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While wildlife can be hard to spot, rock formations can be observed at leisure. At several points the captain positions Dolly right along a canyon wall so everyone can get a good look at various types of vegetation and geology. After our popcorn was devoured we decided to get up and check out the upper deck views. Dolly has two sets of stairs, one from each end of the steamboat.
Give the Gift of a Dolly Steamboat Cruise!
In 1987, it was purchased by the Grimh family, who have operated it since. The Dolly is 103 feet long and carries up to 142 passengers with a crew of 3. The boat has lower and upper sections, and tables align the covered and uncovered areas of the boat. The Dolly Steamboat was originally brought to Canyon Lake by Dolly and Paul Kennedy in 1983. The Dolly Steamboat features cruises that will tantalize your senses with the rich beauty of Canyon Lake, Arizona.
Touring Canyon Lake on a Dolly Steamboat cruise
You’ll get to view the towering mountains that surround Canyon Lake from the water, and if you’re lucky, you may even spot some big horn sheep. Lounge space abounds on the Double Decker Party Barge, ensuring everyone can take a load off after an action-packed day on the water. Pontoon deck boats are great for getting all your friends and family out for a day of relaxation and fun. Of course, we aren’t the only ones out enjoying a day on the lake. There are a few other boats on the water, including zippy speedboats of all sizes, small fishing boats, slow-moving pontoons, and an assortment of colorful kayaks.
A Perfect Romantic Experience
This is a great place to take your time and enjoy the scenic drive. Dolly Steamboat offers sightseeing and dinner cruises on Canyon Lake, just outside the greater Phoenix area. On this 6-mile cruise, you may see desert bighorn sheep, bald eagles and a host of other animals viewed from the decks of the Dolly! The dinner cruise was 2.5 hours long and included a delicious meal of chicken, ribs, salad, sides, and cheesecake for dessert. We also enjoyed some alcoholic beverages, which can be purchased with cash inside the covered area. Captain Ron led our cruise for the evening and gave us a tour of Canyon Lake Tonto National Forest along with its history.
We learned about the history of the lake and spotted rock formations and bighorn sheep. Listen as yourcaptain recounts the legends and lore of the mysteriousSuperstition Mountains. Expect to be treated with outstandingservice and personal attention to your every need. Feel free toask questions, move about and mingle with the crew. Airconditioned lower and upper cabin during summer months. The public recreation sites offer boat trailer parking, picnic areas, toilets, and a launching area.
Cruise Canyon Lake, Arizona
However, Captain Ron shared that priests spent much time in the area, so it is unsure if it is nature-made or human-made. There were a ton of people on the water but all were polite. Of the lakes near the valley, Canyon Lake is by far my favorite. Every time I kayak through the canyon, I always see herds of wild Bighorn Sheep. We spent four hours on the water, doing light action paddling.
Canyon Lake boaters invited to Opening Day of Boating Season and Blessing of the Boats event - Canyon Lake Insider
Canyon Lake boaters invited to Opening Day of Boating Season and Blessing of the Boats event.
Posted: Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You can see formations that look like heads and bodies which face one another. Canyon Lake is one of four reservoirs of the Salt River formed by the damming of the Salt River Project in 1925. During the Salt River Project, lakes were formed 60 miles long and used for reliable water supply, hydroelectricity, flood control, and irrigation. Canyon Lake is surrounded by spectacular cliffs and wildlife. 🛥️To book a full day on the Dolly Steamboat – purchase tickets here. Those with their own boats can either rent a slip at Canyon Lake Marina or launch their boat at one of the recreation sites.
All road closures are passed Tortilla Flat to Apache Lake. Please use Highway 88 from Apache Junction to access Canyon Lake Marina. At the end of the night, the bright stars were above us as we returned to the dock. Captain Ron announced anniversaries and birthdays that were being celebrated that evening. Next, you can spot the cross formation in Crucifix Canyon.
The boat holds a large history of celebrations – including engagements, wedding anniversaries, and birthdays. The water is cold, with beautiful reflections of the surrounding ridgelines. Are you familiar with Rakuten, the online shopping app that gives you cash back when you make a purchase? I’d love to spend a few days touring Canyon Lake on a houseboat. Sadly, there are no houseboat rentals available on the lake. As described above, the lake has several public recreation areas where you can launch a boat.
Expect to be treated with outstanding service and personal attention to your every need. Feel free to ask questions, move about and mingle with the crew. Air conditioned lower and upper cabin during summer months. In 2.5 hours, we enjoyed a memorable experience, including a fantastic dinner and dessert. We got to see the sunset, followed by the moon rising above the canyon.
The national America the Beautiful pass is also accepted in lieu of the Tonto Pass at a few facilities, so check to see what you will need. However, thanks to the Dolly Steamboat cruises, even landlubbers can get a close-up view of some of the lake’s hidden coves and rocky gorges. Canyon Lake is the smallest of the Salt River Project lakesand features great fishing, a beach area and secluded sites toget away from it all. Three miles up from the boat launches,steep cliffs frame the lake, taming the lake waters andactivity around it. Once you’ve parked you’ll want to find your way to the ticket booth to check-in.
We climbed the set closest to us and took a moment to stand out on the landing and look out. The mountains surrounding Canyon Lake closed in on us and we got close enough to spot some big horn sheep that were scaling the mountainside. It was super helpful that the Captain was telling us fun facts about the area and exactly where to look when wildlife was spotted. Our Scenic Nature Cruise with Dolly Steamboat lasted 1.5 hours and brought us to a very beautiful part of the lake I never would have guessed existed. Once the car was parked we got in line for check-in and chatted with one another until the booth opened.
They are only open for use during the day and close each evening. All require boaters to have both a Tonto Pass and a watercraft sticker. Accessible via the lower (paved) section of the Apache Trail, visitors from Phoenix should expect to spend at least 1 ½ hours getting to the Dolly Steamboat dock. The road to the lake twists and turns along the way, making for slow going in places.
The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The Dolly carries 142 passengers with a crew of 3, 103’ long with a beam of 20’. It is powered by twin 225 HP John Deere marine diesel engines. If you’re looking for other great Arizona adventures, check out this guide to the best Grand Canyon lodging. If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my other adventures, like Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Colorado National Speedway.
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