Saguaro Lake
Mesa, AZ
A reservoir on the Salt River formed by Stewart Mountain Dam, surrounded by towering red and orange canyon walls. The Butcher Jones Recreation Area provides beach access with saguaro-studded cliffs rising directly from the shoreline. Wild horses from the Salt River herd are frequently seen along the lake's shores and surrounding desert.
Photography Guide
- Best Time
- golden hour
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Shot Types
- widelandscapereflectionportrait
- Best Seasons
- springfallwinter
Author's Comments
The first time I came to Saguaro Lake I was looking for the horses and found the water instead. The Salt River herd does come down to drink, often in the early hours, and if you are patient and quiet you will get your portraits. But what surprised me was the canyon itself. The walls rise straight from the shoreline in that particular Sonoran palette of rust and ochre, and the saguaros stand on the cliffs like sentries that have been there longer than anyone can remember. In the still hour just after sunrise, before the boats come out and break the surface, the reflection is nearly perfect. I prefer this place in November or early March. Summer is brutal and the light goes harsh by nine. In the cooler months the golden hour stretches, and the low sun catches the western wall in a way that turns the rock almost molten against the dark water below. Butcher Jones is the access I keep returning to, partly for the beach and partly for the way the cove curves so that you can shoot in two directions without moving more than a few yards. Arrive before nine. The parking fills, the wind picks up, and the reflections you came for disappear into chop. Bring a longer lens for the horses and a wider one for the canyon. If you are lucky the two subjects will meet in the same frame, a band of mustangs along the shoreline with the cliffs rising behind them, and you will not need to do much else that day.
Gallery
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Nearby Places
Mesa, AZ
Salt River Wild Horse Area
An area along the Lower Salt River near Bush Highway where herds of wild horses roam freely along the riverbanks. The Salt River wild horses are descendants of horses released or escaped over the past century and are protected by Arizona state law. The horses are frequently seen grazing, crossing the river, and interacting in family bands.
Mesa, AZ
Phon D Sutton Recreation Area
A recreation area along the Lower Salt River below Saguaro Lake Dam where the river flows through a cottonwood-lined channel. The area provides access to shallow river crossings popular with wild horses and wading birds. Desert cliffs and riparian cottonwood forest create a striking contrast at the desert's edge.
Mesa, AZ
Canyon Lake
A narrow reservoir on the Salt River along the Apache Trail, surrounded by dramatic volcanic cliff walls rising hundreds of feet. The lake fills a steep-sided canyon in the Superstition Wilderness with minimal shoreline development. The Dolly Steamboat offers guided tours through the inner canyon for unique water-level perspectives of the cliffs.