Upper Lake Mary

Flagstaff's go-to water playground — a long, narrow reservoir stretching through the ponderosa pines along Lake Mary Road, and the main lake in the area open to motorized boating. Summer brings a lively mix of powerboats, kayaks, paddleboarders, and anglers chasing walleye, northern pike, and catfish, while a buoyed-off swim area and lakeside ramadas with grills make it an easy half-day outing.

The developed boat launch and picnic area on the northwest shore is the main access point (day-use fee applies). As a reservoir fed by snowmelt and monsoon runoff, water levels swing considerably from year to year — spring after a snowy winter is prime, while late-summer droughts can leave launches high and dry. Watch for bald eagles and osprey working the water, and elk in the surrounding meadows at dawn and dusk.