Lake Pleasant campout

View from camper
Friday afternoon Berta and I took off with the camper to Lake Pleasant, located 30 miles north of Phoenix. Managed by the Maricopa county Parks and Recreation Department, this area offers diving, fishing, hiking, camping and boating opportunities.

Lake Pleasant, a small part
The lake was originally created in the 1920s with the building of the Waddel Dam on the Agua Fria River. In 1992 the construction of a larger dam tripled the size of the lake. Lake Pleasant is Arizona’s second largest lake with 50 miles of shoreline.

Hillside above Lake Pleasant studded with Sagauro cactus
The lake is surrounded by Sonoran desert, the most complex of any desert type because of its diversity of species.

Globe Mallow and Brittlebush

Ocotillo

Pincushion Cactus
This diversity is partly attributed to geologic history.

Barrel Cactus
This geologic area of Arizona is known as the Basin and Range. After spending billions of years mostly under ocean waters a massive uplift to the north and east caused the land to stretch and allowed volcanic intrusions to build several mountain ranges. Erosion filled valleys and today we only see the tips of the mountains.

Chalcedony Desert Rose
Quartz is found in veins and pockets. Chalcedony is quartz that formed at or near the earth’s surface or in a pocket with no pressure creating the Desert Rose.

P and Berta looking at rocks

Three wild burros
A heard of 280 burros roam the adjacent public lands. Left behind by prospectors in the 1860s, they don’t pay any attention to human made land boundaries. We had seen burro dung around camp and heard their echoing cry.

Had to leave Saturday afternoon to pick up a friend from the airport shuttle. But can’t wait for the next campout.