Pinetop Travel Guide
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90 miles NE of Payson; 185 miles NE of Phoenix; 50 miles S of Holbrook; 140 miles SE of Flagstaff
With dozens of motels and cabin resorts strung along Ariz. 260 as it passes through town, Pinetop-Lakeside, actually two towns that grew together over the years, is the busiest town in the White Mountains. At first glance, it's easy to dismiss the town as too commercial, what with all the strip malls and budget motels, but Pinetop-Lakeside has spent many years entertaining families during the summer months, and it still has plenty of diversions to keep visitors busy. You just have to look a little harder than you might in other White Mountains communities.
With Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests on one side and the unspoiled lands of the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation on the other, Pinetop-Lakeside is well situated for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Nearby are several lakes with good fishing; nearly 200 miles of hiking, mountain-biking, and cross-country ski trails; horseback riding; and downhill skiing. Although summer is the busy season, Pinetop-Lakeside becomes a ski resort in winter. The Sunrise Park ski area is only 30 miles away, and on weekends the town is packed with skiers.
Pinetop-Lakeside is definitely the family destination of the White Mountains, so if you're looking for a romantic weekend or solitude, continue farther into the White Mountains to Greer or Alpine.
The Rodeo-Chediski Fire--Arizona had been suffering from years of drought, when, in the summer of 2002, two fires began raging through the tinder-dry forests of eastern Arizona. Whipped by hot winds, the fires quickly merged into one massive conflagration that was called the Rodeo-Chediski fire. By the time the fire was contained, it had blackened 470,000 acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. Although the forests immediately surrounding Pinetop-Lakeside were spared, anyone driving Ariz. 260 between Payson and Show Low will pass through forests that were blackened by the Rodeo-Chediski fire.
