Pinetop-Lakeside is the White Mountains’ pine-forest town: about 4,000 people at 6,700 to 7,000 ft, with Woodland Lake Park, Rainbow Lake, Scott Reservoir, a raptor-show nature center and some of the White Mountain Trail System’s best loops. Woodland Lake was nearly empty in 2026 because of drought.
Checked · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check
Explore Pinetop-Lakeside
Card pictures are illustrative: aerial crops come from the 2021 USDA photo above (public domain); other photos are credited on each page.
Woodland Lake Park
The town’s big park, and why the lake ran dry in 2026.
Read more →Rainbow Lake
The 120-acre lake that named Lakeside, with a public ramp by the dam.
Read more →Scott Reservoir
Free day use on the national forest; camping banned through 2029.
Read more →Trails
Big Springs, Country Club, Panorama, Los Burros and more.
Read more →White Mountain Nature Center
Free-flying raptor shows, exhibits and trails beside Big Springs.
Read more →Parks, Museum and Library
Mountain Meadow, the history museum and a library founded in 1930.
Read more →Golf
Pinetop Lakes, White Mountain CC and Pinetop CC, with yardage and access.
Read more →Pinetop-Lakeside Events
Every confirmed upcoming event in town.
See events →Coming Up in Pinetop-Lakeside
- Oct 23: Dragon Celebration (library)
- Oct 24: Artisan Market at The Depot
- Oct 24: Murder Mystery Masquerade Party
- Oct 27: Harvest Fun Fest
- Oct 31: Artisan Market at The Depot
See all Pinetop-Lakeside events and what happens every year.
Map of Pinetop-Lakeside Places
Not pinned (no confirmed location yet): Trails, Parks, museum and library.
Local Legend: Who Was “Pinetop”? Four Stories for One Name
What is actually true: The sources agree the name ties back to soldiers from Fort Apache, then split on the detail. The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside community profile says it comes from the nickname of a saloon keeper who served the soldiers. Wikipedia names the saloon owner as Walt Rigney and says the nickname came from the tall building that housed his saloon. Arizona Highways credits Johnny Phipps, described as Pinetop’s founder, with opening a saloon in 1885 that the soldiers called “Pinetop.” Arizona Handbook gives a version with no person at all: soldiers climbing the Rim in the 1870s rested at a spot they named Pinetop. The two towns merged in 1984. We treat the Rigney and Phipps question as unresolved. Sources: Town of Pinetop-Lakeside: Community profile
Wikipedia: Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona
Arizona Highways: Separate But One
Arizona Handbook: Pinetop
Questions People Ask
What is there to do in Pinetop-Lakeside?
Walk Big Springs or the Country Club loop, watch the raptor show at the White Mountain Nature Center, picnic at Woodland Lake Park, launch at Rainbow Lake, and play one of three golf courses.
Is Woodland Lake full?
Not in 2026: the town said on July 29, 2026 that it was nearly empty because of drought.
How high is Pinetop-Lakeside?
About 6,700 ft at the Lakeside end and 6,960 ft at the Pinetop end, by USGS elevation data.
Sources
- Town of Pinetop-Lakeside: Community profile
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: 2020 Census places
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service
- Town of Pinetop-Lakeside: Woodland Lake conditions and ongoing discussions (July 29, 2026)
- USDA Forest Service: Scott Reservoir recreation site closure (order 03-01-07-26-001)
- White Mountain Nature Center: Contact and hours
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.