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Good fishing and excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks characterize these two lakeside campgrounds. Ashurst Lake camping is stocked with trout, bass, and channel catfish, and boasts enough wind for windsurfing. 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. In addition to fishing and board sailing, the lake offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching during the spring waterfowl migration. For a special treat look for white-faced ibises grazing in the shallows along with the cinnamon teal, pintails and other ducks. Bald eagles and osprey can also be seen in the area, along with a number of species of hawks and songbirds. A graveled road to the lake and graveled road that surrounds most of the lake provides convenient access for most passenger vehicles and bicycles. Rustic gravel and “two-track” roads in the area offer some great opportunities to mountain bike or walk out into the surrounding juniper/ponderosa mixed forest for some wildlife viewing and open spaces. The San Francisco Peaks stand majestically on the horizon providing a grand display of Arizona’s volcanic past.
Great campground, and the camp host was just the best. Thank you for a great vacation. It is first come first serve for spots so get there at check out if you want to find a good spot.
Camped there recently and enjoyed it, camp sites well spaced, cell service was sketchy sometimes on and off during the day - road in was 4.5 miles dirt and washboarded. Bring extra shade on warm days since there are many campsites with little or no shade.
It's about five miles down a dirt road. Small fishing lake stocked with trout and several people fishing. The campground is first come first served. Recommend trailers no bigger than 26 feet. Vault toilets were clean. Place is remote and quiet.
The place is clean and the camp hosts are so incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Small lake is great for a more intimate experience. My dog had a blast. Driving there in September was so breath taking. The meadows were full of beautiful flowers. I feel comfortable enough to camp there solo.
Campsites were decent. Could've been closer to the water and a little bigger. The ranger told us we had one of the best spots due to proximity to the lake but we had a hard time finding room for our 6 person tent. Fire pit/ring was very nice and in good condition. Portapots were very well maintained several times a day. Now, the road up the the campgrounds..... Is extremely extremely bumpy. If they could just lay some asphalt down it would make this area so much better!
