Sometimes it’s a lake. Sometimes it’s not. Lower Lake Mary, the smaller of Flagstaff’s twin lakes, has a tendency to disappear during the long dry spells that periodically hit this area. When the lake has water in it, which actually is much of the time, its banks are usually lined with anglers trying to catch the trout which the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks here. If it stays full for a year or two, it will pick up a population of northern pike and catfish.
Lakeview Campground is a tent camper’s paradise with its terraced hillside campsites tucked in amongst old ponderosa pines. With all the easy forest and lake access, this is also a great place for wildlife watchers. Many visitors report seeing bald eagle, osprey, migratory waterfowl, great blue heron, elk and mule deer.
Good fishing and excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks characterize these two lakeside campgrounds. Ashurst Lake is stocked with trout, bass, and channel catfish, and boasts enough wind for windsurfing.
Dairy Springs is a comfortable campground tucked away in a scenic area of northern Arizona. Its main attraction is the seasonal Mormon Lake which, when filled with water, draws visitors for fishing, windsurfing and wildlife watching. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and photography are available year-round. The facility has both individual and group sites that can accommodate groups of many sizes, including large families.
Both campgrounds hug the lakeshore with campsites huddled in a picturesque stand of gnarly old juniper trees and pinyon pines. One of Ashurst Lake’s most notable characteristics is it ability to hold a high water level in drought years. That can be very important here in northern Arizona where less resilient lakes sometimes dry up.