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| Lake Roosevelt from Tonto National Monument |
Roosevelt Lake is a welcome
patch of blue amidst the dusty greens and browns that is a central Arizona.
It’s a man-made lake, at one
time the largest in the world, that’s named for President Teddy Roosevelt. It
was created in 1911 when the Salt River was damned. It’s since been eclipsed by
Lake Powell and Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Still, it is the third largest
lake in Arizona. When it was constructed, Roosevelt Dam was the highest masonry
dam in the world.
The lake is 22 miles long,
though not all of it is visible from Highway 188. It’s more than 300 feet deep
at its deepest. It’s the first and largest of the lakes created on the Salt
River.
If you want to see stunning views of the lake, head up to Tonto National Monument, just up the hill from the lake.
Lake Roosevelt is popular
with outdoors recreationalists. Fishermen like it for the trophy largemouth
bass as well as smallmouth bass, crappie and channel catfish. It’s also got some
nice beaches for camping. Water sports enthusiasts enjoy waterskiing, jet
skiing, swimming and general boating.
Roosevelt Lake is about 30
miles from Globe on Highway 188. Visitors coming from Phoenix can take Apache
Trail, a scenic route that takes you through the Superstition Mountains; there’s
a lengthy section of dirt road on this section of Highway 188.
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