While up in Show Low for the weekend hiked Buena Vista trail! It's a great casual option to get…read moreoutside and enjoy the weather. Once you turn off the main road onto Rim Rd, which is a dirt road, nothing to crazy and I'd imagine easy enough for most automobiles. There is then a large dirt lot probably half a mile with trailhead map and info. Bonus no fee to park in the lot! The route has a bit of elevation, but for the most part features wide trails and pretty casual. It is a tad rocky, but my group did it in tennis shows or lifestyle boots. It is a loop trail, with a straight start an option to go left or right, the signage isn't great so we ended up doing a five mile hike instead of a three, but c'est la vie! There are trail markers they just are far and few in between. Service also is not great and sporadic, so Iw ould recommend downloading ahead of time. The hike featured lots of woodsy landscape a tons of wildlife footprints, markings and birds. It wasn't the best hike I have ever done, but a great option for those who want to get outdoors, have an easy approach or drive in and mellow hike that I personally find appropriate for most ages. Also dog friendly!

Just a nice little hike to escape from the city. If you are visiting Pinetop-Lakeside you should…read moretake an hour to walk this short interpretive trail. There is no major destination or culminating peak. But if you love little signs that tell you about the birds and trees as well as offers picturesque views of streams, rocks and mountains then it's for you. The perfect hike for my family who are novices. The real is just under one mile. The first 1.3 is asphalt and then becomes silty dirt. Fun and relaxing to get your mind off things.

The pictures don't do this park justice. Super clean and peaceful, with plenty of wildlife. This…read morepark is great for a morning or afternoon stroll with a loop that goes right around the lake. Plenty of parking and places for a picnic. This is actually one of my favorite parks in the Pinetop area.

July 2026 Great trails and activities...no lake…read more Need tons of rain to bring the lake back

1st time visitor Nice little walk around the lake…read moreUnfortunately the water was really low to the point where you could walk on the area Worth visiting I am sure with the water at full level, it is a beautiful view. Look forward to visiting again

Sad. Lake SUPER low. July 2026 Park is still…read morebeautiful....west side fishing free with valid state license.

I came here to take photographs because it just snowed a few days earlier. You can't really go to…read morethe lake as it's fenced off on the Indian reservation. Regardless it's beautiful! The other side of the road is fenced off as well but there is an opening to walk through. Wear accommodating shoes as it's forest and open land. Restrooms are available here.

This visit was during the covid-19 pandemic…read more We saw a sign for Pintail Lake and had to take a look. Pintail Lake is more of a wetland than a lake. It is known as the Allen Severson Wildlife Area. It's located on the east side of AZ State Highway 77 aka Penrod Road. It is about 3.5 miles north of Deuce of Clubs on the right as you leave Show Low. There is a decent gravel road in about 1/2 mile to a parking area. Admission is free. The wetland was created by Forest Service, City of Show Low and the Az. Department of Game and Fish. The Show Low wastewater management uses treated affluent to create it. The marshes help treat and purify the water, and serving as a wetland that attracts birds and wildlife. I gave it 5 stars because the city created a really great place for wildlife as well as cleaning the affluent. Allen Severson consists of two small artificial marshes including Pintail Lake and South Marsh. Pintail consists of 3 ponds with 14 nesting islands, while South Marsh is a resting and feeding area. Pintail Lake contains 50 acres of water within a fenced area of 250 acres, which South Marsh fluctuates from 15 to 50 acres of flooded meadow. On the wetlands, we saw a couple kinds of ducks and a blue heron. A nice wide trail leads to a viewing deck and a sort of concrete 'blind' where you can watch the waterfowl without being seen. Its about a half mile walk and there are interpretive signs and benches to sit and enjoy the scenery. There is wheelchair access on the trail. There is a porta-potty. I definitely recommend this place for birders, though, you can see most of the same birds on Show Low Lake or at Fool Hollow. It is another place to get out where fewer people go and you can relax during the covid-19 pandemic. Next time, I will bring my Birds of Az book and binoculars. I suggest going early or later in the day because there isn't a lot of shade. It was getting warm when we went out and couldn't stay long.

This place is a hidden little gem located just outside Show Low on the 77 heading toward Snowflake-…read moreTaylor. I haven't been here in a while but I'm feeling I might be due because it's a lovely little secluded duck habitat that's a nice place to go out in the woods into one of the blinds, sit and watch & even feed the ducks and just relax and take in the forest. Yeah, I could definitely do with another visit here.

The USFS Lakeside Ranger district oversees the White Mountains Trail System, a 200+ mile system of…read moretrails for non-motorized users (hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, trail runners and cross country skiers) in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests of northeast Arizona. All trail maps may be printed from www.tracks-pinetop-lakeside.org for free. TRACKS is a nonprofit group of volunteers who work with the USFS to build and maintain the WMTS. All trail heads are easily accessible on Forest Service roads that do not require 4 wheel drive vehicles. Major trails are built as loops, with connector trails in between, so that users may go on short or long excursions in one of the largest Ponderosa pine forests in the US. Users often sight elk, deer, wild turkey, many bird species, and other wildlife.

"Shimmering tinsels and glittering Christmas lights"…read more Jack Barker Memorial Park in Pinetop-Lakeside is a modest and unassuming park along the road that is illuminated and decorated with an enchanting array of lights. It features a lovely Christmas tree that catches the eye of every visitor passing by. While the lights may not be as numerous or grandiose as those in other parks, as you wander through the park, you'll be absorbed in a happy atmosphere, surrounded by lights twinkling like stars and the fragrance of pines. I have strolled through the park for two Christmases. This time, we visited after dinner for a merry sight, observing kids and entire families enjoying some holiday cheer. Whether on a leisurely evening stroll or taking part in local activities, the park exudes the Christmas spirit we seek in a place. Therefore, it is a must-see for visitors to Pinetop-Lakeside who wish to inject themselves with a little dose of holiday magic.