Sometimes it’s a lake. Sometimes it’s not. Lower Lake Mary, the smaller of Flagstaff’s twin lakes, has a tendency to disappear during the long dry spells that periodically hit this area. When the lake has water in it, which actually is much of the time, its banks are usually lined with anglers trying to catch the trout which the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks here. If it stays full for a year or two, it will pick up a population of northern pike and catfish.
Access to this lake is directly off Forest Highway 3 (Lake Mary Road). The Lower Lake Mary Picnic Area at the northwestern end of the lake offers a great picnic location, no matter how high or low the water is, with wide open views and lots of tables and grills under ramadas.
During the warm season it is a good place to watch elk, deer, bald eagles, great blue herons and other waterfowl. This is also a good location to bring a kite or bicycle (Lake Mary Road, aka Forest Highway 3, is a popular road for bicycle fans and racers).
See Lower Lake Mary Picnic Area for facility information. See Lake Mary Recreation Corridor for more recreation sites and information about the area.
Directions
Location: 7 miles southeast of Flagstaff on paved roads.
GPS (Map): 35°06’44.0″N 111°34’56.6″W
Access: Take Lake Mary Road (FH 3) south-east from Flagstaff, 7 miles. The day use parking area is on the west side of the road.
Click on map thumbnail for larger view.
GPS Coordinates
Latitude 35° 6′ 23.4756″ N
Longitude 111° 34′ 23.6172″ W