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

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.

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.

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.

I like how this trail was so well maintained and had markers making it easy to navigate. The…read morescenery is stunning as your surrounded by towering pines and oaks and there's even water on the trail. It's about 2 miles to get to the Ice Cave which was cool (pun intended) to check out, but it was a little underwhelming. Still awesome to see an entrance of a collapsed lava tube where cool air creates a natural refrigerator even if it didn't have that wow factor. There's pretty wildflowers alongside cactus which is cool to see. We didn't see much wildlife but there are horseback riders that use the trail that you may come across. Overall, it was a good easy to moderate trail good for families and with some really beautiful scenery and I enjoyed the trail.

Don't expect too much for the ice cave. It's a hole in the ground with cold air, which is nice once…read moreyou've sweated in the sun for 2 miles. Use sunscreen, as it's not shaded. There is a geocache in the area if you geocache.

The park itself was amazing! The equipment was new and sturdy. They even had mini zip lines!…read moreUnfortunately we had a rather unpleasant experience because our 13 year old broke his leg coming down one of the slides. Other than that, great park!

Nice little park. It's water sprayers in the summer and nice Ramadas. It's a fun free place .read more

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!

Lovely little park! Picnic tables, covered Ramada's, new playground, baseball field, basketball…read morecourt, sand volleyball court. Very clean and quiet. Nice place for kids and pets, family events, or even just a picnic pit stop if your driving through. Highly recommended!

Vernon Park was my savior while at my family reunion. It was within walking distance and when I…read morewanted to just go away Id escape. The park is for bigger kids and not too toddler friendly. The only toddler friendly part was the huge open expanses that my son could just run around and play. I'm scared of coyotes, elk, wolves and mountain lions so I didn't let him run to far. We both swang on the swing set. My aunt and uncle also swang too. It was really fun. There are also picnic areas, basketball courts and fields. There are also benches and you'll never have to worry about not enough parking. In the evening it afforded you the best views of the most beautiful sunsets Arizona has to offer. I love this park

We had the best adventure during our stay in Pinetop--a sunset horseback ride with Porter Mountain…read moreStables! Our guide was a delightful young woman attending school in Tucson and studying nuclear medicine, which we thought was incredibly impressive. I have unfortunately forgotten her name, but she was absolutely wonderful, and we really enjoyed talking with her throughout the ride. The trail was easy, relaxing, and perfect for simply enjoying the scenery. We rode mostly through the beautiful pine trees and even passed alongside a small lake where geese were peacefully paddling around. The entire ride lasted about an hour and a half, which felt like the perfect amount of time. Both of our horses had such sweet personalities and were incredibly well behaved, making the experience comfortable and enjoyable from beginning to end. We also met the owner while checking in, and she has the cutest little store. Be sure to arrive early so you have time for a little impulse shopping before your ride! Porter Mountain Stables gave us such a memorable Pinetop experience. Remember to tip your guide, take lots of pictures, and enjoy every minute of your ride through the pines!

We had a great 2 hour ride with Kylie this morning. Very peaceful and beautiful. Got to see (not…read morego into) the ice cave.