Granite Dells
 
Hiking Trails

Watson Lake & Willow Lake


Watson Lake, hiking trails, arizona hiking, prescott az

Watson Lake Trails

  • North Shore Trail
  • Over the Hill Trail
  • Secret Cove
  • Treehouse Loop
  • Lakeshore Trail
  • Discovery Trail
  • Peavine Trail

Clockwise from Northern Parking / Watson Overlook:

  • Watson Lake Loop Trail (Watson Lake Trail) - goes up into the rocks and looping around Watson Lake.  The flattest point of this trail is the Peavine Trail section along the Eastern side of the lake which technically isn’t part of the Watson Lake Trail but is close enough to pick it up.

  • North Shore Trail - follows a section of the Watson Lake Trail into the the rocks above the water
  • Over the Hill Trail - also a section of Watson Lake Trail
  • Secret Cove - branches off the Watson Lake Trail and heads toward the water along the shore.
  • Treehouse Loop - branches off into the rocks and reconnects to the Lakeshore Trail section of Watson Loop
  • Lakeshore Trail - runs in a squiggly parallel to the Peavine Trail then connects to the first mile of the Peavine
  • Peavine Trail - drops down a small hill to the Discovery Trail that runs along the South shore to the trailhead at the Southern parking area near the Kayak Rentals and South Dock parking area.

Of course there are birds and trees and flowers and cactus throughout Watson Lake and the Mile High Trail System. At Watson there’s virtually no bad view. Don’t like what you see? Walk a little further because the landscape around the park is ever changing.

City of Prescott Trail Map to Watson Lake

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Take a Virtual Tour of Watson Lake

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Willow Lake Trails

  • Willow Lake Loop Trail
  • Approach Trail
  • Apex Trail
  • Willow Lake North Trail
    • Canyon Trail
    • Basin Trail
  • Red Bridge Loops
  • East Bay Loops
  • East Bay Trail
  • Spur Trail Loop

Clockwise from the North Boat Ramp Parking Area:

  • Willow Lake Loop Trail (Willow Lake Trail) - main trail that follows closest to the lake shore, above the water, into the rocks and all the way around the lake.
  • Approach Trail - short segment of Willow Loop Trail that follows the water with the Willow Lake North Trail branching off
  • Willow Lake North Trail - goes into the rocks and loops around reconnecting to the Willow Loop Trail a ways down from where it branched.
    • Canyon Trail - makes up the beginning of the North Trail; connects to Basin Trail; connects back to the Willow Lake Trail
    • Basin Trail - loops back towards the lake to complete the last segment of the North Trail.
  • Red Bridge Loops - goes into the rocks; Willow Loop section runs closer to the shore
  • East Bay Loops - two different loops run in opposite direction of each other before reconnecting
  • East Bay Trail - occasionally will be submerged depending on water level; reconnects to Willow Lake Trail at the trailhead and off-street parking on Willow Lake Rd.
  • Willow Lake trail - continues around the perimeter of the lake
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Take a Virtual Tour of Willow Lake

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City of Prescott Trail Map to Willow Lake

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