San Carlos Lake

Pinal, Arizona, US

IR 571

103 species

Pinal, Arizona, US

IR 576

101 species

San Carlos Lake

San Carlos, Arizona 85550

Official Website

About this Location

San Carlos is one of eight lakes with desert surroundings created by damming rivers in the hills around Phoenix, and like the others, it has quite a dramatic setting. Deep blue waters are framed by gaunt, rocky, cactus-speckled mountains – in this case, the foothills of the Gila, Mescal, and Santa Teresa ranges.

San Carlos Lake lies within the 3,000-square-mile San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, the second largest in the state (after the Navajo), and is subject to tribal regulations – a permit is required for all hiking, fishing, camping, and off-highway driving.

The lake is close to US-70, the main route between Phoenix and Lordsburg, New Mexico, and is reached by IR-3 which loops around the south side, over the dam then north toward the capital town of San Carlos.

Content from Official Website

Map adapted from © OpenStreetMap contributors