Saguaro Lake Ranch

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)

The next time you bird along the Bush Highway, take a pit stop at Saguaro Lake Ranch.  The scenery is great and you can relax on the cool grass under the mesquite trees. You'll have a nice view into the mid-canopy of willows and cottonwoods along the Salt River.  In winter months there are a variety of ducks on the river.  Year round you'll see osprey, heron, egrets and flycatchers.  This April and May the Vermilion Flycatchers put on a good show, perching, swooping and diving around right in front of me.  Bald Eagles nest along the Salt and at Saguaro Lake, so you might see a flyby.

While you're here, check into the horseback riding and kayaking they offer, and the rental of the little pueblos.  It would be nice to be here to bird at sunset and sunrise, and bird by kayak or horseback!  The buildings aren't wheelchair accessible, and the rough cobblestone porch of the lodge makes for a bumpy ride.  But I still like to stop here to see the horses, and feel the cool breeze coming off the river.  The lodge and horseback riding are open October 1st through May 1st, and the kayaking is offered year round.  For Reservations:  Call  (480)984-2194

Saguaro Lake Ranch :   http://www.saguarolakeranch.com/
Horseback riding: http://www.saguarolaketrailrides.com/
Kayaking: You will get wet - Kayak from the top of the Salt River--float below thousand foot cliffs and beside majestic saguaros in the Sonoran Desert. The ranch offers kayaking during the fall, winter, and spring (summer kayaking is offered by the kayaking company). There are two options: (1) Kayak on Saguaro Lake. They provide equipment transportation. (2) Kayak on the Salt River between Phon D Sutton and Granite Reef. They provide equipment and transportation back to your car. Launch Times:  8am - 9am - 10am, reservations required, call 480-984-2194.  E-mail: SaguaroLakeRanch@gmail.com
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