Tonto Basin Ranger District

Apache Lake is an 18-mile long body of water next to the Superstition Wilderness. It was formed by the Horse Mesa Dam in 1927.

Some of the fish found in Apache lake include walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. The variety of game fish have made the lake a popular fishing destination.

Canyon Lake is east of Apache Junction in the Superstition Mountains. It was formed in 1925 after the completion of Mormon Flat Dam.

Dolly's Steamboat is a 100-foot replica of a double-decker sternwheeler, with tours of Canyon Lake. There are nature and dinner cruises offered, and chartered cruises can be arranged. Wildlife viewing includes bald eagles, hawks, vultures, bighorn sheep, coyote, bobcats and mountain lions.

Fish Creek Hill, in the Tonto National Forest, is the most exciting (and dangerous) part of the Apache Trail, dropping 1,500 feet in just three miles.

The Reavis Ranch Trailhead is at the former home of Elisha Reavis, who lived as a hermit in the area from 1872 to 1896.

In the hilly region northeast and east of Phoenix (Tonto National Forest, Mazatzal Mountains, Sierra Ancha Mountains) a series of dams have been built in recent decades, forming artificial lakes to ensure an adequate water supply for the rapidly growing population of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The oldest of these lakes is Theodore Roosevelt Lake, to the east of Scottsdale, which was formed by the construction of a dam in 1911. Various water sports (swimming, water-skiing, boating, etc.) are permitted in specially signposted areas.

Theodore Roosevelt Dam, once the largest of its kind in the world, is named for the President who dedicated it on March 10, 1911. The dam is part of the Salt River Project.

To the south of Theodore Roosevelt Lake, near SR 88, is the Tonto National Monument, a pueblo constructed by Salago Indians in the 14th century.

Exhibits show how the Salado lived in the cave dwellings.

Tortilla Flat is an old stagecoach stop in the Superstition Mountains, constructed in 1904. The town has become a popular tourist destination with restored buildings, a wooden sidewalk, and a post office that was established in 1927.