Desert Belle Tour Boat

We had a great time. Brought 2 older children with us and they enjoyed it as well. Snacks, iced coffee etc. are available. Take a water bottle with you. Pay for the preferred seating and get a drink or a popcorn. Standing in the back as you walk to lower deck is the best view. The music was great. Not too loud, I could still hold a conversation. The wait in line to get tickets and after to get on the boat was long. Even with preferred seating you should get there early to be as close to first in line for ticket check. Closest to stairs after that. Upper deck, in the far back was the best seating I found. Bring binoculars, water, a hair tie, sunglasses & some cash if you want to purchase anything. We’ll go again!

If you want to impress your out of town guests with Arizona’s beauty, reserve your seats on the Desert Belle. Nuff said.

Beautiful tour! Went on a day when they had music on board. Absolutely stunning beauty. Would recommend to any visitor or local that hasn’t seen it yet.

Been on here a few times and it’s amazing every time! We bring out of town guests to show them our water in the desert and they are blown away!
You can’t take a bad photo on here, it’s just gorgeous. The staff is so kind and the captains really know their stuff. It will always be my go-​to for visitors.

Captain was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Crew was kind. The ride was 90 minutes and the indoor air conditioned room was pleasant (a plus for my parents who can’t take the AZ heat). Good experience, beautiful views; would recommend.

We went on a trip on the Desert Belle and thoroughly enjoyed it! The ambient temperature was 105+, but on the trip it was very pleasant. The lake is a busy place with boaters, kayakers, etc., but the boat trip is pleasant.
The tour is on Saguaro Lake in Mesa (in Tonto National Forest). The trip is 1 ½ hours on the boat and takes you on a 10 mile narrated trip (out and back) on the lake and through the canyons of the area. The boat is comfortable the staff is great and knowledgeable.
On the trip we spotted a bald eagle. (The captain told us that they had seen the nesting pair the night before as well as a pronghorn sheep on the steep canyons side). The trip is very enjoyable.
We opted for the «preferred» ticket ($ 25) over the regular ticket ($ 20)… It allows you early boarding (for seat selection) and gets you a beverage (alcoholic or non) or a snack (popcorn or other) and was well worth it.
The captain provided a commentary about the area and the wildlife that was very informative and entertaining.

Absolutely loved this tour! We did the Sunday afternoon cruise. Though it was hot waiting around to board the boat, there was a nice breeze once we boarded.
What a neat way to take in the flora and fauna of the Mesa area! The captain was very knowledgeable and was more than happy to answer questions as he filled our brains with neat facts about the local plants and animals.
Though there is priority boarding for an additional cost, we were perfectly happy with the general admission price. We got good seats along the railing so we have a great view of everything. Even if we hadn’t had got great seats, people tend to move around, so better seats open up along the tour.
Great way to spend a hour and a half in the Phoenix area!

Fantastic! I highly recommend this activity. Traveling from Houston on vacation we had no idea where we were going. Got lost on way to the boat so I called the number on the pamphlet. They idly held the boat and we made it by our chiney chin chin. It was so much fun suck a beautiful lake! Saw two bald eagles, met great people, couple glasses of wine. Relaxing and fun. The captains let my kids steer while I got a photo (nice and cool in there). Worth every penny just bring cash the staff works on tips and deserves them.

Wonderful crew and a really great venue to have private events. We had a birthday party for my mom and all our guest really had a great time.

Only real issue was the ticket booth. Once again we had already bought our tickets online and had the discount applied. So when we get there it turns out you have to stand in line anyway just to get a boarding pass. The cruise wasn’t too crowded so it wasn’t an issue this time. The captain does a decent job of explaining the history of the area and we did see a bighorn sheep and bald eagle. The cruise was relaxing (we had an 80 degree day) and he didn’t talk the whole voyage. Otherwise there was only a few other rocks that were cool and alot of cactus sightings as well. Worth the $ 20 even if your not from out of town.

Had a lovely afternoon on the Desert Belle Tour Boat. The Captain was great. He was very well spoken and made the trip enjoyable. There was beer and other adult beverages for purchase on the boat which made it just a little better. I would definitely recommend this to other visitors in the area.

We went on groupon looking for something to do. We found desert belle tours and got a dream deal. My wife is in a wheelchair and it can be a problem sometimes. The staff was very accommodating to our needs and the tour was very educational. The refreshments were very reasonably priced. We will definitely go back when It warms up

AMAZING! Lake in the desert does exist. Went on a Monday afternoon while in town (from Chicago) visiting a friend. Near perfect weather — Sunny, Bright Blue Skies. Great price. Learned about Desert Belle via Groupon. Didn’t use– offer was no longer available. Capt. Geno, who also narrates is GREAT, learned alot from him, very entertaining and it’s nice to have someone narrate who really enjoys what they do. He’s such a good narrator that you wish the trip were alot longer. 90 minutes not long enough. Desert Bell Crew is awesome. Very friendly and professional. Food, Drinks (alcoholic, Non-​alcoholic, Water) available for purchase on board. No music when we were on board. It also wasn’t packed, so moving around wasn’t an issue. Most people sat atop. Started there but moved down below to the front and glad we did. Better view, IMO from that location. We did see a few Big Horn Sheep on Cliffs overlooking the lake. They along with Eagles are not uncommon on this trip.
Recommendations:
Buy ticket (s) in advance online via their website
Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure.
Bring: Cash, Sunscreen, Hat, Camera
Good for the entire family.

Love coming to this trip. Every time I get visitors from out of state, this becomes one of the destinations. The staff is very friendly and the narrator is super knowledgeable about the area and animals. Come a bit early to get your tickets if you didn’t buy them online. The snack and water in the boat is super affordable unlike other boat rides.

Love the Desert Belle Cruise. I have taken different family members 3 different times. Each time I go I have a wonderful experience. Highly recommend. Great way to unwind and relax.

We’ve been here for 20 years and this was our first trip out to Saguaro Lake. Seriously, what is wrong with us? It is absolutely gorgeous out there and the Desert Belle Cruise last Saturday evening was beautiful. The sun was setting, the lake was calm, and the piano player was magical. I don’t know his name but his music truly made the trip. I cannot wait to bring friends and family down here for another round sometime soon. Lovely, simply lovely. Oh, and make reservations — it was packed.

I came to know this place through Groupon. I thought i would give a try. After my trip i felt like i found one more nice place to show my friends visiting phoenix.
Here are my comments:
Pros: Decent Cruise, Flexible cruise times, closest getaway from phoenix with friends, friendly staff, Informative tour guide (I didn’t listen much to him though ;)).
Cons: they only accept cash for snacks and beverages.

This was a great tour of Saguaro Lake. I had absolutely no idea that this man made lake was so huge. I miss having a boat.
We went on the evening 90 minute narrated tour and I learned a ton about the area. How nerdy of me. and How fun. We got to see eagle’s nests and other wildlife as well. The captain was extremely informative and detailed. However, not gonna lie: the happy hour was superb! Are you kidding me with $ 3 drinks?! Hell yeah!
The boat is large enough that there isn’t a bad seat at all, the staff was very friendly and the views were gorgeous. Great place to take visitors.

This cruise was so much fun! The fare was a good price and for a 90-​minute cruise, was well worth it. Who knew a man-​made lake could one, be so large and two, be so beautiful?!!
Light snacks and drinks were served and at two dollars for beer or wine, the happy hour specials were great!
The cruise was a great way to spend the evening and gorgeous views could be seen from all sides of the boat.
Check out my pics from the cruise!

I had recently bought a Groupon and took my parents who are 71 and 72 years old and are visiting from France on their 50^th Wedding Anniversary celebration on the sunset cruise this weekend. This was one of the music cruise as it featured the Southwest Surfers, which is a Beach Boys tribute band. My parents absolutely loved it… The scenery, being out on the water in Arizona, the slow pace of the cruise, the late afternoon light, the 60s music… That was heaven for them and the perfect outing. Thank you!

Who would have thought that there was a lake with boats and ski jets in the metro Phoenix area? My wife and I sailed the Desert Belle for about 90 minutes if my memory serves me correctly and enjoyed nature. There are Eagles and an assortment of wild life surrounding the lake. I thought it was cool to see a bunch of Cactus right next to the water.
They serves beverages of all kinds, popcorn and other snacks. They do rent out the boat for parties. So this would be a great booze cruise. Although I’m not sure how much you can see when the sun has set. They have entertainment on the evening cruise but not on the afternoon cruise.
This cruise was a nice diversion from all the other sights that are out there and is definitely worth going on a second time. Quick tip, the second deck is crowded but the lower deck is almost deserted. I don’t think you see anything more by sitting upstairs.