Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area is located in Show Low, Arizona in the White Mountain region on the eastern edge of the state, and is managed by Arizona State Parks. The lake sits at 6,300 ft in elevation and is popular for its cooler temperatures, fishing, and camping. From the Phoenix area, the lake is about 2.5 to 3 hours northeast and from Tucson the drive is about 3 hours and 45 minutes long. The park is close to gas stations and grocery stores in Show Low. We went into town to buy firewood and some food items we forgot! Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area has multple easy trails along the lake’s shore, designated fishing spots with shelters, multiple boat ramps, picnic ramadas with grills, and a playground.
Leave No Trace
Please remember to Leave No Trace when exploring. Pack out all trash and plan ahead. Check out our hiking tips for more information.
The 7 principles of Leave No Trace:
1) Plan ahead and prepare
2) Travel & camp on durable surfaces
3) Dispose of waste properly
4) Leave what you find
5) Minimize campfire impacts
6) Respect wildlife
7) Be considerate of others
Need to Know:
- November – March: Gates open from 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. April – October: Gates open 5:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Mon – Thurs per vehicle (1-4 Adults): $7.00
Fri. – Sun. and holidays per vehicle (1-4 Adults): $10.00 Individual/bicycle: $3.00 - There is an entrance gate that closes at 8:30 pm. If your camping and arrive after 8:30 p.m. you must contact the park with your reservation confirmation number to get the entrance gate code
- You can fish on the lake and the park has fish cleaning stations
- Swimming is allowed in Fool Hollow Lake, but keep in mind the water doesn’t warm up until the summer months
- The park has day use areas where you can fish, swim, hike, and enjoy the park
- Campsites can be reserved in advanced and are often booked out months in advance during the summer. From April through October, there is a 2 night minimum required for weekend camping: you must reserve both Friday and Saturday night
- The park and trails are dog friendly, but dogs must be kept on a leash
- You can use your own paddle board, kayak, and boat on the water. Only watercraft with a maximum of 10 H.P. gasoline engines are allowed on the lake. For more information check out azstateparks.com
Camping
Our April 2024 trip was our second time camping at Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Our first trip was with an RV rental from Cruise America in September 2022! The tent campsites are well developed with good spots to pitch a tent and all campsites have picnic tables and fire rings. The park also has showers, flush toilets, dish washing stations, water spigets, trash bins, and a dump station for RVs. The tent campsites are near the edge of the hill overlooking Fool Hollow Lake. There is a trail below the campsites that walks along the edge of the lake and goes to a section of the day use area. Some of the RV sites also offer good views of the water but not all.
Although well developed for camping, the park is still very much a natural environment and home to many different animals. We’ve heard elk and coyotes in the distance at night as well as owls and birds on the lake at night. In our September 2022 trip we also saw a skunk at the campground. We highly recommend checking the weather before you plan your trip! Since it is in higher elevation it can be very cold. If you’re interested in what we bring camping check out our camping guide.
What To Do Nearby
There are a lot of hiking trails nearby! We hiked a small section of Los Caballos only a few minutes from our campsite at Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Overall, we hiked 3 miles out and back, but the full loop is over 14 miles. Show Low also has another lake called Show Low Lake. Pinetop-Lakeside is nearby as well with additional hiking and restaurants. If you’re curious what else there is to do in the area check out our Pinetop guide.
Los Caballos Trail
One of our favorite mountain towns in the state, Pinetop is within the White Mountains and has many nearby trails as well as Sunrise Park Resort just 30 mintues away. Just to the east of Pinetop is the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest with even more to do in the Springerville Ranger District.
The White Mountains
Many trails, campgrounds, lakes and recreation opportunities exist in the White Mountains. The Springerville Ranger District which encompass Thompson Trail, West Baldy Trail, Greer, and more is one of the more popular areas. The scenic beauty with rolling hills, lakes, pines, aspens, rivers, and mountains is easy to fall in love with.
