Pictures courtesy of the Prescott National Forest -Forked Pine Campground.
Campground Overview:
Forked Pine Campground and its sister campground, Ashurst Lake Campground, are located along the shores of Ashurst Lake on the Coconino National Forest. Good fishing and excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks characterize these two lakeside campgrounds. Ashurst Lake is stocked with trout, bass, and channel catfish, and boasts enough wind for windsurfing.
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.
Campsites:
Forked Pine Campground hugs the lake shore with 25 campsites huddled in a picturesque stand of gnarly old juniper trees and pinyon pines. Each Campsite includes tables, fire rings, and cooking grills. Drinking water and toilets (vault and compost type) are available. A boat ramp is located on the lake’s west side. Drive south 19 miles from Flagstaff on Forest Highway 3 (Lake Mary Road) then east about 4 miles on Forest Road 82E.
When these campgrounds are “closed” and there is no host, the public may still use them, providing the road is open. However, drinking water will not be available, and all toilets will be boarded up except for the one closest to the main boat launch, which will be maintained by employees and volunteers. As always, camping around Ashurst Lake is only permitted in designated sites and nowhere else for a one-mile radius around each of the campgrounds.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Developed |
Season: |
May – October |
Nearby City: |
Flagstaff |
Fishing: |
Ashurst Lake |
Campground Website: |
Forked Pine Campground |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Coconino National Forest is one of the most diverse National Forests in the country with landscapes ranging from the famous red rocks of Sedona to Ponderosa pine forests, from southwestern desert to alpine tundra. Explore mountains and canyons, fish in small lakes, and wade in lazy creeks and streams.
There are a number of reasons to visit Ashurst Lake. First, since it’s regularly stocked with rainbow and brook trout, it’s an excellent place to fish. It’s a good place to paddle your canoe, too, or to windsurf or enjoy any of a number of other water sports. A graveled road to the lake and around it provides a good place to ride your mountain bike. The setting’s not bad either. The San Francisco Peaks stand picture perfect on the horizon.
Ashurst Lake is medium-sized, as northern Arizona lakes go, but it has a reputation for holding water even through long dry spells. And if you don’t catch any lunkers, you can always enjoy the peace and quiet and the bragging-size scenery.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.
Upper Lake Mary, located up a few miles up Lake Mary Road, is especially popular with power boaters and water skiers because there is no motor size limit on it. The lake has northern pike, channel cat, crappie, and some trout. There are two paved boat ramps at the parking area with picnic tables, ramadas, barbeque grills, and toilets. You’ll find additional picnic, boating, fishing facilities, and an accessible boat launch facilities at Lake Mary Narrows further south-east.
Mormon Lake is the largest natural lake in Arizona… sometimes. During droughts it’s frequently not so large, and not so much a lake. Occasionally it’s even bone dry. Wet or not, this has an excellent overlook where you can often see wildlife and birds across the lake’s landscape. There is also a picturesque little resort on the lake’s western shore where you can rent recreational equipment such as mountain bikes, horses to ride, snowmobiles and cross-country skis in season. Or you can drop in at the Mormon Lake Lodge, a famous cowboy steak house where the brands of local ranches are burned into the log walls.
Dairy Springs Campground and Double Springs Campground are located nearby. There, in addition to developed campsites, you’ll find some excellent hiking trails which lead to panoramic overlooks of the lake and the surrounding area.
Nearby Campgrounds:
Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby
