It’s Show Low

Alpine, Luna Lake, Nutrioso and Escudilla

Part of Springerville, Eagar, Greer & Alpine, our guide to Round Valley and the high country east of Show Low.

Alpine, a village of 146 people (2020 Census) at about 8,000 ft on US 180/191 near the New Mexico line, is the base for Luna Lake, Escudilla Mountain and the Alpine Ranger District; on the way from Eagar you pass Nelson Reservoir and Nutrioso, population 39.

Checked · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check

146Alpine, 2020
~8,000 ftAlpine (USGS)
7,890 ftLuna Lake
39Nutrioso, 2020
A welcome sign for Alpine, Arizona in a green meadow with pines and a mesa behind
Entering Alpine, May 2012. Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Luna Lake

Game and Fish calls Luna Lake, just north of US 180 east of Alpine, the last chance to fish in eastern Arizona before the New Mexico line. It holds rainbow and cutthroat trout, has a boat launch and fishing pier, and stays open all year, icing over in winter. Motors: one electric or gas up to 10 hp. The dam dates from 1911.

Luna Lake Campground50 sites for rigs up to 32 ft; $20 a night; from May 15; no hookups, no drinking water; from Alpine, US 180 east then Forest Road 570
TrailsLuna Lake Long Loop (about 7.2 mi) and Short Loop (about 2.4 mi)
Alpine Divide Campground4 miles north of Alpine on US 191 at the foot of Escudilla Mountain; May 15-October 31; $10
Alpine Ranger District42634 Hwy 180/191, Alpine; (928) 339-5000; weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Nelson Reservoir and Nutrioso

About 7 miles south of Eagar on US 180/191, Nelson Reservoir runs nearly a mile along the Nutrioso Creek valley at 7,412 ft. Game and Fish lists rainbow trout, black crappie and green sunfish, usually open year-round. Farther on, Nutrioso is a hamlet of 39 people (2020 Census) at about 7,700 ft.

Escudilla Mountain

North of Alpine, the Escudilla Wilderness (about 5,200 acres) holds one of Arizona’s highest mountains; Arizona State Parks calls Mount Baldy and Escudilla the state’s second and third highest. The Escudilla National Recreation Trail #308 runs about 3 miles.

A wide green meadow under clouds with a forested ridge beyond
Terry Flat on Escudilla Mountain, July 2016. Photo: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Alpine Elementary School (listed 1997) is on the National Register.

Alpine and Luna Lake. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

More Campgrounds Near Alpine

Two small Forest Service campgrounds north and southeast of Alpine have no drinking water. This table repeats what each Forest Service page states (read October 23, 2026; the pages are dated March 2, 2026 and February 19, 2025).

Campground Where Sites Fee a night Water Notes
Deer Creek Two miles north of Alpine on US 191, then Forest Road 249; 7,645 ft 6 single sites $14 No Vault toilet
Upper Blue 17 miles southeast of Alpine on US 180 and Forest Route 281, in the Blue River valley 3 sites; 2 have Adirondack-style shelters No fee stated: the page says there is none No One vault toilet; 14-day stay limit

For up-to-date conditions, the Forest Service tells visitors to contact the Alpine Ranger District, (928) 339-5000.

What We Could Not Verify

More in Springerville, Eagar, Greer & Alpine

Nearby Places and Events

Around Alpine and Luna Lake within 30 miles
5 mi15 mi30 miNSEW12345678

Places nearby

  1. 1Big Lakelake16 mi
  2. 2Greervillage21 mi
  3. 3Madonna of the Trailmonument21 mi
  4. 4Greer Lakeslakes, pin estimated by eye21 mi

Events coming up

  1. 5High Elevation HorrorSunrise Park Resort, on now26 mi
  2. 6Winter Kick-Off featuring Warren MillerSunrise Park Resort, Oct 2926 mi
  3. 7Sunrise Park Resort 2026-27 ski season opening (anticipated)Sunrise Park Resort, Nov 2826 mi
  4. 8Night Skiing at Sunrise Park ResortSunrise Park Resort, Dec 2626 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 many people live in Alpine, AZ?

146 in the 2020 Census.

Is Luna Lake open in winter?

Game and Fish says it is accessible year-round but ices over in winter; the campground opens May 15.

Where is the Alpine Ranger District office?

42634 Hwy 180/191, Alpine; (928) 339-5000.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: 2020 Census designated places
  2. USGS Geographic Names (GNIS) service
  3. Arizona Game and Fish: Fishing guide for White Mountain lakes (2021)
  4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: National Inventory of Dams
  5. USDA Forest Service: Luna Lake Campground
  6. USDA Forest Service: Alpine Divide Campground
  7. USDA Forest Service: Deer Creek Campground
  8. USDA Forest Service: Upper Blue Campground
  9. USDA Forest Service: Alpine Ranger District
  10. USDA Forest Service: trails and wilderness GIS (mapped lengths and acres)
  11. Arizona State Parks: Lyman Lake State Park
  12. 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.