Lake Mary Road is a north–south road in the U.S. state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. In 1967, the

Arizona Department of Transportation The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT, pronounced "A-Dot") is an Arizona state government agency charged with facilitating mobility within the state. In addition to managing the state's state highways, highway system, the agency is also i ...

added the road into the state highway system with the designation of State Route 487. However, by the late 1970s it had been returned to its original name, and no reason for its decommissioning is currently known. Today, the road traverses through

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai p ...

from State Route 87 (SR 87) east of Clint's Well to its northern terminus in Flagstaff. The section outside of Flagstaff is designated Coconino County Road 3 (CR 3).

Route description

Lake Mary Road begins as CR 3. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with SR 87 in southern

, north of the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

. From there, Lake Mary Road (CR 3) heads north-northwest, traveling for before reaching the tiny community of Happy Jack. After that, the road curves north heading towards

Mormon Lake Mormon Lake is a shallow, intermittent lake located in northern Arizona in Pleasant Valley. With an average depth of only , the surface area of the lake is extremely volatile and fluctuates seasonally. When full, the lake has a surface area of ...

, the largest natural lake in

. During the winter months, the stretch of Lake Mary Road east of Mormon Lake is closed, and travelers using the road must take Mormon Lake Road around the west side of the lake before getting back onto Lake Mary Road. Roughly north of Mormon Lake, the road passes by Upper Lake Mary, at which point it heads west-northwest past Lower Lake Mary and towards Flagstaff. Upon reaching Flagstaff city limits, CR 3 ends and Lake Mary Road continues. The road reaches its northern end at Beulah Boulevard in Flagstaff, at the southwest corner of the Interstate 17/ Interstate 40 (I-17/I-40) interchange. Lake Mary Road, sometimes referred to as ''Forest Highway 3'', is known for its recreational opportunities, as it runs through pine forest areas and past three northern Arizona lakes. It is also renowned for its gently rolling hills and wide roadway shoulders, making bicycling along the road attractive. The road has also become a destination for recreational runners, because the road has wide shoulders and easy access to trailheads and parking spots. The road maintains a minimum elevation of approximately above sea level for its entire length, while its peak elevation is over above sea level.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
USFS map of Lake Mary Road (2013)
Transportation in Coconino County, Arizona Streets in Arizona Flagstaff, Arizona