Roper Lake State Park

Rank in Arizona: #432of 727 ranked
Overall score: Score 35.7 out of 100high confidence
Annual visits: 71,481counted in 2024
Category: State Park

Roper Lake State Park is an Arizona state park in Graham County, surrounding the 32-acre Roper Lake. It stands off U.S. Route 191 about five miles south of Safford, in the valley of the Gila River, and is enclosed by the Pinaleño Mountains, a sky island range whose summits include Mount Graham. It recorded 71,481 visits in 2024.

Where it is

Roper Lake State Park is a state park near Safford, in Graham County. It is one of the state parks in this database, and appears in the statewide ranking of Arizona attractions.

How this ranking was reached

The score combines the published visitor count with public interest and tourism significance, which is what earns it high confidence. The weighting is explained in full on the methodology page, and every axis is broken out under Facts and sources at the foot of this page.

Sources

Visitation: Arizona Office of Tourism Monthly State Parks Visitation Report (December 2025); source Arizona State Parks, compiled by AHRRC(opens in a new tab)
Public interest: Wikimedia pageviews (en.wikipedia, human traffic), 2024
Coordinates and designations: Wikidata(opens in a new tab)
County: U.S. Census geography via FCC Area API, resolved from coordinates
Official site: https://www.azstateparks.com/roper-lake/(opens in a new tab)

Record last verified 2026-08-12.

Nearby attractions

2.4 miles away
Dankworth Pond State Park
A subunit of Roper Lake State Park near Safford with fishing and birdwatching, and a recreated Paleo-Indian village on an interpretive trail.
State Park
3.5 miles away
Mount Graham International Observatory
A University of Arizona observatory in the Pinaleño Mountains, site of the Large Binocular Telescope and contested since construction began in 1989.
Observatory
5.4 miles away
Point of Pines Sites
Archaeological sites on the San Carlos Apache Reservation where a 1946-60 field school found Ancestral Pueblo, Mogollon and Hohokam evidence.
Historic Site
10 miles away
Mount Graham
A 10,720-foot peak north-east of Tucson, the highest in the Pinaleño Mountains and the southernmost land above 10,000 feet in the country.
Natural Landmark
10 miles away
Sanchez CCC Camp
Sanchez CCC Camp, near Safford, Arizona, preserves several buildings of a Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps camp, managed by the BLM.
Historic Site
10 miles away
Pinaleño Mountains
A Madrean sky island range near Safford with over 7,000 feet of relief, rising to Mount Graham at 10,720 feet.
Landmark