Love this place! Beautiful vantage point of the lake from the picnic area. There is a walking path from the boat launch with lovely views of the lake dotted with benches, ideal for picnics. We ran out of time so we weren't able to get souvenir mugs from the cute gift shop there (which also sells drinks and snacks). The ranger at the gate was pleasant and friendly. read more

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Went for the morning and it was relatively quiet, towards the lunch hour became very busy. Lots of places to camp and have a picnic. Some great waterside hiking trails and views of the lake. Apparently a great place to go fishing or boating as well. Didn't see too much wildlife, but maybe that's a good thing. Great views, worth the visit, but keep in mind here is an admission fee. read more

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I enjoyed my weekend camping here at Fool Hollow Recreation Area. This lake and campground has a little bit of something for everyone. The fee to camp here was reasonable and the campground was well maintained. Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. They have 31 basic sites with fire rings and picnic tables and 92 sites that have electric and water hookups. The bathrooms have flush toilets and showers. The lake was walking distance from the campsite and we enjoyed the view of the stars at night. The park entrance gate of Fool Hollow State Park opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m. You can sit by the 150-acre lake and enjoy the wild life or rent a bike, kayak, fish or hike the trails around the lake. Rainbow trout are stocked throughout the spring and summer. There are two boat ramps for motorized (maximum of 10 H.P. gasoline engines) and non-motorized watercrafts. I was able to take my kayak out on the water and had a nice day out on the lake. If you are short on supplies, stores in Show Low are just a quick 10 minute drive away. read more

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Another terrific state park in the Grand state of Arizona. The staff at the gates are friendly, polite and make the checking in process a snap. The sites are clean of debris with great views of a spring time opportunity to catch trout in the lake. The bathroom is very clean. Nice long walking trail nearly around the entire lake with shade trees along the path. read more

Spent our Thanksgiving weekend here. We made reservation a few months back. They only have sites that have full hookups open. I don't know if they have maintenance issue or it is due to the holiday. Having full hookup is so amazing! In fact the best way to enjoy your camping. Sites are perfectly separated from each other. And they have double sites available as well. Our site has enough room to accommodate our trailer and one tent. I cannot find anything negative about this park. They have volunteers that go around the campground making sure you have ice or firewood. The restrooms/showers are really clean. And temperature controlled. It was a bit chilly and windy during our stay. I hope we can still find campgrounds like this. read more

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Very rocky. You can swim but I was surprised there were no great areas to enter the water for small children. Have to trampl over a lot of rocks but the water is great. read more

I'm very disappointed that on this trip we weren't honored Military discount for day use. The website says 50% off day use & last time we were able to use Military discount but on 6/15/2025 we weren't. Very Very Disappointed.. read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Online said the park offers Military discount. We don't understand why they wouldn't this trip. - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

This place is a hidden gem. We drove all the way from Las Las Vegas, Nevada (about 6 hours) for father's day and we had a really great experience! We already plan on coming back with the rest of our family. We rented boat and went fishing. The showers were great and well-maintained. The There were ants around where replaced our tent which is only thing that I was kind of worried about, but we purchased bug/ants spray, and some insect repellent for it. It's also not too far away from establishments, which really helped a lot because this was our first time and we didn't have all of the stuff that we needed. Overall, I highly recommend this place. read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

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Beautiful! The area is stunning with expansive views of the steep rock canyons and meandering lake. We visited one day after a big snow dump, so had the park almost entirely to ourselves. The Rock Squirrels were busy attending to their food caches, grebes diving, jays and juncos were flitting about. The sky was blue, the temperature on the chilly side, and the water shimmered. A perfect early November day! read more

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Great fishing lake, nice playground. Super clean & lots of places to park and find your own quiet place.

Love this park. Always clean and the views are so spectacular. Love the firework show we can watch from an open field. Love Show Low small town atmosphere. It was hotter than usual over the 4th of July so spent time in the lake daily cooling off. Love the showers and flush toilet...I'm more of a clamping gal the older I get even though we tent camp. Meet great people every year. We have already booked for next year. read more

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I would have given the park experience 5 stars if it wasn't for the major skunk problem! when enjoying a camp fire these smelly critters walk right up to your campsite! There's so many of them that it's hard to enjoy your evening. We have been coming to fools hollow every year and this is the first time we have seen so many skunks on our site. Yes, we clean up our site of food and garbage but they still arrive every night regardless. Skunks can be dangerous if confronted. The park ranger needs to address this issue before someone gets hurt. read more

I've been to Fool's Hollow State Park a number of times. Fool Hollow Lake was created by construction of a dam at the confluence of Show Low Creek and Fool Hollow Wash in 1957 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with federal assistance. The lake is at 6,300 feet in elevation, 150-acre in size and has an average depth of 23 feet. There are two boat ramps, and two large fishing docks. They rent kayaks and canoes at the east boat ramp. In 1885, Thomas Jefferson Adair moved into the area with the intention of farming. The locals joked that only a fool would try and farm the place. The name stuck! The tiny town of Adair has long since been covered by the lake, but it was Adair who was responsible for the name Fool Hollow. We have gone out boating on the lake (that's what you call it when you catch no fish ;p) The lake has large and smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, and trout. The state stocks the lake every two weeks with rainbow trout. But even if you don't catch any fish, the lake is gorgeous and fun to just see the birds and other wildlife. Despite this shallow depth, we haven't seen much algae this year even in August, only some water grasses mostly at one end that can foul line and even hook on motors. I definitely recommend Fool's Hollow and will be back. It's a beautiful area and lake for any outdoor activities. read more

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It wouldn't take much to make this a 4 1/2 star When driving through the park. You will notice bigcra going across the roads. When you hit them all in a class A rig. You can definitely feel them. No matter how slow you go. Also be aware that a lot of the sites are double sites. So your neighbor's are 3 ft away from you. Other then that, this place is beautiful and very well kept up. All the staff has been amazing. State Park, but City's responsibility to maintain the road. Come on Show Low read more

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Súper nice area and lake. Loved that the kids could go swimming and fishing. Just wish there were more ramadas closer to the lake. read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

We were looking for a place to shake down our new ClassB RV. Since I'm new toRV experience, I wanted somewhere in the woods,but close to fishing and not far from Town if something was needed. This location fits the bill. Good fishing (even though the lake level is low). Beautiful day use area, with Ramada's that can support parties for 100! Restrooms are plentiful. Rentals for bikes, kayaks and canoes available. Nicely paved/maintained walking trails. We camped for 2 nights at the Redhead loop. Full hookup service (water, electric and sewer!). We only hooked up to electric to test out our other systems, but will use the others before we check out. There is a restroom/shower facility for every loop very clean, very spacious and well maintained! Sites are far enough apart for limited privacy. Lots of trees and hills. A bit of a walk to the lake,but still convenient. There are ice stations and soda machines, if needed. Host sites clearly designated. Every ranger and host we encountered were pleasant and helpful! We will be back. Note: Arizona fire season has started. No grills or campfires. Propane grills ok, and our neighbors had a propane fireplace. So check the rules when you come. Tip: Get your AZ fishing license before you get to the park. We stopped at Cal Ranch in ShowLow. You can get it online, but you have to be able to print it. read more

We came here after reading a 'top 10 things to do' list on a recent weekend in Show Low to enjoy a mountain weekend. We were here on a Friday late afternoon, there was nobody at the entrance station so we just drove right in. It does appear that they charge even for day use? We did not pay, even on the honor system given we literally were there just to see if we wanted to come back and hang out the next day. The day use area was empty. I was shocked, as it was such a lovely park on first glance. Lots of areas for outdoor get togethers for families. We had our pup with us, and it appears they are dog friendly on leash. We walked down to the water which was VERY low. I would say if you are here with a boat for boat fishing, that may be challenging. We did see some guys fishing off the shore however, and they said there was good fishing in this lake. Not sure why the water was so low, but it was actually very sad to see the docks pulled up on the incredibly stark low shores. We were the only ones there other than these two people fishing which felt strange, but hey we had a great walk with the pup. I used the facilities which were SO clean, I was very surprised at how clean they were... better than some of the truck stop/gas station bathrooms I have stopped at on road trips! We did drive over to the camping area and it was VERY busy so it would appear that folks do enjoy overnight/weekend camping. Looks like they do tent and RV (with hook ups) that is reserved. read more

Love this campground! It is very clean, & they have showers & flush toilets! The Camp Host came by each afternoon to see if campers wanted to buy ice. That was awesome! The lake has risen since the rainy monsoon season this year. There's even a place to rent kayaks right by the launch ramp. Had a great time in the cooler weather! Highly recommend! read more

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Beautiful and clean campsites with full hook ups and your own fire pit! We came here for our first camping trip with our trailer and were not disappointed! You're about a 5 minutes drive to Show Low with many shops and food options. It was nice and quiet with a beautiful view, clean bathrooms, and friendly staff, we'll definitely be coming back! read more

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It's so pretty here and a great place to walk around the lake. However, the charge seems excessive to just and enjoy the lake. What is it like $10 a car?? Calm down, my goodness. read more

Great for paddle boards, kids playing at the park, camping and a relaxed day at the lake!

Beautiful park with camping and RV options. The staff was very nice and the host sites were open and easy to find. The lake itself is beautiful and offers plenty of hiking and walking trails. Even during COVID-19, this park was one of the best we have stayed at while still adhering to strict protocols. There is shopping close enough if you need it, however the park itself is very quiet and peaceful. Don't forget fishing poles if you come here! read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Fool Hollow Lake - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

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Beautiful State Park with lots to do. The bathrooms are super clean and camp sites are well maintained.

Great State Park Facilities. We came from Tucson to enjoy the cool air during the COVID issues, the park was locked to only RV use and the camping areas were extremely well maintained. The hosts and park staff cleaned at least once per day. The kayaking was good, the lake is about 150 acre and was a good workout going along the coast. There were plenty of wildlife picture opportunities. The wind kicked up often when were out and made for some good choppy waves. Parking areas were clear. Only issues were trash, which we cleaned as we went around. Good place to make a stop or weekend trip. read more

The Fools Hollow state park did not disappoint.The beauty & wonderful weather with a cool windy breeze was perfect for the two days we visited. If you are looking to do it all this is the place. My family & I were trying to get in as much outdoor adventure as possible for our small stay. Park entrance fee is $7 per vehicle. They have swimming areas, fishing boating, kayaking, hiking etc. we took a boat tour & the two young guys made our trip a lot of fun! I almost caught a fish that gave me a great fight and cut my line. Oh well next time! The trails are easy and beautiful my kids loved it and we are not really outdoorsy type of people so it's was perfect for us to explore. read more

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Very pretty view and not very busy great place for kids and families to spend the day

I love hiking around the fisherman's path. It's a bit rocky do you need a pair of sturdy boots and bring water as you can adventure for hours here. Wildlife seems to be everywhere with Elk or Mule deer at the waters edge. I was lucky enough to see a pair of muskrats and Osprey on this past visit and I'm already planning my next visit with renting a kayak and try some fishing from it. read more

We finally took our dog on a long car ride. Having reached the 100 degree mark in the valley, we decided that a drive up north along the Mogollon Rim would be fun. As we drove into Showlow Arizona, we saw Fools Hollow State Park and took the turn to see what it was like. The park is run by the State Park system and cost $7.00 a day for a day permit. Granted, we got there in the middle of the week and the Covid 19 pandemic is still going, but talk about a beautiful hidden gem! The park is unbelievably clean and well maintained. The lake is stocked with varieties of bass, walleye and catfish. The flowers and trails are easily accessible and parking is very abundant. The dog loved the walk. Dogs MUST be leashed and our pup had so many things to see and smell. Overall, the two and a half hour drive was great. The puppy learned how to settle in a car ride and now we're looking for more adventures. Give the drive to Showlow a try. You'll see beautiful forested areas, some wildlife, (deer, big horn sherp) and some great locations to walk, hike and escape the heat. read more

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I wish my family & I had gone to this lake more than once. We were in Pinetop, Az for one week, had gone to Rainbow lake in Pinetop, which was nice, but not as good as Fool Hollow lake, reason being, simply because you can swim at this lake & rent stand up paddle boards. The lake was beautiful & had plenty of spots to set up in with day use chairs/canopies. It wasn't to busy, there were plenty of families coming & going throughout our day stay, but it never felt super busy, maybe because pretty big! We rented, stand up paddle boards, kayaks & a small boat. My nephew forgot his fishing gear & this great was perfect for fishing as well! The lake was so refreshing as we went during unusually hot days. My family & I jumped in to the lake from the dock & it made for the most fun time! The only thing we forgot, that is definitely recommended is, our lake shoes! ‍we didn't allow for that to spoil our fun, we still got in. I'd like to say one more thing, the young employees that rented out the paddle boards & whatnot were all very polite & friendly, great job staff read more

If you are in to bird watching I saw so many different birds. The lake is very low. But enjoyed kayaking with the family! read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Fools hallow - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

Had an excellent visit to the lake. We didn't have a boat but there are boat ramps and parking available. They have nice huge ramadas for gathering, eating, celebrating etc. We had our dogs with us and there was plenty of room for them to roam without running into other people, they also enjoyed splashing around the lake. read more

Fool Hollow State Park - Open lake area shallow for the dogs - Parks Near Me - Show Low, Arizona

Great spot to get out of the AZ summer heat and enjoy the outdoors. Fresh air, cool breeze, and we did some fishing around the lake. Bring bait for trout and bass. Fun watching the different birds flying over head and kids caught a few crawdads. Plus, secluded small town which was nice to be out of the huddle of Phx. read more

Great park for relaxing on a bench or walking the trail. We spent a wonderful, uncrowded Monday afternoon doing both. Restrooms at the each end of the trail. Plenty of parking. Talked to a guy who caught four fish in less then two hours. The lake must be well stocked. read more

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Very clean park with nice grounds. From the lake to the bathrooms, all was clean. The grounds offered great camp options, very clean restrooms, and fish cleaning stations. The lake was smaller than I imagined and unfortunately during our visit, the boat/kayak rental staff was no where to be found. That was a bummer. Overall though, nice park that's well put together and managed. read more

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First off, if you're looking for dispersed camping, just keep moving along. This is a campground with neighbors, same who can literally in your same spot. Like side by side parking. So.. if you don't mind neighbors, this place is a gem. There are paths walk or ride bikes. You can bring or rent a kayak and even take in some fishing. Your really close to a absolutely gorgeous golf course. Shopping is a few minutes away, but when you're here, it feels like you're out in the wilderness (along with a couple hundred other campers). Clean? Holy crap it's clean. You park on a concrete pad so no dirt gets tracked in your RV. They clean and rake the campgrounds, clean out fire pits and it smelled like they even bleached the pad. Bathrooms and showers? So clean you can hardly wait to use them again. We were there the first time and went back two weeks later. A really great camp ground. read more

We've had a wonderful time tent camping at this state park! There is plenty of wildlife to watch. We had excellent weather conditions in late April. We stayed Wednesday night to Friday at noon and enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The bathrooms are excellent and have showers. The roads are smooth and in excellent condition and were no problem for our sedan. The tent sites are large, level, & well groomed which made for easy setup of our tent! If you are coming tent camping, look for Non Electric sites. There are handicapped tent camping sites which would be easy for someone in a wheelchair to use. They even have a BBQ grill on a post for cooking accessibility. A few things to consider: This campsite is close enough to the town of Show Low that we could hear a neighbor's rooster daily and ambulance sirens once. Quick trips into town for shopping are easy. We were able to have 4G LTE cell coverage everywhere we went in the park. read more

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Went fishing over by the amphitheater area. Between 3 people caught many catfish and released. Very clean area. Restrooms extremely clean

Fool Hollow is a beautiful park, well kept, clean, and nice size spots. Come enjoy out Mountain and Lake.

Three people at the gate or rude and wouldn't let me take a drive-thru I live in to all the states and I could not even drive-through just to take a look it's way too expensive and they need to adjust her attitude at the gate. read more

We drove up from PHOENIX without reservations. The lady at check in was very nice, helped us find a good tent site to enjoy our first experience. The grounds are very clean. The bathrooms are clean and no odor. We were able to have campfire in the evenings. The tent site was large enough to hold our 12 person tent . Will be back to camp again read more

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