PHOENIX – Roper Lake State Park will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025, with free admission for all visitors for the day. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the park’s day-use island ramada, hosted in partnership with the Graham County Chamber of Commerce. This event will showcase recent park improvements designed to enhance the visitor experience.

Originally developed as a private recreation area in the 1960s, Roper Lake became state-owned when the Arizona Game and Fish Commission acquired it in 1969. It officially became a state park in 1975 and now welcomes more than 70,000 visitors annually—over half of whom use the destination to RV camp.

Located six miles south of Safford in southeastern Arizona, Roper Lake State Park is situated at the base of Mt. Graham. The park offers lakeside campgrounds, cozy camping cabins, and water recreation activities. 

The park serves as an economic driver in the local community and recently completed improvements to its campgrounds and day-use amenities to enhance the visitor experience. Upgrades completed over the last year include new restroom facilities with flush toilets, campground showers, and ADA-accessible features; an additional walking trail; and an improved RV dump station.

In addition to boating, camping, and fishing at the stocked lake as well as nearby Dankworth Pond State Park, visitors make basecamp at Roper Lake State Park to explore the Sky Islands—mountain ranges that stand tall in the surrounding desert and offer a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities and plant and wildlife communities. The park’s riparian environment supports diverse bird species and its proximity to the Pinaleño Mountains Important Bird Area attracts birdwatchers from across the region.

For facility information, campground reservations, park maps, directions, and more, visit AZStateParks.com/Roper-Lake.

Connecting people with the outdoors and history of Arizona to build a lifetime of memories.

For information about the more than 30 Arizona state parks and natural areas, the trails and Off-Highway Vehicle programs and State Historic Preservation Office, call 1-877-MY-PARKS or visit AZStateParks.com.

PRESS CONTACT: Michelle Thompson at (480) 589-8877 - Email: pio@azstateparks.gov.