Patagonia Lake State Park - Patagonia, AZ - a state park built around Patagonia Lake

Patagonia Lake one of the main attraction of the Patagonia Lake State Park, can be found south of Tucson near Nogales in the hills. The lake is two and a half miles long and over two hundred and fifty acres and close to several of Arizona's best known attractions. The park was established during 1975 and offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy natural while viewing great blue heron and whitetail deer.

Camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking and water skiing are among the recreational activities that can be enjoyed at Patagonia Lake State Park. The lake was created by damming Sonoita Creek and is no wake in order to allow fishermen to catch the varieties of fish that are stocked there. The visitors' centers at both the Sonoita Creek and Patagonia Marina both have handicap accessible docks. During the holidays and weekends starting in May and continuing through September jet and water skiing are not prohibited.

The Patagonia Lake State Park is open from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. and can be accessed using State Route 82 which runs between Nogales and Patagonia. The park has a campground that offers boat access, showers, restrooms and a dump station. The size limit for RV's is thirty-five feet. There are a number of beaches, table, grills and picnic area in the Patagonia Lake's day use area.

A gift shop can also found in the Patagonia Lake State Park. The store sells snacks, food, beverages, camping gear and souvenir items to visitors of the park. Fishing licenses and boat rental can be gotten at the marina in the park.

Visitors to the Patagonia Lake State Park should follow all the rules of the park to ensure preservation of resources. It is against the law to litter; pets and glass containers are not allowed on the beach. All pets must be kept on a leash while in the park and should not be left unattended. The gathering of wood is not permitted in the park although campfires are permitted in fire rings.

There is a per vehicle charge with only two being allowed on a campsite, vehicles are only allowed on paved surfaces. 4am until 10pm are the hours for day use with quiet hours being observed from nine at night until eight the next morning. Camping at the Patagonia Lake State Park is limited to fifteen days at a time, the removal or destruction of anything in the park is strictly prohibited.

The Lake's visitor center is open all year with the exception of Christmas Day with the hours being from 8:30am until 5pm during the months of November until March. The hours change to 7am until 10pm during the months of April through October. The gate to the park opens and closes automatically. There is a small lobby at the center with brochures to provide visitors with information about the areas around the park. Anyone in the area of the Lake Patagonia State Park will find that it is an amazing place to visit.