Plan your visit
Plan your visit

Pecan Lake Gardens

An edible botanical garden, a working gristmill and a stocked lake in Queen Creek, Arizona

Plan your visitSee admission prices
The gristmill and its waterwheel across the lake, framed by willow branches
The mill at dusk with string lights along its roofline and lanterns on the bridge wall
Two visitors walking the path beside the water, flower beds along the verge
A wrought iron gazebo at the centre of a clipped rose parterre beside the lake

Gardens, a mill and a lake

The gardens are planted with fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, laid out as a series of themed demonstration gardens joined by connecting pathways. Tasting is allowed when a gardener is with you.

The millhouse holds a restored 1886 stone gristmill. Its second-story millworks, including an industrial-era pecan cracker and shelling machine, are powered by the waterwheel that turns beside the lake.

Pecan Lake is a regenerative aquaponic system: the fish that live in it enrich the water that irrigates the gardens. It is stocked with catfish, black crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass. You can fish it, catch and release, or take a canoe out on it.

What to do

Four ways to spend the day

  • The gardens

    Walk the themed gardens and the self-guided tour at your own pace, from the English garden to Legend Falls.

  • Fishing

    Catch-and-release fishing from the grass shoreline, with barbless hooks provided and a valid Arizona license required.

  • Canoes

    Take a canoe out on Pecan Lake and see the mill and the waterwheel from the water.

  • Photo passes

    Casual photographs are welcome; posed sessions need a photo pass arranged in advance.

Admission

Entry to the gardens, fishing entry and canoe rental are each priced per person. The details are on the visit page.

The gardens

The gardens, one walk

Admission covers all of the demonstration gardens and the pathways that join them. Three of them:

A wrought iron gazebo at the centre of a clipped rose parterre beside the lakeThe English gardenFormal beds, with the chaste tree among its stops on the self-guided tour.
The mill at dusk with string lights along its roofline and lanterns on the bridge wallLegend FallsWater over stone: one of the streams and waterfalls that run down to the lake.
Koi and ducks on the water below the waterwheelThe Japanese gardenThe stone stairway and the tea house are both stops on the self-guided tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many different themed gardens can I walk through?
You’ll pass more than a dozen themed demonstration gardens on your visit, including English, Japanese, Mediterranean, Italian, French, Tropical, Vietnamese and Southwest gardens. A year-round fruit orchard is woven throughout the landscape as well. All of them are connected by a self-guided tour, so you can walk at your own pace and take in as much or as little as you like.
Do I need my own fishing license to fish at Pecan Lake?
Yes, a valid Arizona fishing license is required for every angler, regardless of age or experience level. It’s checked at entry, so it’s worth having it ready before you head to the shoreline. Licenses aren’t sold on-site, so plan to get yours through the Arizona Game and Fish Department in advance.
Can I hire a photographer for a posed photo session?
You can, but any staged or posed photography session needs a photo pass arranged in advance. Buy one online and staff will email you to schedule the date and time, or ask through the contact form. This applies whether you’re hiring a professional photographer or having a friend take a series of posed shots on a phone. Casual, unposed snapshots taken during a normal visit don’t require a pass.
Is there somewhere to eat after I visit the gardens?
Yes, three restaurants sit just a short walk from the gardens at Pecan Lake. Hide Out 206 serves craft soda, local microbrews and hand-held snacks, Your Pie offers hand-tossed pizza with fresh toppings, and Caldwell County BBQ serves Texas-style barbecue smoked over local mesquite and pecan. It’s easy to make a full day of the gardens and a meal together.
Can I fish from a canoe instead of the shoreline?
No, fishing is restricted to the grass shoreline only, so canoes can’t be used for fishing. Canoes are meant purely for paddling and sightseeing, giving you a water-level view of the mill, waterwheel and gardens. If fishing is your main goal, plan on shoreline fishing entry instead of a canoe rental.
The millhouse and waterwheel seen past an olive tree, a topiary-lined garden path leading up to it
Two visitors walking the path beside the water, flower beds along the verge

Spend a day at Pecan Lake

Walk the gardens, fish the lake or take a canoe out, then eat at Pecan Lake.

Plan your visit