Kayaking on the Salt

The Salt River begins at the confluence of the Black and White Rivers in the White Mountains of Arizona. It flows from east to west for about 200 miles, draining 13,700 square miles, creating the Salt River Canyon, lakes for the Salt River Project and ultimately joining with the Gila River just west of Phoenix. The significance of this river can't be understated. For an in depth look, check Wikipedia/Salt River.

Our adventure begins at an access point below Stewart Mountain Dam known as "Water Users" recreation area. We pulled into the lot, unloaded our kayaks, and while Bonnie guarded the boats, I took the trailer to the take out point called Phon D to catch the Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch Shuttle ( BTW, they provide a great service, clearly not like the good old days). Arriving back at Water Users, we launched and down the river we went.

It was June in the desert, so our plan was to get on the river early. We had a smooth launched at 7:45 am ( a little later than we supposed). But the trip only takes 2 to 3 hours, about 9 river miles, and we planned to be off before noon. The temperature was pleasant and the flow was quick enough to require mostly steering instead of paddling.We encountered a couple groups of paddleboarders, a fisherman and a shoreline beer fest as well as incredible southwestern mountain scenery through a desert riparian lens. We arrived at Phon D about 11am. The climb from the river to the parking lot was steep but short, requiring an intense effort from both of us. I have tubed the Salt numerable time since my college days and the main change I see is the infrastructure. There were no paved recreational area and no shuttles back then. Bring two vehicles or hitchhike back with your tubes. This reach of the Salt River has always been a recreational destination for the inhabitants of the Phoenix metro area. The population of the area in the 1970's was about 1.4 million, the population today is approaching 5 million. These improvements in infrastructure and rental /shuttle services were needed to accommodate the burgeoning demand of a burgeoning population. These folks offer a great services at a reasonable price. You can find their details at www.saguarolakeranch.com. I appreciated that even though I was running late, the driver waited for me. Also, www.azsaltrivertubingshuttle.com and www.saltrivertubing.com . Check them out for the best information.

Here is some of what we saw.

Common Egret "Dem R Ducks"

Mt McDowell aka Red Mountain

Salt River Horses

The Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam is an intensely used and quite tamed version of a southwest desert riparian water way. A more adventurous kayak adventure can be had on the upper Salt above Roosevelt Lake. For most of us though, this reach of the river gives us a great peaceful look at the Sonoran Desert with water added.

Till next time...