On the north side of Phoenix this man-made lake was formed when the New Wadell Dam was built to provide water to the surrrounding region – it also provides flood protection and a some hydro. The lake is popular for all kinds of boating activities and fishing. The campground is very spread out over areas that take advantage of different views of the lake and there is also primitive camping allowed along the shoreline. A discovery center explains the creation of the dam/lake and the flora/fauna of the area, and a nearby marina has lake tours and a restaurant. We stayed in the Desert Tortoise area – site 176, a great site at the end of the loop with great views of the lake.
https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/lake-pleasant-regional-park-lp/
The web site talks about the wild burro’s in the area and recommends getting up early to see them. We did on our second morning, and there they were at the end of our loop road, just rallying the troops to head into the hillls. A herd of about 15 burros. We watched and then circled round on the “Wild Burro Trail” to see them meander up into the hills, They were wary, but not afraid of us, and certainly very cute. One walked walked right through our site on the 3rd day.
Another hike led us along a canyon and to an overlook high above the lake.
