Easy hike by Lake Pleasant - fun with young kids

The Roadrunner Trail starts just north of the Visitor Center. It is an easy trail and well-marked. From the Visitor Center TH it is about .6 miles to the Restroom facilities at the Jet Ski Rental Parking Lot. You will probably not hike this as a trail from end to end and back but more likely will take numerous stops and detours down to the Lake. It should be a fun hike with young kids (5 - 12 years old) or with out of town guests who aren't in hiking shape. The trail starts as an asphalt trail for a few yards until it gets to a picnic bench. There are numerous picnic benches and two large Picnic Ramadas with covered picnic tables along the trail route. There are numerous side trails down to the "beach" and the water. Take a picnic lunch, a ground cloth, a tarp or tent for shade, floaties or life preservers, maybe even fishing poles (and hooks and bait and license) and make a day at the lake out of this hike. If the water is low, you can leave the trail about .2 miles into the hike and cross a small peninsula and climb up a hill. At about .25 miles there is a side trail to a small Native American ruin.

The Visitor Center is typically open from 10am to 6pm and the Rangers and Volunteers can be amusing and informative. There is a short nature trail by the Visitor Center named the Desert Tortoise Trail.
- Jul 02 2011 Al_HikesAZ

One-Way Notice: This hike is listed as One-Way. When you hike several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example.