Roper Lake State Park
Roper Lake State Park
Roper Lake is only a 30-acre lake but a lot of folks come here to sit in the natural stone hot tub, enjoying the natural hot springs and the view of nearby Mt. Graham (10,717'). Roper Lake is a stocked lake with a boat ramp and swimming beach. Dankworth Pond once had a catfish hatchery operating on its 15 surface acres. Boats on these two lakes are limited to using only small electric motors. The park offers 5 miles of hiking trails and is jointly managed by Arizona State Parks and Arizona Game and Fish.
Roper Lake State Park is about 6 miles south of Safford off of US 191. The Dankworth Pond unit is 3 miles further south. The park is open 365 days a year, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily. The State Park also has cabins (available by reservation), picnic areas with cooking grills, picnic tables and shade ramadas, and campgrounds (some sites with hook-ups), showers and restrooms. There is a fishing jetty on Roper Lake and a large group-use area. Dankworth Pond has a picnic area, hiking trails, interpretive signs, shade ramadas, a playground, and a model Indian village.
Upper photo courtesy of Wikipedia userid Kfasimpaur