Man of Rock: The boulders that form an island in Watson Lake appear to look like a man of rock standing proudly looking across the water. The balanced rock on top forming the head and the vertical granite boulders form the body, arms, and legs. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

Located just four miles north of downtown Prescott, Ariz. are the Granite Dells, which contains thousands of granite boulders and two lakes, Willow Creek Reservoir and Watson Lake. A portion of the Granite Dells and Watson Lake make up Watson Lake Park, one of the most beautiful city parks in the state.

The huge granite boulders that make up the Dells are 1.4 billion years old. The millenniums of erosion, weathering and geologic activity have created the spherical shaped boulders that we see today. The Dells pop up quickly as you approach the area from any direction. Highway 89 which runs north from Prescott travels through the center of the Dells offering travelers a nice view of the area from the roadway.

For the purpose of this post, I am featuring Watson Lake since it is owned by the city of Prescott and is a part of the city park. We were fortunate to spend several days in a RV Park that is adjacent to the city park and is an easy hike to the park.

The Chino Valley Irrigation District constructed a dam on the Granite Creek in the early 1900s. The City of Prescott purchased the lake and surrounding land in 1997. The city wanted to preserve the area as recreational land. Today Watson Lake Park is a jewel of a city park which offers visitors a variety of outdoor recreational activities.

To add to the beauty, Watson Lake is surrounded by the Granite Dells. The granite boulders shine in the Arizona sunshine and provide ample climbing and hiking opportunities. The park offers two boat launches for kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarders, row boating, and fishing. The dells around the shore as well as several islands provide coves and niches for water enthusiast to explore. Numerous trails for hiking and biking take visitors all over the park and the rocky dells offer rock climbers plenty of challenges.

In addition to the various sporting activities Watson Lake is ideal for family outings and picnics. There is a campground on the property, but it is only open in the summer months. There is a disc golf course, horseshoes and bocce ball in addition to a playground for children and ball fields. 

The gorgeous rocky landscape surrounding Lake Watson offer photographers unlimited photo opportunities and the light and time of day allow the scenes to continually change. While we enjoyed clear blue skies every day that we were in Prescott, the stormy clouds of the monsoon season hanging over the Dells and the lake would make some very dramatic photos. 

This City Park could easily be a State Park because of the activities provided and the geologic history of the dells and the history of Lake Watson. The park is open year round. We will definitely return to this beautiful park during future trips to Arizona; maybe the next visit will provide some stormy clouds over the area for some dramatic photos!

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Watson Lake: The huge round and lumpy granite boulders surround Lake Watson in Prescott, Ariz. The lake and surrounding area make up Watson Lake Park, a city park owned by the City of Prescott. The park offers a variety of outdoor recreation activities for visitors. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

City Park: A large grassy area provides space for many outdoor activities at Watson Lake Park, which is owned by the City of Prescott, Ariz. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Hiker: A single hiker seen in red in the lower left portion of this photo peers into the water of Lake Watson. The hikers offers a sense of scale as to the size of these granite boulders that surround the lake. Hiking trails run throughout the park including several trails through the boulders. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Islands and Coves: The unique geological granite formations that make up the Dells also create numerous islands of various sizes. The islands and the shoreline also create many coves for water sportsmen to explore around the lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Water Sports: Kayaking, canoeing, paddle boards and other water craft offer participants a chance to explore Watson Lake in all areas. The city park offers two boat launches for the boaters as well as rental sources for boaters who do not have their own water craft. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com