Forked Pine Campground

Good fishing and excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks characterize this lakeside campground. Ashurst Lake is stocked with trout and boasts enough wind for windsurfing. Both Ashurst Lake and Forked Pine campgrounds hug the lakeshore, with campsites huddled in a picturesque stand of gnarly old juniper trees and pinyon pines. One of Ashurst Lake's most notable characteristics is its ability to hold a high water level in drought years. That can be very important here in northern Arizona, where less resilient lakes sometimes dry up. In addition to fishing and board sailing, the lake offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching during the spring waterfowl migration. For a special treat, look for white-faced ibises grazing in the shallows along with the cinnamon teal, pintails and other ducks. Bald eagles and osprey can also be seen in the area, along with a number of species of hawks and songbirds. A graveled road to the lake and a graveled road that surrounds most of the lake provide convenient access for most passenger vehicles and bicycles. Rustic gravel and two-track roads in the area offer some great opportunities to mountain bike or walk out into the surrounding juniper/ponderosa mixed forest for wildlife viewing and open spaces. The San Francisco Peaks stand majestically on the horizon, providing a grand display of Arizona's volcanic past.