Springerville and Eagar: Round Valley and Becker Lake

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

Springerville (1,717 people) and Eagar (4,395) share Round Valley, a wide valley on the Little Colorado River at about 7,000 ft, roughly 50 miles east of Show Low; Springerville is home to the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ headquarters, and Becker Lake, a trophy trout lake with wintering bald eagles, is 2 miles from downtown.

Checked Oct 22, 2026 · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check

The Two Towns

Eagar, the larger town, sits on the south side of the valley; Springerville, to the north, holds the old Main Street where the National Old Trails Road met the Coronado Trail, marked by the Madonna of The Trail. Nutrioso Creek joins the Little Colorado at the north edge of Springerville.

Becker Lake

Arizona Game and Fish manages Becker Lake, just off the west side of US 60 about 2 miles from downtown Springerville, as a year-round catch-and-release trophy trout lake: artificial flies and lures with a single barbless hook, no bait. Built around 1880, it is one of the oldest reservoirs in the White Mountains; the state bought it in 1973. It sits in the 622-acre Becker Wildlife Area, where wintering bald eagles can be seen most years, and has a floating fishing pier. USGS maps it at about 88 acres, at 6,910 ft.

On The National Register

• Eagar Townsite Historic District (listed 1993), the old core around Central Avenue and Main Street.
• Eagar School, 174 S. Main St. (1993).
• Colter Ranch Historic District, 4th Street and School Bus Road (1993).
• Water Canyon Administrative Site, Forest Road 285 south of Springerville (1993).

Casa Malpais and the Springerville Heritage Center are on our historic sites page.

The National Forest Office

Local Legend: The End of an O.K. Corral Name Near Springerville

What is actually true: HistoryNet says Ike Clanton was killed on June 1, 1887, at a cabin on Eagle Creek south of Springerville, and that his grave has never been found. Wikipedia’s Springerville article says he was shot in Springerville by Detective Jonas V. Brighton while resisting arrest on cattle-rustling charges. The sources disagree on the place and the circumstances, and HistoryNet doubts the claim that he reached for a rifle. There is no site to visit: please do not look for a cabin or a grave. Sources: HistoryNet: Clanton’s reputations: rustling and running
Wikipedia: Springerville, Arizona
Wikipedia: Perry Owens

Local Legend: The Outlaws Who Fell Out Over Stolen Gold in Eagar

What is actually true: Arizona Highways’ roadside historical markers list gives a “Snyder-Cavanaugh Shootout” entry for 1878 at a marker in Eagar. By the marker’s account the gang robbed and killed a man for $12,000 in gold, could not agree on the split, and fought among themselves, with as many as seven dead in the first shootout; survivors rode to St. Johns and then Springerville and were killed there, with no exact totals. The marker says three unidentified gang members lie in a grave beside it. Wikipedia’s Eagar article says nine gang members died in a battle near the cemetery, so the counts and the place differ by source. The grave is a resting place: please be respectful. Sources: Arizona Highways: Roadside historical markers
Wikipedia: Eagar, Arizona

What We Could Not Verify

• The towns’ incorporation years and town hall details: both town websites blocked our tools. Secondary sources say both incorporated in 1948.
• Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area hours and trails, south-east of Eagar (Game and Fish’s site could not be read).

More in Springerville, Eagar, Greer & Alpine

Nearby Places and Events

Places nearby

1. 1Madonna of the Trailmonumentunder 1 mi
2. 2Greer Lakeslakes, pin estimated by eye11 mi
3. 3Greervillage13 mi
4. 4Lyman Lake State Parkstate park16 mi

Events coming up

1. 5High Elevation HorrorSunrise Park Resort, on now19 mi
2. 6Winter Kick-Off featuring Warren MillerSunrise Park Resort, Oct 2919 mi
3. 7Sunrise Park Resort 2026-27 ski season opening (anticipated)Sunrise Park Resort, Nov 2819 mi
4. 8Night Skiing at Sunrise Park ResortSunrise Park Resort, Dec 2619 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 far is Springerville from Show Low?

About 50 miles east on State Route 260.

What is Becker Lake known for?

Catch-and-release trophy trout, managed by Arizona Game and Fish, and wintering bald eagles in the 622-acre Becker Wildlife Area.

Which is bigger, Springerville or Eagar?

Eagar: 4,395 people in the 2020 Census, to Springerville’s 1,717.

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: 2020 Census places
2. USGS Geographic Names (GNIS) service
3. USGS Elevation Point Query Service
4. Arizona Game and Fish: Fishing guide for White Mountain lakes (2021)
5. USGS National Hydrography Dataset
6. National Park Service: National Register locations data
7. USDA Forest Service: Apache-Sitgreaves Supervisor’s Office
8. USDA Forest Service: Springerville Ranger District

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.