A short 50-mile drive north of Anthem brings those looking to Find Arizona into the 1.25 million acre Prescott National Forest. The northern lands of this national forest reach the cool, ponderosa pine covered summits of the Bradshaw Mountains. Throughout this mountain range, gold and silver were common minerals sought by the early miners. Yet modern day miners can today pan for Bradshaw gold by visiting the Lynx Creek/Lynx Lake Recreational Area.
Arizona State Route 69 leads the traveler to Prescott, Arizona. Shortly after entering the city limits of Prescott, turn left onto Walker Road (just past Costco). Follow the paved Walker Road just 3 miles and arrive at beautiful recreational area.
The headwater of Lynx Creek is located high in the peaks of the Bradshaw Mountains. The cold stream of water picks up flakes and even nuggets of gold as it tumbles down the mountain side. This Arizona creek yielded over $80,000 of gold from 1863–1940. Today it is still possible to walk along the banks of Lynx Creek and pan for that Bradshaw gold. Only gold panning by hand is legal; no form of motorized or mechanical equipment is allowed.
Lynx Creek ends its downhill run from the Bradshaw Mountains in a beautiful 55-acre man-made lake call Lynx Lake. The lake is regularly stocked with a variety of fish including rainbow trout and wide mouth bass. All anglers over the age of 13 must have an Arizona fishing license. Boats can be powered only by hand or by an electric motor. A marina is present; boat rentals are available and no swimming is allowed.
A 2 mile-long hiking trail allows the visitor to leisurely stroll along the pine-covered shore and travel totally around the beautiful mile high lake. The north 1/2 of the trail is paved making the path ideal for strollers or wheel chairs.
Lynx Lake has 36 camping sites and is a great location for hiking, picnicking, bird watching, and boating. The Lynx Lake Store is a wonderful place to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner while enjoying the cool air and the beautiful autumn leaves that soon will be found at Lynx Lake.
Lynx Lake is located about 50 miles from Anthem off Arizona Highway 69 on Walker Road in Prescott. The GPS coordinates of Lynx Lake is N 34 31.311
W 112 23.286. For more information about Lynx Lake visit the following web site: http://www.go-arizona.com/Lynx-Lake For more information about panning for gold in Lynx Creek visit the following web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott/recreation/propect.shtml
There is a $2.00 day-use fee per car.
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| Lynx Creek |
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| Walking path around lake |
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| Lynx Lake |
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| Fishing is good |
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| Lynx Lake store |
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