With all the national forests closed in AZ, it was a perfect opportunity to explore the area around Lake Pleasant and Castle Hot Springs.  After taking a jeep trail from New River to Table Mesa, I followed Table Mesa Road to the NE corner of Lake Pleasant.  From there, the trail gets slightly rough for a short stretch as you make your way around the northern perimeter of the lake.  Once past the rough stuff, however, the trail becomes a well-graded road with tons of tributaries to explore.

After passing through a dry part of the lake (alive with green vegetation), it's smooth sailing to Castle Hot Springs Road.  Out in the middle of nowhere, you'll stumble across the Castle Hot Springs resort.  While it hasn't been in service for quite some time, the resort is immaculately cared for (almost as if it's being prepared to reopen).  It's odd to be driving through the desert and suddenly come upon such a perfectly manicured estate -- the true meaning of an oasis.

There were no other vehicles out there on this particular morning, so wildlife was everywhere.  I saw a wild burro (who refused to move), some mule deer, several jackrabbits the size of labradors and a bright red cardinal who flew alongside me for a spell. Gotta love Arizona.  

Shown below are a few images from the ride. 

The trail leading to Table Mesa Road	Same trail, looking back	At the NE corner of Lake Pleasant	Boats off in the distance	A few miles down the trail, at the North side of Pleasant

Crossing through a dry part of the lake	It was much taller than it appears here	This guy did not want to share the road	On a hilltop	Castle Hot Springs resort

Front view of the resort	Amazing lawn in the middle of the desert	On Castle Hot Springs road	Scoping out the trail ahead	Map of the route