APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. – September 16, 2026 – Wave & Ridge, the Apache Junction adventure-rental company, today announced the kickoff of its fall side-by-side (UTV) riding season in Bulldog Canyon and the surrounding Tonto National Forest, timed to a rare event on its doorstep: the draining of Canyon Lake.
Canyon Lake closed to the public on September 8, 2026, according to the Tonto National Forest. Beginning September 16, Salt River Project (SRP) will lower 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 long and part of a 20-year cycle. The lake is expected to stay closed into late 2026 or early 2027.
For boaters, that removes one of the East Valley’s favorite lakes for the rest of the year. For riders, it opens a view almost nobody alive has seen twice. The Apache Trail (State Route 88) begins in Apache Junction and runs directly along Canyon Lake’s shoreline and above it. Wave & Ridge’s Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo is street-legal and registered in Arizona, so renters can drive it straight from the shop, up the Apache Trail, and watch the canyon walls emerge as the water falls.
“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 a canyon of sheer rock walls. Closer to home, Bulldog Canyon, a designated off-highway recreation area a few minutes from the Wave & Ridge shop, offers washes, ridgelines, and views of the Superstition Mountains and the Goldfield Mountains without a trailer.
Fall is the start of the desert’s prime riding window, when daytime highs ease and morning starts on the trail stop being a heat-management exercise. Wave & Ridge opens at 7 AM Monday through Saturday for early departures.
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, and a hands-on safety briefing covering the vehicle’s drive modes and terrain. Riders pick up at 724 E Scenic St in Apache Junction. For riders who want to trailer to trail systems farther out, a trailer add-on is available for customers with a properly rated tow vehicle.
Boaters do not have to sit out the fall either. Saguaro Lake is not part of the closure, and Wave & Ridge continues to rent jet skis, pontoons, and its wake surf boat for pickup in Apache Junction.
Availability, trail recommendations, and booking are at https://waveandridge.com/utv-rentals/ or by phone at (480) 637-4848.
About Wave & Ridge
Wave & Ridge is an adventure-rental company in Apache Junction, Arizona, offering Can-Am UTV rentals, Sea-Doo jet skis, a Sea-Doo Switch pontoon, a Centurion wake surf boat, and paddleboards for the East Valley’s lakes and trails. All rentals are picked up at 724 E Scenic St, Apache Junction, with all your gear included and a walk-through before every ride.
Learn more at https://waveandridge.com.
Media ContactCompany Name: Wave & RidgeContact Person: Steve UnderwoodEmail: Send EmailPhone: (480) 637-4848Address:724 E Scenic St City: Apache JunctionState: AZCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://waveandridge.com
