I grew up on the amazing East Coast in New Jersey, where I enjoyed the beaches every summer. My family vacationed yearly at beautiful waterfront towns, in historic Cape May and quiet Ocean Gate. When I moved to Arizona, I still craved the cool water. Then a friend gave me a book by Laird Hamilton. Toward the end, I learned about stand up paddleboarding. Shortly after that valuable piece of information, I drove six hours through the desert to California, and bought my first SUP. And then it was full on paddling!
No matter where you live, there are places to paddle. For me, Bartlett Lake in the northeast corner of the valley by Cave Creek, Arizona, is one of the most accessible. I have a soft spot for this beautiful cove-filled lake. It is where I first learned to paddle, where I did all of my diligent SUP race preparation and training, experienced my first full moon glistening on a summer night across the water on my board, it is where I got to SUP camp for the first time with my husband, and it has a vast beach area with small lapping waves!
The fact that you can pull your car right up to the water’s edge at Snake Bite Cove or Bartlett Flat, and hang out all day or weekend with beach chairs, umbrellas and your SUP, makes it such a relaxing place to go. And so close to home, in the desert! It is the second biggest lake in The Valley of the Sun (Lake Pleasant is the largest).
RELATED: Suzi’s Arizona SUP Odyssey
Every corner of Arizona has water to enjoy. Research it on a map, and explore. If you live elsewhere, you can do the same. At Bartlett Lake sometimes I will just paddle to a quiet area, park my board at the water’s edge and go climbing over some boulders to picnic or read. Bartlett Lake has a wonderful trail lakeside. It meanders in and out of different coves.
Years ago, my friend Lauren Peterson and I packed up our boards. I only had the Hobie® Elite race board back then, but wanted to experiment with it for camping. Hobie stand up paddleboards really feel indestructible, so I was confident loading and bringing it into unknown territory. We paddled to the north end of Bartlett lake which serpentines up the Verde River to Horseshoe Dam in a peaceful section where it is a no wake zone. We found a beautiful spot to park our stuff, and pitch a tent that evening. Since then, there have been many days and evenings overnight, with Nate and our friends.
Every lake has its delights. At Bartlett at dusk, you will notice a brilliant glow at an area near Bartlett Flat called the Yellow Cliffs. This area is protected for nesting bald eagles every winter, so if you’re lucky, you will get to see juvenile bald eagles learning their aerial skills from their parents. I even got to see a bobcat sitting at the water’s edge, between large boulders just watching me paddle by. There’s a swimming area called Rattlesnake Cove, a fun place to picnic or to do interval training in between the buoys.
I will forever enjoy the beach area at Bartlett lake. It will always take me back to my early days on the beautiful Jersey shore.
