66710 Hwy 60
(PO Box 700)
Salome, Arizona 85348
Phone: (928) 859-3846
Email: mcmullencoc@gmail.com
Providing online information for the communities of the Arizona Outback
since 1997 ... www.AZOutback.net
Link to Alamo Lake State Page Home Page
ALAMO LAKE STATE PARK
Alamo Lake State Park is one of Arizona’s best kept secrets. The stark desert beauty is reflected off the water where cacti dot the mountainous landscape that surround the lake. Nestled in the Bill Williams River Valley, the park offers outdoor fun, premier bass fishing, rest and relaxation.
The crystal clear lake is surrounded by mountainous terrain speckled with brush, wildflowers and cacti making for a visually pleasing experience. The park has good wildlife viewing opportunities, and you may spot a bald or golden eagle. Nestled in the Bill Williams River Valley away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Alamo Lake State Park offers outdoor fun, premier bass fishing, rest and relaxation. For nature lovers, spring rains bring an abundance of wild flowers and the lake environment attracts a variety of wildlife year round, including waterfowl, foxes, coyotes, mule deer and wild burros. Stargazers are sure to enjoy the amazing views of the night sky with the nearest city lights some forty miles away!
Alamo Lake, located on the Bill Williams River where the Big Sandy River and Santa Maria River come together, was created with the completion of Alamo Dam in 1968. The Army Corps of Engineers designed the earthen dam primarily for flood control. During flood events, the lake basin is capable of “capturing” large amounts of water in a relatively short time. The lake has been recorded rising 11 vertical feet in one night! Unusually high flows during the late 1970s and through the 1980s have increased the average size of the lake, helping to create one of Arizona's best fishing holes.
Fishing tournaments are common at the lake and anglers have an excellent opportunity to catch bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and black crappie. Remember, the desert can be harsh and dangerous, but it is also very fragile. Help us protect it, and yourself, by camping in the designated camp areas and keeping vehicles on maintained roadways.
RESTRICTION NOTICE: No Water Skiing or Towable Devices. Due to low water levels, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is still advising that Alamo Lake continue to restrict all water skiing and towable devices. (Effective April 30, 2014)
Alamo Dam, completed in 1968, by the Army Corps of Engineers, is an earthen dam designed primarily for flood control. It is Arizona's largest earth filled dam.Photography Copyright © Arizona State Parks. All rights reserved.
A LITTLE HISTORY
(Opened & Dedicated November 1969)
The Alamo Dam Project was recommended for approval by the Chief of Engineers, Corps of Engineers, and authorized by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1944. The purposes of the project were to protect the Lower Colorado River area from floods originating on the Bill Williams River drainage and to provide water storage and public recreation. Along with the construction of the dam, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a number of recreational features including a campground, picnic area, beach area, restrooms, boat ramp, administrative office, and the paved entrance road to the site that came from the small farming community of Wenden 38 miles south of the lake.
The Parks Board, in its 1958 ten-year plan, had identified the potential for a state park located at Corps of Engineers projects. Alamo had been identified as a State recreation area in the Lower Colorado Land Use Plan. Early in 1963, the Corps of Engineers initiated discussions with Arizona State Parks and Arizona Game and Fish concerning the operation and management of Alamo Lake. Staff members from the two agencies began doing feasibility studies and met with Corps officials for an on-site inspection on October 22, 1963.
Alamo Lake Boat Ramp in 1971.The Parks Board reviewed and discussed the potential management agreement with the Arizona Game & Fish Commission before it was finalized and signed by the Park’s Board in April 1969. The Management Agreement provided for State Parks to manage the visitor facilities on the shore of the lake while the Arizona Game and Fish Commission managed the lake surface. The Parks Board signed a 25-year recreation lease with the Corps of Engineers to operate Alamo Lake as a State Park. The original lease was extended for 3 years, and on September 1,1997, a new 25-year lease was secured by State Parks. Alamo Lake State Park was dedicated and opened to the public in November 1969 with Wayne Perault as its Park Manager.
(This history is from the book Arizona State Parks: The Beginning Edited by Charles R. Eatherly. Filled with fascinating histories and stories, this spiral bound book is available from Arizona Fish & Game. Your purchase will directly support Arizona State Parks.)
OHV TRAILS
There are literally hundreds of miles of OHV riding trails located near the park, outside of park boundaries. The area is a popular destination for quad riders and dirt bikers. Please note that OHV use is not allowed inside the park unless the OHV is street legal (it must have a motorcycle plate). Please be respectful of other park guests. (Note that a few OHV trailheads start at the border of the park). The closest gasoline is available at the Wayside Inn. Located about 6 miles from the park, the Wayside Inn is a self contained campground with a bar and grill. The food is excellent. For more information call (928) 925–3456.
Alamo Lake State Park is one of the best places to fish for bass in Arizona. The crystal clear lake is surrounded by mountainous terrain speckled with brush, wildflowers and cacti making for a visually pleasing experience.
Alamo is a great park to CAMP, FISH or BOAT and is an especially great place to STAR GAZE due to its dark sky conditions. Many come to observe the wonders of the night sky through astronomers’ telescopes at a dark sky park! The park also has good WILDLIFE VIEWING opportunities, and you may spot a bald or golden eagle.
State Park Fees
Park Entrance Fees:
Per Vehicle (1-4 Adults): $7.00
Individual/Bicycle: $3.00
Camping Fees:
Non-Electric site: $15-$25
Electric site: $22-$25
Directions to Get To Alamo Lake
From the city of Wenden,
go north 38 miles on Alamo Dam Road to reach Alamo Lake State Park.
Decimal Degrees (WGS84)
Latitude: 34.234158
Longitude: -113.552799Degrees, Minutes & Seconds
Latitude: N34 14 02
Longitude: W113 33 10GPS
Latitude: N 34 14.049
Longitude: W 113 33.168UTM 12N
X: 264875
Y: 3791067
