It took half a bottle of sunscreen, one of Ryan’s hats, a big pair of polarized sunglasses and a long-sleeved sun shirt, BUT zero traces of sunburn following this weekend’s 100-degree paddle boarding adventure at Watson Lake.
I’ll touch on it a little bit more in-depth tomorrow, but I ended up getting a brand-new ISLE Explorer 3 inflatable stand-up paddle board for this summer.
It’s a long(ish) story — but for now, I just wanted to share some photos of this past Fourth of July weekend’s adventure down to Watson Lake outside of Prescott.
I’d been meaning to paddle Watson Lake forever. There are only a handful of lakes/ rivers/ reservoirs around northern/ central Arizona, and Watson Lake isn’t too far away from Flagstaff.
So, when Jenni asked a bunch of us if we had any interest in staying down in Prescott for the Fourth of July weekend to enjoy fireworks, paddling, grilling and all the other fun holiday festivities, it was an immediate “yes.”
While Ryan and I didn’t make it down for the actual Fourth (we didn’t want to bring Ochi to fireworks), we did make a day trip out of it to join for the Friday paddling portion of the trip.
Ochi — who recently learned how to paddle board — had a blast as well.
I think.
Watson Lake is one of two man-made dammed-off lakes at the Granite Dells. Lots of pros and cons to this place.
Pro: Motorized boats are not allowed, so paddle boarders don’t have to deal with wake.
Con: Swimming in the lake is actually prohibited because it’s loaded with pollution.
Because Watson Lake is man-made and lies downstream from a city of about 30,000 people, it basically catches everything you don’t want to swim in, and the water isn’t treated or cleaned.
However, if you stay on your watercraft the whole time, you’ll be fine. Probably.
All of us (with the exception of Ochi) managed to stay on our paddle boards and kayaks for the duration of our excursion.
I always love the really cool rock formations I get to paddle through in Arizona. The Granite Dells are phenomenal. They consist of these massive billion-year-old granite boulders that have been weathered down into these massive lumpy mounds poking out of the earth.
We spent a few hours paddling around the lake. We parked at the south boat launch, then paddled east for a bit, then north, then east again to check out dragonfly cove.
I really can’t even begin to explain how cool these rock formations are. They completely surround the lake and poke up from beneath the water (at its deepest point, Watson Lake is 50-feet deep) at varying heights.
If you’re interested in paddling around Watson Lake, a few notes: We had a very easy time finding parking, which was $3 payable at a kiosk. Interagency (“America the Beautiful”) passes are not accepted. In addition to a traditional boat launch, the south boat launch also had a long, shaded beach we were able to launch our paddle boards and kayaks from.
There are vendors on-site selling water and snacks, as well as renting watercraft and life jackets. There are restrooms and drinking fountains as well.
After our paddle, we all dried off and went back to the Airbnb Jenni was renting for a bit. We laid our paddle boards out to dry, rinsed the pollution off and started grilling. We had hot dogs (Beyond Brats for Ryan and myself), watermelon, caprese salad, and — of course — tons of Trader Joe’s goodies.
Because a trip to Prescott always comes with a trip to Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s: PLEASE open a Flagstaff location. We beg you.
My new paddle board steers like a dream! I’m so excited to have it. And, I’m excited to tell you all the full story tomorrow.
SHOP PADDLE BOARD GEAR:
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Planning this trip, or something similar?
what to know before you go:
- There is a small entrance fee payable at the parking lot entrance.
- Swimming is prohibited in Watson Lake.
- Personal flotation devices are required on Watson Lake. If you don’t own one, you can rent one at a kiosk on-site.
- Bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen and pack snacks.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.
Recreate responsibly! Always hike safely and Leave No Trace. It is your responsibility to know which land management agency is responsible for the land you are recreating on, and for you to adhere to all rules, regulations, guidelines, camping and campfire restrictions set by said agency.
