**Anytime I reference “kayaking”, I am also implying canoeing and Paddle boarding.**
This may not be my normal hiking post, but if you keep up with me you’ll know that I already have a post about hiking Saguaro Lake. How was I not supposed to create a post about kayaking it? But before you head over to Saguaro Lake with kayaking in mind, you have to understand that they don’t rent kayaks! Or Paddle Boards. Or Canoes.
Where To Rent a Kayak
They rent motorized boats at Saguaro Lake, but not kayaks. I always rent an inflatable one at River Bound Sports in Tempe, because I can’t transport an actual one. I won’t bore you with all the details, but feel free to visit their site if you’re interested. They have the nicest staff, and they have given me so much information on other activities to do and places to go. Plus they sell Tonto day passes… one less step to worry about.
Where To Launch
Once you acquire a kayak. Head over to Saguaro Lake and Park at the Butcher Jones Recreation Site. There is limited parking, so keep that in mind for summer weekends. There are pit toilets at this site, but no potable water. You will have to purchase a Tonto day pass, but these can be bought at the parking lot. Then you can walk to the beach and launch it from shore.
Where To Explore
There are many places you can go, but with wind it may be challenging. I suggest looking at a map to see how the lake is shaped and where the river begins. I always paddle towards the Salt River because the canyon walls are beautiful. Since you’ll be in a small boat you can travel into the smaller canyons that boats can’t reach.
The canyon walls that surround the lake are absolutely stunning and make this a gorgeous place to visit via water. If you also enjoy hiking, I recommend reading my post about Hiking Saguaro Lake. The trail head is also at Butcher Jone’s Recreation Site if you wanted to do both in one day! But if you’d rather stick to the water you can also tube the Salt River just a few miles down the road!
