Must-see lake · Apache, Arizona
Nelson Dam
Nelson Dam is a lake in Apache, Arizona.
Nelson Dam: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this lake: Full / gates open · Low water level · Entry closed.
Best time to visit Nelson Dam
Season: August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open.
Busiest days: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
Crowd: Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
Typical week: Mon busy · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri busy · Sat packed · Sun packed.
How to reach Nelson Dam — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: 34.05987, -109.19451. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Nelson Dam
- Casa Malpais Archaeological Park & Museum · museum · Apache · ~14 km · Must-see
- Sitgreaves National Forest · sanctuary · Apache · ~15 km · Must-see
- Hulsey Lake Dam · lake · Apache · ~18 km · Must-see
- Becker Lake · lake · Apache · ~18 km · Must-see
- Escudilla Mountain · viewpoint · Catron · ~22 km · Must-see
- Tunnel Dam · lake · Apache · ~29 km · Must-see
- Bunch Reservoir Dam · lake · Apache · ~29 km · Must-see
- Butler Canyon Trail Spring · viewpoint · Apache · ~30 km · Must-see
- White Mountain Grasslands Wildlife Area · sanctuary · Apache · ~33 km · Must-see
- Crescent Lake · lake · Apache · ~34 km · Must-see
- Luna Lake · lake · Apache · ~34 km · Must-see
- Luna Lake · lake · Catron · ~34 km · Must-see
- Big Lake · lake · Apache · ~36 km · Must-see
- Lee Valley Dam · lake · Apache · ~39 km · Must-see
- Carnero Lake · lake · Apache · ~39 km · Must-see
- Lyman Lake · lake · Apache · ~45 km · Must-see
- Grand Enchantment Trail · trek · Catron · ~46 km · Must-see
- Baldy Peak · viewpoint · Apache · ~48 km · Must-see
Other lakes, dams & reservoirs near Nelson Dam
- Hulsey Lake Dam · lake · Apache · ~18 km · Must-see
- Becker Lake · lake · Apache · ~18 km · Must-see
- Tunnel Dam · lake · Apache · ~29 km · Must-see
- Bunch Reservoir Dam · lake · Apache · ~29 km · Must-see
- Crescent Lake · lake · Apache · ~34 km · Must-see
- Luna Lake · lake · Apache · ~34 km · Must-see
- Luna Lake · lake · Catron · ~34 km · Must-see
- Big Lake · lake · Apache · ~36 km · Must-see
- Lee Valley Dam · lake · Apache · ~39 km · Must-see
- Carnero Lake · lake · Apache · ~39 km · Must-see
Wikipedia · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
Is Nelson Dam full? Are the gates open?
No visitor has reported the water level status for Nelson Dam yet. Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Busiest: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
What is the best time to visit Nelson Dam?
August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open. Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
What are the places to visit near Nelson Dam?
Nearby: Casa Malpais Archaeological Park & Museum (museum, 14 km), Sitgreaves National Forest (sanctuary, 15 km), Hulsey Lake Dam (lake, 18 km), Becker Lake (lake, 18 km), Escudilla Mountain (viewpoint, 22 km), Tunnel Dam (lake, 29 km).
Is Nelson Dam worth visiting?
Nelson Dam is listed as a must-see lake in Arizona on Spotwander.