July-August 2024 – Arizona is known for its very hot desert areas, but the northern part of the state is filled with cool mountains and towering ponderosa pine trees. This is where everyone goes in the heat of the summer!
So we packed up our new tent a few times over the summer and headed north to the Mogollon Rim (pronounced “Mug-ee-one”). The Mogollon Rim is a geological escarpment on the edge of the Colorado Plateau that was created by erosion and faulting. This resulted in sheer and dramatic 1,000′ cliffs for many miles. The immense views from the top go on forever.
Buddy kept an eye out for rabbits while we walked the edge of the Mogollon Rim and savored the views.
Huge boulders and sheer cliffs define this special place.
Gnarly tree roots hunt for water and lichen clings to the faces of the boulders while we explore the edge of “The Rim,” as it is affectionately known to Arizonans.
The views from the Mogollon Rim are outstanding year round, of course, and the pine woods are a great place for desert dwellers to play in the snow in the middle of winter. But in summertime one of the best things about the Mogollon Rim is its cool refreshing lakes.
Woods Canyon Lake is the largest and most well known of the lakes. Small Spillway Campground is on the eastern shore and larger Woods Canyon Campground is on the road heading in. These are very busy places, though, and the area was undergoing construction while we were there. So we took a peak at it all but didn’t stay.
Fortunately, heaven was awaiting us at nearby Willow Springs Lake! This scenic lake is much less visited and is the very essence of peacefulness and tranquility. The water is crystal clear, and in the early mornings it was glassy smooth.
Glassy water at Willow Springs Lake.
Willow Springs Lake offers a peaceful escape.
Underwater and above water, Willow Springs Lake is lovely.
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There was wildlife too. Ducks swam and quacked, and dogs played happily and sniffed around the shore, including our pup, Buddy!
There’s wild wildlife at Willow Springs Lake.
And there’s not-so-wild wildlife too!
At one point Buddy led us off into the woods where he’d found a pile of rocks and a cross with a musical G-clef on it. Whose story lies here, we’ll never know.
The day the music died…
On a brighter note, summer flowers were blossoming in the sun everywhere, giving a splash of color to the blues and greens of the woods, lake and sky.
A tree was full of these gorgeous pink blossoms.
Yellow columbines were blooming by the water.
For outdoor lovers, there’s lots to do at Willow Springs Lake, and Sinkhole Campground is within walking distance.
A hiking trail goes around the lake, although we were told the trail vanishes in spots. “Just keep the lake in view until the trail reappears again,” we were told. We didn’t go all the way around but loved rock hopping and following the pine needle trail for a good ways.
Kayaking and paddle-boarding are also popular ways to enjoy the tranquility of this lake.
Will Springs Lake is a kayaker’s delight.
But fishing is where it’s at! Most folks claim a spot for a few hours, cast a line and bask in the peace and quiet as they wait for the fish to bite.
When it comes to favorite pastimes at Willow Springs Lake, nothing tops fishing!
Whether fishing from shore or from a boat, lots of anglers had a line in the water.
Peace.
One little boy’s father caught a few fish for dinner, and the boy proudly held up the string to show us.
We heard his mom cooks these to perfection!
But when his father caught another fish, the little boy suddenly began to cry. He was utterly grief stricken that the fish was going to die.
He kept saying, “No, no, no!” and he flung himself on the ground in distress. His genuine excitement at the day’s catch and then his full blown sorrow that the fish would lose its life were touchingly innocent and dear.
Our little boy, the furry kind, loved Willow Springs Lake. He’s a total water dog — as long as it doesn’t involve getting wet above the armpits! So he waded in the shallows, cooled off his feet and drank his fill. Then he flopped down in the dirt.
It’s a dog’s life!
Since we’d been camping for a few days, Mark suddenly got the idea that this would be a great place to give Buddy a rinse and get some of the camping dust out of his fur.
Buddy thought otherwise!
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Fortunately, the bathing mission was accomplished, despite the scowl, and he was a clean dog once again! He dried off quickly and became our usual sweet and fluffy bed fellow when we got back to our tent!
Snugglebugs.
Most RV snowbirds that visit Arizona in the wintertime leave long before it’s warm enough to camp up on the Mogollon Rim. But for Arizona natives and for RVers that brave a trip to the Copper State in the summertime, the Mogollon Rim is a wonderful destination.
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More info about the Mogollon Rim and Willow Springs Lake:
- Mogollon Rim Ranger District – US Forest Service website
- Willow Springs Lake – US Forest Service website
- Location of Willow Springs Lake – Google Maps
Other blog posts from Arizona’s pine forest areas:
- 20 Years Later! Hassayampa Inn and The Dells
- Grand Canyon – A Winter Wonderland with Snow!
- Grand Canyon History: A Navajo & a Mule Link Us to the Past
- Grand Canyon South Rim RV Tips + Lesser Known Overlooks!
- Grand Canyon South Rim RV Trip – Views, Views, VIEWS!!
- Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Breathtaking Bright Angel Point!
- Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Its Better Half?
- Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Magnificent & Intimate by Day or Night!
- Granite Dells at Watson Lake near Prescott AZ – SPECTACULAR!
- Lynx Lake, Arizona – Great RV Camping Near Prescott!
- Parowan UT, Las Vegas NV, Williams AZ & Sycamore Canyon AZ – Wow!
- Petrified Forest NP and Mogollon Rim – Cool pines & hot rocks in AZ!
- Point Sublime – A Wild Ride to a Stunning Overlook in Grand Canyon!
- RV Camping in the Arizona Woods – Coconino National Forest
- Saddle Mountain Overlook – A Different View of the Grand Canyon!
- Seligman, Arizona – Birthplace of Route 66!
- Sunset Crater, AZ – Looks Like it Exploded Yesterday!
- Timp Point – A Private View of Grand Canyon’s Majesty
- What is happening to our Public Lands?
- Williams, Arizona – Home of the Grand Canyon Railway!
- Willow Lake (& more) around the Granite Dells in Prescott AZ
- Wupatki Nat’l Monument – Ancient Indian Ruins & Great Camping in AZ!
We LOVE lakes — here are the ones we’ve seen in our travels:
- “America’s Heartland” – Is it in Kansas?
- “Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking!
- An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall
- Arizona’s Stunning Apache Trail Scenic Drive
- Balloons and VW Buses in Lake Havasu AZ
- Bear Lake, UT – The Caribbean of the Rockies
- Bear Lake, Utah – A Turquoise Paradise in Snowy Mountains
- Brooks Lake, Split Rock, Adventure Travelers + Wyoming Highlights!
- Camping World Video Shoot — RVing is for Everyone!
- Canyon Country Highlights – Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend & More!
- Catalina State Park & Roosevelt Lake: RV Camping in AZ
- Chelan, Washington – Summertime Fun and Great Music!
- Cheow Lan Lake Tour in Khao Sok with Greenery Panvaree Floating Raft House
- Crater Lake National Park in Oregon – Bluer than blue!
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park + Tuzigoot and Clarkdale
- Dolly Steamboat – Gliding Through the Arizona Desert on Canyon Lake
- Drag Boat Races in AZ – Top Speed FUN on the Colorado River!
- East Glacier Scenic Drive – Treasures OUTSIDE Glacier National Park
- Ennis, MT & Earthquake Lake – Small Town Charm & Airstream Trailers!
- Entiat, Washington – An RV Friendly Town That’s On the Move!
- Fall Color in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert near Roosevelt Lake
- Fall Foliage in Michigan’s U.P. + Lake Superior at Sunset
- Finding Enchantment…in Encampment, Wyoming!
- Fish Lake Scenic Byway
- Fish Lake Utah – Alpine Beauty & Brilliant Stars in Dark Skies!
- Fish Lake Utah – Fun Things To Do in the Lakes and Mountains
- Fish Lake Utah – Wildlife and Aspen Groves
- Flaming Gorge, WY – Absolutely spectacular, colorful views and friendly big-game animals
- From Lakes to Rivers in Bend Oregon
- From Salt to Snow in Nevada – Bonneville to Lamoille Canyon
- Glacier National Park in Montana – Mirrors at Lake McDonald
- Glacier National Park, MT – Mountain Goats and Lake Views
- Glacier National Park’s “Many Glacier” – Crown of the Continent!
- Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary
- Grand Teton National Park – An American Treasure!
- Grand Teton National Park WY – Mirrored Waters
- Granite Dells at Watson Lake near Prescott AZ – SPECTACULAR!
- Greenery Panvaree Floating Raft House – Khao Sok National Park… Wow!
- Hot Springs in the Canadian Rockies – Swimming in Giant Hot Tubs!!
- Icefields Parkway – Canadian Rockies Scenic Drive – WOW!
- Icefields Parkway – True Blue Lakes, Avalanches & Grouse!
- Kootenay National Park Canada – Bears, Mountains & Rivers!
- Lake Granby Colorado RV Trip – A Summer Beach Vacation!
- Lake Huron MI – Hydroplane Races and the Joseph S. Fay Shipwreck
- Lake Louise – RV Travels to the Heart of the Rockies in Banff
- Lake Mead Scenic Drive + A Great RV Pit Stop at “Redstone” NV!
- Lake Michigan – Charming coastal towns
- Lake Pleasant & Canyon Lake – Waterfront Camping in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert
- Lake St. Clair, Michigan – Quick Trip Abroad
- Lakes and Light in Wyoming and Colorado
- Logan Pass, Bear Lake, Mt. Nephi, & Cedar City, Utah
- Lynx Lake, Arizona – Great RV Camping Near Prescott!
- Mackinac Island, Michigan – A Precious Walk Back in Time!
- Magical Moments in the RV Life
- McCall, Idaho – Summer Beach Fun on Pretty Payette Lake
- Mirror Lake Scenic Byway Utah – Fishing and Fun!
- Moraine Lake – Crown Jewel of Banff National Park
- North Lake Michigan – Alluring Coastal Towns
- Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains (and more) – In Trailer Life Magazine!
- Remote RV Camping: Antero Reservoir & Blue River Colorado
- Romance at Maroon Bells Colorado!
- Roosevelt Lake – Lakeside Camping in AZ
- Roosevelt Lake, AZ – Desert Oasis
- RVing Wyoming – Lakes, Mountains and Waterfalls
- Saguaro Lake – On the Waterfront in Phoenix
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert!
- Sandhill Cranes in Willcox Arizona – What a Party!
- South Haven – Harbor Village
- Spring Has Sprung! – Sweet Days at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
- Stehekin Ferry: Cruise to a Hidden Gem in the North Cascades!
- Strawberry Reservoir, Utah – Springtime Beauty with Ice & Snow!
- Utah Back Roads – Lakeside RVing Near Salt Lake City
- Walker, Minnesota – A Hidden Jewel in the 10,000 Lakes
- Wallowa Lake Tramway – Into the Alps!
- Waterfront Dining in Arizona – Scorpion Bay & River’s Edge Cantina
- Waterton Lakes Nat’l Park – Starry Skies, the Milky Way & Wildflowers
- Waterton Lakes National Park – Rocky Mountain High!
- Waterton Shoreline Cruise – A Classy Tour of Waterton-Glacier NP
- Whitefish to Libby – Big Surprises on the Back Roads of Montana
- Willow Lake (& more) around the Granite Dells in Prescott AZ
- Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Shoreline – Cute Towns & Great Sunsets!
- Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge – Aqua Magic!
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Hello friends! It is nice to see your post and to know that your adventures are continuing. Gracie and Buddy share similar expressions on their faces at bath time. Living on the lake, Gracie gets lake baths often when it is warm enough. By default, it means I get a bath, too! That is never my intention, but it is ALWAYS the outcome. By the end, we are friends again and splash and carry-on together like it never happened.
As always, I enjoyed the story and the excellent photos, especially when Buddy finds his way in front of the camera. It looks like another place to put on the bucket list. Definately my kind of place! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Jeff and Gracie! It’s so wonderful to hear from you. I love the image of you two playing in the lake and getting each other all wet and cooled off. Buddy was definitely not enthused about his unexpected lake bath. But he tolerates regular baths in the warm shower really well and loves licking himself all over afterwards! The Mogollon RIm is definitely worthy of a summertime visit if you get out this way. And maybe we’ll head up there next winter to share pics of Buddy frolicking in the snow!