Show Low AZ Day Trip from Flagstaff

Last updated: April 2026

Show Low's name comes from a card game — or more precisely, from a single card. In 1875, two frontier settlers named Corydon Cooley and Marion Clark co-owned a ranch that was getting too small for both of them. They agreed to play Seven Up to decide who would stay. The game went back and forth until Clark finally told Cooley: "If you can show low, you win." Cooley flipped a deuce of clubs — the lowest possible card — and won the ranch. The town that eventually grew up around it kept the name. Cooley Creek, the main commercial strip through town, is now called Show Low Boulevard.

That's the most interesting thing about Show Low itself, which today is a modest commercial gateway town of about 12,000 people. The real draw is what surrounds it: the White Mountains, a broad highland plateau of ponderosa pine, mixed conifer forest, and meadow country that stretches across eastern Arizona at elevations between 5,500 and 11,400 feet. In summer, when Phoenix and Tucson are baking in triple-digit heat, the White Mountains are a different planet — cool afternoons, cold nights, and the kind of fishing and hiking that Arizona lowlanders treat as sacred.

Getting to Show Low from Flagstaff

The drive is approximately 100 miles and takes 85–95 minutes via AZ-260 east. The route heads out of Flagstaff on I-40 briefly before picking up AZ-260, then climbs into the ponderosa pines as you leave the Flagstaff plateau. The highway passes through the small communities of Happy Jack and Clints Well before dropping into the higher White Mountains terrain around Heber-Overgaard and continuing to Show Low.

The drive is pleasant rather than dramatic — rolling forested country rather than canyon spectacle. If you're looking for red rock drama on your day trip, this isn't the direction. If you're looking for a forest fishing weekend or a cool escape with good hiking, the White Mountains corridor rewards the drive.

Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area

Located on the northern edge of Show Low, Fool Hollow Lake is an Arizona State Park and the most accessible outdoor destination for day visitors. The 149-acre lake is stocked with trout, bass, and catfish, and has designated fishing areas, kayak launches, and a paved walking trail around the perimeter. The park has a day-use fee (covered by the Arizona State Parks pass); no camping reservation is needed for day-use fishing.

The lake is most productive in spring and fall. Summer brings more boat traffic but the fish are still active early morning. Bring your Arizona fishing license — they're available at Walmart in Show Low if you don't have one. The trout stocking schedule is posted on the Arizona Game & Fish Department website.

Pinetop-Lakeside

Fifteen miles south of Show Low on AZ-260, Pinetop-Lakeside is the more polished resort town in the region — better restaurants, more lodging options, and the gateway to the most popular hiking and mountain biking in the White Mountains. The Woodland Lake Park trail system starts in town and connects to more extensive route networks. The Blue Ridge Reservoir is accessible with a short forest road drive from here.

If your day trip goal is quality hiking rather than fishing, Pinetop-Lakeside is worth going the extra 15 miles past Show Low. The terrain is more dramatic and the trail quality is higher. The Mogollon Rim views from some of the ridge trails near Pinetop are among the best in the state — 2,000-foot drops into the Tonto Basin below.

The Mogollon Rim Viewpoints

AZ-260 between Heber and Show Low crosses the Mogollon Rim — the escarpment that marks the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The rim stretches for 200 miles across Arizona, and from certain pullouts along AZ-260, the views down into the Tonto Basin are extraordinary. If you're doing this day trip primarily for scenery, allow time for a few rim-edge stops on your drive.

The Mogollon Rim Visitor Center (open seasonally) has exhibits on the ecology and geology of the rim country, plus trail maps for the adjacent national forest. It's worth a 20-minute stop if it's open on your visit date.

Who Is Show Low Best For?

Show Low rewards anglers, birders, and anyone who finds dense ponderosa pine forest restorative. The White Mountains host an impressive bird list — including several species rarely seen at Flagstaff's elevation — making the area a destination for serious birders. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest that surrounds the town has hundreds of miles of dirt roads accessible with a standard vehicle that reveal increasingly remote country the further you go.

For travelers wanting architecture, history, galleries, or upscale dining, Show Low is not the right day trip. For travelers who want to spend a day fishing a mountain lake, watching elk graze at dusk, or hiking a rim-edge trail with vertical drop, it's a genuinely satisfying day from Flagstaff.

Practical Notes

• Arizona fishing license: Required for anyone 15+. Available online at azgfd.com or at local retailers in Show Low.
• Arizona State Parks Pass: Covers day-use fees at Fool Hollow Lake and other state parks. Worth having if you visit multiple parks.
• White Mountain Apache Recreation Permit: Required if you want to access tribal lands south of Pinetop-Lakeside. Available at the tribe's recreation department office or online.
• Gas and food: Show Low has full services — gas stations, grocery stores, and multiple restaurant options along Show Low Boulevard. Don't worry about provisioning in Flagstaff.

The Lowdown Guide Editorial Team

We've fished and hiked the White Mountains across multiple seasons. This guide reflects firsthand knowledge of the Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside area, updated for 2026.