Prescott, Az is a very photogenic area in general. Mountains, forests, lakes, plains, rock formations – Prescott basically has it all! How do you possibly choose which spot is the location for you? Let me try to help by giving you an overview of a few locations in the area. First lets go over Watson Lake.
I will be honest with you – I love Watson Lake. Ever since I moved here it has been one of my favorite spots in the quad city area. Located just four miles from downtown Prescott, it’s almost every photographer’s dream – you have the lake itself, the rocks of the amazing Granite Dells, the trees of the Watson woods, grassy fields, canyons, streams, even bridges!
Basically what I’m saying is for one location (and a bit of walking) you can have several very different backdrops. How great is that!
Watson Lake
Let’s start with the lake itself – beautiful waters, rocks to one side, trees to the other, and teeming with lots of wonderful wildlife. The dock located by one of the boat ramps allows for some great shots of the water with the rocks and hills as a backdrop. Want to be more adventurous? You can rent a kayak or canoe for one of those spectacular in the water shots surrounded by the beautiful Granite Dells.
Watson Woods
Next up is the Watson Woods. A short walk away from the lake’s dock, the woods are full of cottonwood and willow trees (hello gorgeous fall shots!), over a hundred species of birds, a creek, and lots of small side trails that lead to these wonderful nooks and crannies. This is also where one of the cooler bridges are located. Big and red, the bridge makes for a very dramatic addition to your photos. The biggest concern with the woods is all the stickers and burs that cover much of the area – my poor pup Koda has had his fair share of hour long brush sessions with lots of detangler to get all the burs out. So while it is one of the ideal places for pet photography, just be conscious of where you’re having your dog go when you take them off trail.
Granite Dells
Now for the Granite Dells. These spires of pink rocks are a truly magnificent backdrop for Watson Lake and offer some extremely diverse settings for photography. You don’t even need to be a rock climber (and that is available here too) to get on top of some of the points. To one side of the Peavine Trail are the Dells that butt up against Watson Lake. Here you can take trails that take you on top of the rocks, right over the lake, and down into the canyon behind the dam. Think of how striking those shots could be! You can even have a backdrop of more of the Dells since they wrap around the lake. To the other side of the Peavine Trail is where the Dells peter off into the hills but are full of great trails and photogenic spots. Up there you will find a more desert look with lots of sand and rocks, cacti, shrubs and even a seasonal stream.
The Fields
Now there’s quite a few small spots of fields that surround Watson Lake. The closest to the lake and easiest to get to is to the east of the dock. Here it is easy to get shots where you are surrounded by a field of grass or with the lake, trees, or dells as a backdrop. This spot is best shot at near sunset where you are backlit by the sun and there’s a golden glow throughout the grass.
The Trails
There are tons of trails around the Prescott area and Watson Lake quite possibly contains about half of them. The main ones run by and around Watson, while dozens of smaller ones dart off in all directions off the main ones and even interconnect the main ones. Why is this relevant? It means that you can get lots of very unique photos in an extremely photographed location! It also means that all you have to do to get to another great spot is follow one trail or another.
The main one and easiest trail to follow is the Peavine Trail. This one takes you behind the lake and into the Granite Dells before continuing on into the grasslands. From the Peavine you can access all sorts of other trails. The Flume Trail is highly suggested since it will take you down the stream and canyon behind the dam that makes Watson Lake.
Overall Watson Lake is a must for a photography session. While it is a popular and well travelled spot, the area is big enough that you won’t be tripping over others or waiting in a line to get that great shot. In fact you’re more likely to run into people occasionally instead of constantly, giving you a chance to relax for whatever photos you wish to take.
