![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDHBsKriQmELBrv45b-jeg_nag1T9YM9y-ZL7r7W-GfovEk3HYKfM9Wkpikp1DLJdm6fgzaXysPSEO68cZf2AliJDDfaTneLyg5Wj0FfhBWnQ7yQp4FW7mx1A4dTx9Zxx5GbYOTeXk2o/s320/Payson+Lake+%25282%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake |
Introduction
Soon after leaving the
Grotto Falls, I ran into the Payson Lakes Recreation Area. It seemed to be a main attraction on the Nebo Loop and figured, heck why not stop pay and check it out.
They had a fee area and to park cost $8. Not the end of the work and apparently the pass was good to park at any of the recreation areas through the Nebo Loop.
Payson Lakes consists of three lakes: McClellan, Box and Big East Reservoir, but I think collectively they are known as Payson Lake.
The first lake is definitely geared for fishing. It was very quiet, with a few ducks, a ton of powder blue dragon flies. Surrounding the tranquil lake was a nice little trail.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GRB9jipwEM_AQoVf5dOeBowzcIbzJhZQbkkp9QHrgH4HnSxlvqyhkZpoE5qjVPqoGXEdchr-ZIfY7RYoMsli6SDoWt7ltqW_nU5e2gl95v8vGctcjHN9GA1t-3DEhIzbqGh5WJ9iuGQ/s320/Payson+Lake+%25281%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrNSa7QhClnAdonXHHiEAX1aMP-iGJVMBdJyWj9-v-okY1o3dmg9bjjz_tliA0ILCAxBsnhHvM2eRlbUq0UvJmoWaRuUhDrXlGpffrORQfaANlPC4ATfFn0xfz1liL5_OixqI0B0SPAQ/s320/Payson+Lake+%25285%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB96ijxFh1v76-i7iSMqRg4xe2QwYq387qNsNwNNoeKOTXFJfTyZCpFmlhezZYnB_SEHkaPkxgYw3GMsZ_wzxI22ulyHT0PcX7GHlEMGTHPoP-9_9-SEYnmgJDA7OdCDL9y0W9ti7KWOQ/s320/Payson+Lake+%25286%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98VeUCYzQI3MU7JN3sRNxNl7w5BoEmumDL40JUKQ1n3U4o1SMvEZA9NepLJ1qdNFFoNO8h-tOxRRHW1GjcmMb9FsBNfEpc1AuN0-LT1RaUj-JgQGH2BpBL1n10EJpmqyg8aGFDKqUfbg/s320/Payson+Lake+%25287%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake from the south |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi2pPQVZ-MZQXEYpOQMFt33AcHGyWAWrK_vddjlYWKMfKKoMmbRVcZETxVrTpn2JRIelbq35loHP14AOsu_ta9nW8IXleOqIYWoh2k7Yn4UToS_udB03llAk4LCTZAgdkuuZAGKmrHow/s320/Payson+Lake+%25288%2529.jpg) |
McClellan Lake Backwoods Area |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfiE4Xnz4UhM6kzcuN8wyqOkAeH4tOCGhwsjmK5pENhTQdEdQ9WBE5-FYDyg7FcR2ApRgeQruM1VnllksE_LJN-4Ck6OM2dfAIgs6mbOer_sBBuEvRfhqt-ufnGhNghLatI3NTVXOOGY/s320/Payson+Lake+%25289%2529.jpg) |
Leaving McClellan Lake |
As I made my way around the lake I discovered another path that took me to Box Lake, a rectangular marshy lake that seemed to more pond than lake. I didn't see much activity here except it had a huge bed a vine-like wildflowers. It was pretty but small and more marsh like. No one was here and it seemed pretty shallow to even fish from
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5McAVcv1eYtmOFS-3iqehNJpmIQ8T4BJbjykgXGLqzZKFfenFU2dUjrhTZZTHKviT_IsppATpbKIjVmu6ESCGZ66ShP_NzxdbeVZUiCO4A40J48MbWeFyyWvExT-5Qx_-OgLGHhbUzk/s320/Payson+Lake+%252810%2529.jpg) |
Box Lake |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2duABJ65-3fGiyx0AzhbnHYTdkn46tp3CDGK7zFHK03FvozrgXIg2RL4N8LR_Ov_JH1x7Gt7aGBhz1fE19nOg_ld6tTySzI3E8RnwP4HpkzBHUbZzMDkjOH5d4gcaG6ZmUB9oZWg7yY/s320/Payson+Lake+%252811%2529.jpg) |
Box Lake |
I headed back to my car and drove the remainder up the service road and discovered why I had to pay to enter the area. And I also found where everybody was hanging out.
Big East Reservoir is huge and has a beautiful, well maintained blacktop trail that circles the lake. There were a bunch of people boating in paddle boats, fishing and they even had a beach of sorts. People were swimming despite the warnings about swimmer's itch.
The interpretive trail around the lake was interesting and I figured it was a solid mile of easy walking. Lots of people were out picnicking. While the valley was in the mid 80's, up here at 7000+ feet it seemed so much cooler -- almost like fall was on the cusp of happening yet it was still warm enough to swim.
This was just an ideal place to spend the day and have a BBQ or throw your line out to fish (I saw a lot of fishing but not much catching).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzn8Dj7QMSNfu9pcInPDOM3itflqGohNlfEvHCijIyXPCVLQWTy1FiLaTlm1Zfr7N_lAYNDsDoBWGK8zCHO8rYpyD3ifHuiPD1HU7k-zAE6g5OFl9MaXKyJzh6-Dj5PDNvsf7oCsjQTU/s320/Payson+Lake+%252813%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6RpWU52XUmgYaVX2QdDf_O9NR-InqTbmDTh5G05_YxBiPFK892GU5JKeFGa3O5EqDhA8qThMTvvLfcnf_iNFm9te_waYzLoXHoB4eiMX1xGmMFlfkqdSOw1cvza25X8o7d4GhiNhSWA/s320/Payson+Lake+%252814%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAWRty240ALGAzp762OEop5YDqTYPrB5OOvMKd5wkI1fFaEj84cjve7UgAeMffNjcJg07Crb5MIUus-3dLZRQjGvdqS3J2C7thsH54ATDkq-eV8rYSeHuCPrpS2QHV-RfveAp9xf04NA/s320/Payson+Lake+%252815%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdevbh40gSNUXl7O0oS4QboCxJhdViB_UnRJ8XR1ymdGpJH3Rymjt8BNA9Nyk0VoWQm60DEprRSCd2WfelAdy0EpwudvXqKr4HgG8aMzuYKPS6ntQVFY8SD0uUH5KNEB5HutfaevjLX94/s320/Payson+Lake+%252816%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0BJkCpwNtKBvd6eVDxYqGZ9XPatfvJ4KJE_zRZWLzRgI8EDj0sONojL4tIRvLTAfnyQ3u4lZfuZ44U24lPdZ47tTXc3dqXMjqrLV647jlYl1JL3CAJp7NCnR8sou1Q0Di78U8y6Uuxw/s320/Payson+Lake+%252817%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMg2todvE-MAvYFJEx29D04JXaBIowjVfZpoFJNom0LRK4OZsk_AZftJrO9lrF1BGhiemDQIyj9GP2ZXZ5v0eebTJmEkg8IDvgljSLSGjpOTRCWQF8TUHaSlY5NCB1vnczZ7GLqoZp1k/s320/Payson+Lake+%252818%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8mys0EbcpjHBlTR0c3RW9kJ2xZtRLiuwjwcswRJUwnXkNzsDNTV-CPDAjaFsInIq0N7ZI42VUhnhtBbz3HYIgQMHputAso6m0WasNrN6qGZGgbfUpRBe0mtuF0f7CMG-A6HqwimWaxQ/s320/Payson+Lake+%252819%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGdgLyDLRna7lFYiYbedEXHJDzbHNR8F0P-gGHjA9W-7EQEMeswbAhkJRdxjMwU6ssba9ayCvvokZ4YUbe9bjnUZ3y0U3AU_r0eMFfPWzV2C8ZT6ROp3XPQdIlFloMSdoTf8Av7GdckA/s320/Payson+Lake+%252820%2529.jpg) |
Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirRDYb2a_6KkqFyRfUyLDNposYvME0rReD5CvkOLrcTt1uRwJODYvK29IOp55BTfMyia_I1BdqfUW8CoYcGbBYqc9616ygWMbkxEmH7RGgN9Ilim4RZ_5VM202TOstMi4ZQHl0rohxFM/s320/Payson+Lake+%252821%2529.jpg) |
Beach activities at Big East Reservoir |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXdBxe7Jhbx_8m3BdxUjoVgGHDIP2rTpB13l0etxEozfqfsL5D3kMCsx6bru8VzlZPVJmBfXTtnW2-CU-Xs45pGwVYJ3O8ODmFVBU2CZhz5RXUxfwl2vFhU_7uYQXj1D15FH2rRX0IyY/s320/Payson+Lake+%252822%2529.jpg) |
Typical stretch of trail at Big East Reservoir |
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