommend hiking the trail that circles the lake it is full of beautiful sites. There is a boat dock for canoes or paddleboard's and extra parking and a few areas. Great for the family also great place to escape sit on top of some rocks and look over a beautiful lake and meditate. read more

A very scenic beautiful park in the city of Prescott with stunning views year round and great walking trails. The lake itself is an old man made reservoir to save water for lower elevation farms. It was built in the 1930s and nestled in the Granite Dels. During the warmer months it offers a great place for kayaking, canoeing and water activities. It has been the back drop to many advertisements posters and commercials because of the stunning beauty. read more

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Such a pretty hike around the lake! First time here (FINALLY) after 6 years of us going to Prescott 2x per year! Not sure why we hadn't checked out out, but boy I glad we did! Parked up top walked down by the boating launch area and started a hike there. Followed the white dots through the boulder trail, love that btw! There was 8 of us, the youngest being 5 years old and it was an easy hike for most of us. The weather was perfect when we first started at 46* but then we had to stop when it started raining & then it got windy lol. Will definitely be back here again and continue the rest of the trails! The boulders are remarkably unique and out of this world. This place makes you feel like you're on an entirely different planet! Too bad the lake is polluted but looks fun to kayak on it for sure! Such a gorgeous scenery all around. The granite formations are picturesque & take pictures they look absolutely amazing! Can't wait to go back during the winter when they're covered with snow! read more

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What a pleasant surprise! We visited here during a mother daughter trip. My mom likes to get out and explore but hates hiking. So, I convinced her to go and just checkout the lake and it kept her entertained for a good hour, which is tough to do LOL. There are many picnic tables, barbecue grills and more. I was surprised to see 2 boat launches, kayak rentals, restrooms, horseshoe pits and more! This place is DEFINITELY large, so I would do your research ahead of time on where you want to go as once inside, if you don't really know where you're going, you might be driving around a bit! read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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The brown lumps of rock formation (Granite Dells) reminds me of mud pie so it makes me smile to see it. These boulders are quite sturdy and grippy due to their coarse texture. It is fun to hop around on them. We hiked the lakeshore trail next to the boat launch, after a while, it started to get steep so we took a break to sit in the shade to marvel at the sites before turning around. On another trail to the car, we were surprised to see some people playing disc golf in a place with so many obstacles. read more

Awesome place. Can rent canoes and paddle boards. Great trails around the lake. Wonderful views and scenery. Kept very clean.

Watson Lake has incredible variety from aquatic marshland for bird watching to incredible coves and ponds amid granite outcrops. The ~5 mile Watson Lake loop trail is a must do if you are sure footed and OK with scrambling along the outcrops on the north shore trail and over the hill trail. We hiked the full loop clockwise from the parking along the highway 89 overlook. The North Shore portion of the trail provides the classic boulder lined lake view with numerous side trails to the water. The trail just north and below the dam at the intersection with the Flume trail is incredible with running water from the dam outlet, lush grasses, numerous ponds, and solitude. We saw no other hikers in this portion. The Over the Hill portion of the loop will challenge your footing. Boots with good soles are necessary and you will not be able to use hiking sticks in this section. On the northeast portion of the loop you can cut over to the Peavine bike route to speed up your return or stay in the rocks. The southern portion of the peavine trail runs next to the city wood chipping and waste transfer area so is a bit noisy but you quickly cut across Granite creek among beautiful cottonwoods to the Discovery trail and the parking lot. This last portion is excellent for bird watching and we saw several nature photographers here. read more

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Good Little Hiking Spot, Dirty Water Though... Good area for some little hikes through the rocks along the water part of the way. Close in town so easy access! Nice park areas and picnic spots. You now have to pay $3 entry fee... The water levels are pretty low right now and green with algae. This leaves you with stinky water. What else can be said.... Go take a hike! read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

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--Atmosphere, Hours, & Parking--- I visited this lake with some friends, and we had a great time here for a couple hours kayaking. The views with blue skies and the surrounding rocks provide for some spectacular views to say the least, especially if you're in the water and getting up and close to them. The hours of the lake itself are from 6 AM to 10 PM (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and 7 AM until Sunset (Labor day to Memorial Day). We ended up parking in some free spots and took a little walk down, but there seemed to be a big lot for parking when you get to the lake. --Amenities & Activities-- Activities of the lake include fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, camping and day picnicking. Swimming is prohibited, and looking at the water, it didn't seem you'd want to anyways. For more info check out their website here: http://www.prescott-az.gov/recreation-area/watson-lake-park/ On Fridays - Sundays from 8am - 4pm, kayak and canoe rental is available with a company called Prescott Outdoors for reasonable prices. Friends and I took part in the rentals, and it was an easy and friendly process. I look forward to visiting again in the future! read more

Went on a last minute trip to Prescott and visited Watson Lake for the first time, and was worth the drive. The lake is beautiful and the area surrounding the lake as well. Unfortunately, I was not prepared and was not wearing my hiking shoes, so I couldn't hike down to get close to the water. This lake is perfect to check out during the summer and enjoy the water, kayak, fish, and take your boat out. Will definitely be back once the weather starts to warm up. read more

Watson Lake - Lakes Near Me - Prescott, Arizona

Definitely recommend kayaking on Watson Lake! We came on a Sunday morning and it was quite nice. Upon arrival, be sure to reserve your spot online. We tried paying when we got there but they still ended up asking us to go online for it. The process was fast. We were on the water within 10 mins. They give you a water vest and a water bag for your phones. We spent about almost two hours going around the lake and exploring. I recommend 2 hours. Try to go early during the summer hours. They close at 3pm. read more

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This as our first trip and it's fabulous and so excited to drive from Phoenix . The lake is lively scenic to view and picnic area was good for families to spend time . Restrooms were clean , cleanliness was maintained out around , play area for kids as well. Only suggest is instead of kayaking, we need small pedaling boats for families were everyone can't kayak in that lake. read more

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