Part of Springerville, Eagar, Greer & Alpine, our guide to Round Valley and the high country east of Show Low.
Lyman Lake State Park, 11 miles south of St. Johns on US 191, wraps a Little Colorado River reservoir at 6,000 ft with 56 campsites, 8 cabins and a 0.7-mile trail past more than 200 petroglyphs; entry is $10 to $20 a vehicle. In October 2026 the boat ramps were closed for low water and the park had no drinking water.
Checked · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check
Before You Go (October 2026)
- Boat ramps closed for low water; non-motorized boats can launch from the beach.
- No drinking water in the park; restrooms and showers work.
- Harmful algal blooms have been reported at Lyman Lake.
- Do not eat walleye from the lake (state health and wildlife agencies: elevated mercury).
Visiting
Trails and Rock Art
| Trail | Length | What |
|---|---|---|
| Peninsula Petroglyph | 0.7-mi loop | More than 200 petroglyphs the park attributes to the Hopi people; daylight only; do not touch |
| Rattlesnake Point Pueblo | 0.07 mi | Three excavated rooms of an 80+ room pueblo of ancestral Hopi, about AD 1325-1390; on the National Register |
| Buffalo Trail | About 2 mi | Named for bison kept near the entrance in the 1970s |
| Pointe Overlook | About 1 mi | Steep stairway; starts across from the store |
History
The lake is an irrigation reservoir on the Little Colorado River: the dam inventory dates the 60-ft rockfill dam to 1912. The park says Lyman Lake became Arizona’s first recreational state park, dedicated July 1, 1961. It is one of the few lakes in north-eastern Arizona with no limit on boat size.
What We Could Not Verify
- Nightly campsite and cabin rates (shown only in the reservation system).
- The park’s size (its pages say 1,200 and 920 acres).
More in Springerville, Eagar, Greer & Alpine
Nearby Places and Events
Places nearby
- 1Concho and Vernoncommunities, pin estimated by eye16 mi
- 2Springerville and Eagartowns, pin estimated by eye16 mi
- 3Madonna of the Trailmonument17 mi
- 4Greer Lakeslakes, pin estimated by eye23 mi
Events coming up
- 5High Elevation HorrorSunrise Park Resort, on now28 mi
- 6Winter Kick-Off featuring Warren MillerSunrise Park Resort, Oct 2928 mi
- 7Sunrise Park Resort 2026-27 ski season opening (anticipated)Sunrise Park Resort, Nov 2828 mi
- 8Night Skiing at Sunrise Park ResortSunrise Park Resort, Dec 2628 mi
Every pin here is an estimate, not a surveyed point. A place pin marked "estimated by eye" is our own guess at the spot (a lake, park or town middle); the others use a point from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) for the named spot, which can still be off by a few blocks. Event pins sit at the center of the event's town, because we do not have each venue's exact spot. Distances are straight-line, rounded, and will not match driving miles. Dots sit in their compass direction; distance is stretched near the middle so close neighbors stay readable. Events are the next dates from our events calendar, as of October 23, 2026, and each date is the organizer's, not confirmed by us. The same places are listed beside the map.
Questions People Ask
How much does Lyman Lake State Park cost?
$10 per vehicle with one person, $20 per vehicle with 2 to 4, or $5 on foot or bicycle.
Are the boat ramps open at Lyman Lake?
Not in October 2026: the park closed them for low water; non-motorized boats can launch from the beach.
Where are the petroglyphs at Lyman Lake?
Along the 0.7-mile Peninsula Petroglyph Trail from the campground, with more than 200 visible from the trail.
Sources
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake State Park
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake camping
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake cabins
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake trails
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake fishing (walleye advisory)
- Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake park history
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: National Inventory of Dams
- National Park Service: National Register locations data
Checked October 22, 2026 by It’s Show Low. Cite this page: It’s Show Low (itsshowlow.com), checked October 22, 2026. Free to quote with a link; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.