Fall trail opener
Fall UTV Season Is On — and You Can Watch the Canyon Lake Drawdown from the Apache Trail
Fall side-by-side season is open at Wave & Ridge. This year the calendar lines up with something you will not see again until the 2040s: Canyon Lake is drawn down for dam safety work, and the Apache Trail (SR 88) corridor runs right along it.
You pick up a street-legal Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo at 724 E Scenic St in Apache Junction, drive it yourself up State Route 88, watch the lake bed emerge as the water falls, then keep going into desert riding — Bulldog Canyon, Tortilla Flat, toward Fish Creek. Boaters are not stuck either. Saguaro Lake is not part of the closure.
This is the fall trail opener. For the full public-closure timeline and boat-ramp detail, use our Canyon Lake closed 2026 drawdown post.
What is happening at Canyon Lake (short version)
Canyon Lake closed to the public on September 8, 2026, per Tonto National Forest. Beginning around September 16, Salt River Project is lowering the lake by about 54 feet for dam safety inspections and maintenance at Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams. SRP describes the work as roughly 16 weeks and part of a 20-year cycle. The lake is expected to stay closed into late 2026 or early 2027.
That removes Canyon as a fall boat day. It does not remove a ride day. The Apache Trail (SR 88) starts in Apache Junction and runs along and above the shoreline — so the drawdown is something you can see from an open cab without needing a boat ramp.
Wave & Ridge announced the fall side-by-side season alongside this window in an AB Newswire release dated September 16, 2026.
The ride you do not get twice
The Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo is street-legal and registered in Arizona. Renters drive it straight from the shop, up the Apache Trail, and watch the canyon walls show as the water drops — then stay on the dirt for the rest of the day.
“People drive past Canyon Lake every weekend without thinking about what is under it,” said Steve Underwood, Owner of Wave & Ridge. “For the next few months you can sit in an open-cab side-by-side on the Apache Trail and watch a 20-year event happen in real time, then keep going into some of the best desert riding in the state. We are not going to see this again until the 2040s.”
Past Canyon Lake, the Apache Trail continues to Tortilla Flat and toward Fish Creek, where the road drops through sheer rock. Closer to the shop, Bulldog Canyon — a designated off-highway recreation area a few minutes from Scenic St — offers washes, ridgelines, and views of the Superstition and Goldfield Mountains without a trailer.
Fall is the desert window
Fall is the start of the desert’s prime riding season: daytime highs ease, and morning trail starts stop being a heat-management problem. Wave & Ridge opens at 7:00 AM Monday through Saturday for early departures. Closed Sunday.
Every Can-Am UTV rental includes:
- DOT-certified helmets and goggles for up to four passengers
- The Bulldog Canyon recreation permit
- An iPad preloaded with GPS trail maps
- A hands-on safety briefing covering drive modes and terrain
Pickup is only at 724 E Scenic St, Apache Junction. The shop does not deliver to the lake and does not meet you at a trailhead. You drive the machine. Riders must be 25 or older to rent.
If you want to trailer to trail systems farther out, a trailer add-on is available when you have a properly rated tow vehicle. Most Bulldog Canyon days do not need one.
Book trail recommendations and availability on the UTV rentals page.
Boaters: Saguaro is still open
Canyon’s closure is a lake problem, not a rental problem. You pick watercraft up in Apache Junction and choose where to tow. Saguaro Lake is not part of this drawdown, and Wave & Ridge continues to rent jet skis, pontoons, and the wake surf boat for pickup in Apache Junction.
Plan the water day on Saguaro Lake boat rentals. For the Day Pass and watercraft sticker rules at Saguaro (and how they differ from a Bulldog OHV permit), use the Tonto Pass guide.
Two fall plans from one shop
| If you want… | Go… | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Dirt + a once-in-20-years overlook | Apache Trail view of the drawdown, then Bulldog / Tortilla Flat / Fish Creek | UTV rentals |
| Water while Canyon is closed | Saguaro Lake (not in the closure) | Saguaro Lake boat rentals |
| Closure dates and ramp detail | Status post | Canyon Lake closed 2026 |
Same address either way: 724 E Scenic St, Apache Junction. Arrive about an hour before your start time for the walk-through and gear.
Book the fall day
Reserve a side-by-side for Bulldog Canyon and the Apache Trail corridor, or lock in a Saguaro water day while Canyon stays closed.
Book a UTV → · Book Saguaro water →
Prefer to talk it through? Use Call on the site contact strip — pickup stays the Scenic St lot either way.
Frequently asked questions
Is fall UTV season open at Wave & Ridge during the Canyon Lake drawdown?
Yes. Fall side-by-side season in Bulldog Canyon and the surrounding Tonto National Forest is open. The drawdown closes Canyon Lake to the public; it does not close the desert trails. Pickup is at 724 E Scenic St in Apache Junction.
Can you see the Canyon Lake drawdown from a rental UTV?
Yes. The Apache Trail (SR 88) runs along and above Canyon Lake. Wave & Ridge’s Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo is street-legal and registered in Arizona, so renters can drive from the shop up the trail to watch the water fall, then continue into desert riding.
When does Canyon Lake reopen?
SRP has described the project as about 16 weeks from mid-September 2026, with the lake expected to stay closed into late 2026 or early 2027. There is no firm reopen date in the season announcement. Confirm with SRP or Tonto National Forest before planning a Canyon trip in that window, and see our closure dates post for the public timeline.
Is Saguaro Lake closed too?
No. Saguaro Lake is not part of the Canyon Lake drawdown. Jet skis, pontoons, and the wake surf boat remain available for pickup in Apache Junction — book through Saguaro Lake boat rentals.
Do you deliver a UTV to Bulldog Canyon or meet at the trail?
No. All rentals are pickup-only at 724 E Scenic St, Apache Junction. You drive the Can-Am yourself. The shop does not drop machines at the lake or at a trailhead.
What is included with a Can-Am rental?
DOT-certified helmets and goggles for up to four, the Bulldog Canyon recreation permit, an iPad with GPS trail maps, and a safety briefing. Hours start at 7:00 AM Monday through Saturday.