Watson Lake Park Campground

Really an amazing hidden gem IMO. Great boulders and rock formations with beautiful blue water. Great for photographers (especially drones). Only about a 90 min drive from N Phoenix
Highly recommend!

Amazing

I went up on a last minute camping trip with my son and went to several areas which was full. I ended up here in the last spot left. I normally do not pick paid camp sites I prefer to camp in the forest away from others. However this was very pleasant grounds. The sites are right next to eachother very close together so you must love your neighbor. There is a strict curfew for noise. These grounds are very well kept and the ranger is aways around making sure everything is good. Their are full stall flushing toilets and showers. The camp site is walking distance to the lake. It also has a very large grassy area for picnics and playing. A nice playground and tons of bunnies hopping around. The lake is stunning with all the cliffs around. You can paddle board and fish, but be aware that you can NOT swim in this lake.

A short walk to a spectacular lake. Boats for rent at reasonable prices (kayaks, SUP’s and canoes). No wake 5mph limit so you don’t see motorized boats. Hot, clean showers.
Pros- great hike around lake and many other superb hikes in area,
Spacious FCFS campsites,
Close to charming downtown Prescott,
Free dump station at Affinity RV, w/ propane and rv supplies available,
Close to Walmart and Trader Joe’s.

Cons - camping is seasonal, April-Oct, Thur-Mon only
Traffic noise

While we love the amenities: cool lake to paddle on when the wind isn't up, 18 hole disc golf course, horseshoes, local hiking, and proximity to downtown Prescott, this is really a city park with some campsites crammed in.

The campsite we stayed in (tent only), was so close to the next site we could hear them snoring at night. The biggest sites are #5 - #9.

It's a park, so the bathrooms for campers are there for the public too - open from 6a - 10p during the summer. Twice my girlfriend walked into the women's bathroom to find a homeless person hanging out in there. Not dissing homeless people, but if your'e looking for seclusion, this isn't it.

Check out a quick look at what we thought were the pros and cons.

Pros:

Watson Lake is beautiful and uncrowded.
Lots of cool things to do like kayak, disc golf, and hiking.
Reasonably priced.

Cons:

Camp sites are way too close together (read - Prescott trying to maximize profits).
Municipal park open to anyone - not secluded at all.
Super loud - highway just outside the campsites.
Virtually no support for campers - there is no security here. We asked one of the guys working (driving a tractor) who to call if there's a problem and he said "call 911". Also, we had to ask the same guy what the code was for the showers. We arrived on Thursday and the entry station was closed, so we called the Prescott rec office about checking in, and they said we were supposed to print out our online reservations and put it in our car window. Lame. It didn't say that anywhere in their instructions and the office people weren't very nice.
Oh, and there's no campground store, ice, or anything.

This is one of my favorite places in Arizona! I love to go for a picnic, hiking, photo shoots, etc! There is a playground for kids, restrooms, tons of parking, picnic tables, trash cans, very dog friendly, easy hiking trails, hard hiking trails, tons of off trail options (my favorite), and several boat ramps. There is even a parking area right up against the lake solely for handicapped access. The lake is no-wake, so perfect for kayaking and paddle boarding. Would not go swimming though. Water is beautiful, but no clean.

Gorgeous place. A little out of the way, but so worth it. If you aren’t spending the night it only cost $3 per car to get in. A good place to spend an afternoon. It wasn’t crowded either!