FOOL HOLLOW LAKE RECREATION AREA
Imagine camping among 100-foot pine trees beside a quiet lake watching majestic great blue herons at a cool 6,300 feet in elevation. Year-round camping, fishing, picnicking, boating and wildlife viewing opportunities make Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area a popular place. This 800-acre, cool, country recreation area with a 150-acre lake offers history, too.
The tiny town of Adair has long since been covered by the lake, but it was Thomas Jefferson Adair who was responsible for the name Fool Hollow. In 1885, 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!
This state-of-the-art recreation area, located in the Apache - Sitgreaves National Forest, opened in 1994 as a result of an innovative partnership between Arizona State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish, the City of Show Low, and corporate sponsors Arizona Public Service and McCarty Construction Company.
Stay alert: Poisonous snakes and insects inhabit the area. Do not feed the animals and store all foodstuffs in secure containers or in your vehicles.
Waterfowl: (viewing varies from time of year) Mallards, Canada geese, various species of divers & dabblers, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, American Egret, White-faced Ibis.
Neo-Tropical and Passerine species: (viewing varies from time of year) Stellar?s Jay, Lesser Goldfinch, numerous species of Blue Birds, Acorn Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Red-shafted Flicker.
Raptors: Bald Eagle (winter), Osprey (summer), American Kestrel, Northern Harrier and Goshawk.
Common Mammals: Eberts Squirrels, Rock Squirrel, Gophers, Skunk, Raccoon, Beaver and Muskrat. Sightings of Elk, Bobcat, Coyote and Deer are not uncommon.
Snakes do inhabit the area, including the Western Diamondback snake.
Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area is located in the world?s largest contiguous belt of ponderosa pine forest. A relatively flat basaltic plateau, broken by Show Low Creek and Fool Hollow Wash, characterizes the property. 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. This created a 149 surface acre lake surrounded by National Forest lands.
Check out time is 2 pm. Site renewal fees are due by 11 am.
Non-hook-up sites31 sites: Maximum of 2 vehicles and 8 adults per site. Concrete pads, fire ring and picnic table, restrooms and showers. We do not take reservations for camping.
Electric RV sites92 sites: 30 Amp service (some 50 Amp available). Can accommodate up to 40-foot rigs. Water available at all sites. Mallard and Redhead Loops also have sewer available. A maximum of 2 vehicles and 8 adults allowed per site. Call for Fees. We do not take reservations for camping.
Swimming is allowed from your boat or the shoreline, but there is no specific swimming beach or area at this park. Swimming is at your own risk. No lifeguard on duty. We also encourage swimmers to wear water shoes to protect their feet from hazards.
Single lane boat launch ramps are available on the east and west sides of the lake. Maximum of 10 HP gasoline engines are allowed.
Non-motorized watercrafts are welcome and may launch at either boat ramp. All boating laws apply.
Show Low Creek flows into Fool Hollow Lake, providing a natural feeding ground for a variety of wildlife and a very diverse fishery. There are five fishing platforms around the lake. There are two fish cleaning station at the park.
Fishing opportunities are abundant with rainbow trout; large and small mouth bass, black crappie, green sunfish, channel catfish, walleye and Northern pike are all present in the lake.
A valid Arizona fishing license is required for anglers fourteen and older.
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