Lake Pleasant Regional Park

Lake Pleasant Regional Park is a nature reserve with an artificial lake northwest of Phoenix in Arizona. The water surface is surrounded by dry hills and cactus fields, crossed by shore paths and boat ramps.

At the end of the 1920s, the construction of New Waddell Dam on the Agua Fria River created a large reservoir here. The project initially served the water supply of the growing Phoenix region before the area was later opened to visitors.

Petroglyphs along the shore date back to times when different groups moved through this region and stopped at the water. Hikers today sometimes come across these carvings, showing that people lived here long before the reservoir existed.

The entrance sits on Route 74, with signs pointing the way to campgrounds and ramps. Paths to the water are mostly flat, and on hot days visitors need plenty of drinking water.

Ospreys and bald eagles return each year to the same nests along the shore. Some of these nests have stood in old trees for decades and are easily seen from the water.

Location: Arizona

GPS coordinates: 33.90087,-112.26933

Latest update: December 14, 2025 19:16