tonto creek fish hatchery

Fun place to see the fish and enjoy a pair of bald eagles in the trees./ Good road to the facility and easy parking

The fish hatchery was interesting and there is a small fish farm nearby that kids would get a kick out of.

Loved seeing the "Raceways" full of fish and reading all the "behind the scenes" info. Seeing the fish already caught in the area over the years made me want to gather my fishing gear and get right out to the nearest lake and start fishing.

We took my almost two year old granddaughter and she loved seeing all the trout in various stages of development. It's a nice afternoon driving and a learning experience for all ages. The vista around the hatchery is gorgeous. My son-in-law couldn't get enough shots of it.

Stopped by on a trip to Payson. Beautiful scenery and the grounds were kept very clean. Great place to visit to learn about fish breeding in Arizona. Nice area to take a walk or hike.

Having a leisurely day out and about and decided to pop in for a look. Our 2 kids 11 and 8 had fun feeding the trout for 25cents a handful, the trout go crazy. There was a guy there working very friendly and gave us lots of info about what they do there. Great to pop by for an hour or so to have a look.

If you are looking to escape the desert heat for a day, take a drive up to the Hatchery. Even though temps could be in the low 90's in the middle of July, sitting near the creek is a refreshing treat. Bring a lunch and picnic in the greenery. Hiking is available along several trails in this area too. We hiked the Highline Trail heading east. Though the Dude fire swept through this area in 1990, there has been ample growth of vegetation among bits of charred tree trunks. The trail gently leads you up and down as it crosses Tonto Creek and another nearby creek. You will enjoy the sound of trickling water and the views along the ridges. Bring lots of drinking water if you go at this time of year, however, since it is still quite warm.

Made a day trip to get out of the heat and enjoy the cool fresh air of Payson. The Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery is always a must stop for us. The drive to the hatchery is beautiful and there are lots of great places to stop along the way to get out and play in the creek and enjoy some nature. The fish hatchery is a great place to take kids. 1st its free! 2nd its fun for kids (and adults) to look at all the fish and the different sizes. There are also vultures and hawks flying around. Tons of butterflies too. Only negatives were the restrooms were out of order this time and we had to use the port-a-potty and they were out of fish food. All in all its a great day trip!

I will admit that I love fish, so a few of my friends decided to surprise me with a visit to this hatchery while we were spending the weekend in Payson. We were all very glad that they did. The scenery on the way to the hatchery was beautiful, and we walked around, viewing trout in their tanks. There's a visitors' center as well, with more information about fish and the facility itself. If you are in the area, I highly recommend coming for a visit :)

This place is just beautiful, the drive up follows a creek/small river and there is lots of exploring to be had.A Very simple trip, bring quarters to buy fish food, also bring a camera.

This is a nice place to go to learn about how they raise fish to supply the local lakes. The drive to this place was about 20 minutes on a windy dirt road and it was beautiful the whole time. Recomended place to pack a lunch and eat at one of the small camp sites on the way.

Trophy pond out front w/ some HUGE rainbows, Brownies, I think I saw a Cutbow or two also.. Bring quarters for fish food to toss out, the kids'll love that. The hatchery runs up a hillside, and it's usually windy, but the views are pretty amazing and seeing how the trout are cultivated from fry to fatty is fun.

It was very cool walking around and checking out the hatchery however we went on a sunday so there wasn't anyone to guide us around and provide fun interesting tours but we still thought it was very cool to look at

We like to check out fish hatcheries. This one is a little funky but still very interesting. Kids like to see these and it is in a nice location. They will learn about the fish they might catch, too. Don't plan the day around a visit-just drop by.

This is definitely a place to check out! The fish were so neat to see by the dozens. Great place to take pics too. If you are a fisherman this is the place to see or even if you just have kids in general. The fish are big and neat to watch.