Escape into nature and disconnect from daily life with glamping near Show Low. Glamping near Show Low, AZ is a great way to go camping with the tastes of home. You're sure to find glamping for your Show Low camping adventure.
Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA is near the surrounding national parks and monuments. Easy access to I-40 gets you to many attractions, including the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park (20 minutes). All sites are pull-through, level, and with a picnic table. We are "Big Rig Friendly" with a variety of large sites. Dogs and cats are welcome.
Upper Campground
$25 - $65 / night
Rainbow is the largest campground in the Big Lake Recreation Area in eastern Arizona. Because of its proximity to the lake, size and the many amenities it offers, Rainbow is a favorite for families. Popular activities include hiking, horseback riding and fishing.
The campground is adjacent to 450-acre Big Lake, one of Arizona's top fishing lakes. The lake is known for its trout fishing, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache being the most sought-after species. The recreation area is also popular for hiking, mountain biking, birding and wildlife viewing. Curious campers can attend educational programs at the recreation area's visitor center.
The campground is adjacent to 450-acre Big Lake, one of Arizona's top fishing lakes. The lake is known for its trout fishing, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache being the most sought-after species. The recreation area is also popular for hiking, mountain biking, birding and wildlife viewing. Curious campers can attend educational programs at the recreation area's visitor center.
Rainbow Campground sits at an elevation of 9,000 feet in the White Mountains. It is a very scenic area, forested with ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, spruce and aspen trees, which provide ample shade. Summer temperatures are pleasant and cool, a nice respite from the heat of the lower desert. Visitors should come prepared for cool nighttime temperatures and occasional summer thunderstorms.
Visitors can explore endless vistas and take part in many outdoor activities in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, which encompasses 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona and New Mexico. Springerville, Arizona is the closest town to the campground.
$28 - $90 / night
Located in the ponderosa pine forest, this campground is within walking distance of Willow Springs Lake which provides boating and fishing opportunities. Hiking and mountain biking opportunities are nearby in the non-motorized Wildlife Area. The General Crook National Recreation Trail is also within a mile of the campground. Be prepared for rain, often heavy, through July and August. Expect cool to cold nighttime temperatures.
Fishing and boating are available at nearby Willow Springs Lake which is approximately one mile from the campground.
Sinkhole Campground is surrounded by ponderosa pines. The entrance, roads and back-in section is asphalt.
Woods Canyon Lakes is located approximately 10 miles west off of Road 300 and Road 105. The store at the lake has boat and kayak rentals. Gas, phone and groceries are available approximately four miles east at Forest Lakes.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 535-0181.
$24 / night
Brookchar Campground is tucked on the banks of Big Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The campground is a small, tent-only facility comprised entirely of walk-in sites. Of the lake's five campgrounds, Brookchar is nearest to the water. The stocked lake draws anglers, and boat rentals and a boat ramp make it easy for campers to enjoy the lake's blue waters.
Big Lake is one of Arizona's top trout fishing lakes, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache trout being the most sought-after species. The recreation area is also popular for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birding and wildlife viewing.
The campground sits in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest at an elevation of 9,100 feet. The area is scenic, forested with ponderosa pine, fir, spruce and aspen, interspersed with high elevation meadows. Summer temperatures are pleasant and cool, a nice respite from the heat of lower deserts. Visitors should come prepared for afternoon thunderstorms and cool nighttime temperatures.
Several other lakes can be found in the surrounding area. Visitors can also explore endless vistas and take part in many outdoor activities in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, which encompasses 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona and New Mexico.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.
$20 - $32 / night
$10 - $15 / night
Guide
Stayed here overnight to visit the Petrified Forest National Park.
Staff was friendly and helpful. The "cowboy" breakfasts and dinners are simple friendly events, although I didn't eat there.
Lots are standard RV set-ups, all right next to each other. Lot was fairly level, but still needed from front/back leveling even in my small van. Gravel driveways, gravel lots.
Laundry had about 5-6 washers and the same number of dryers.
This location is near a highway that is busy all night. You are not right on the highway, but the steady sound of cars and trucks can be heard all night. Not super loud, but not peaceful either.
Wifi was slow and inconsistent. Even though I was right by the main building, my connection sometimes said "unable to connect, try moving closer", or just wouldn't connect, or if it did, was unusably slow. Verizon wireless was great though (about 10mb).
I'd stay again for a convenient overnight.
TravelerMy first KOA—pricey for a tent spot (car camping) with a small shared area and limited tables. Tent spots are in view of noisy I40. I did feel safe here, considering the KOA branding, and liked the shorter drive to PFNP. Facilities are nice, otherwise, with close bathhouses and a sweet little chuckwagon serving breakfast and dinner.
Legend
Rainbow campground at big lake is magical! This is the place to beat the heat and make summer memories. Tucked into the pines and aspens this campsite is a quick drive or hike down to the lake. You can’t go wrong with any of the sites, including the first come first serve loops.
GuideEasy on and off interstate. Level sites. Clean campground. Looks like renovating some areas...nice. All the amenities of a KOA. Serves breakfast and dinner...nice
LegendGreat proximity to the Petrified forrest NP. Campsites were wide and level. Nice amenities include the chairs, table and fire pit. It also had a fair amount of privacy. Nice experience. Staff were. friendly and helpful.
The power did go out with 102F. The staff restored power and came around to all campsites with the status, Much appreciated.
GuideIt had been 28 years since we last camped at Rainbow. It is still a great place to escape the desert heat. It was 115 when we left the big city. Five hours later we found ourselves camped at 9100 feet, enjoying the cool temps in the mid 60's and the passing rain showers. Aspens, pines, and wildlife were all in abundance. Big Lake is a good fishing lake too.
The sites have plenty of space, shade, and privacy. Roads are paved and in good shape. The restrooms were constantly cleaned by the very friendly and capable staff from recreation resource management which operates the campground for the forest service.
Firewood and ice are available (stage 2 fire restrictions were in effect so no campfires), water was convenient as was gray water disposal. There is a centralized dump station, showers, and a small but educational visitor center. Trash dumpsters are centralized and easy to access.
If you don't fish there is still hiking to Mount Baldy, and short scenic drives to the very small towns of Greer and Alpine. We enjoyed exploring the miles of scenic forest roads, and wildlife viewing. We saw 4 Mexican gray wolves which was very special.
This is a very popular campground that accommodates all types of rigs. They do have first come first serve sites available, but it is recommended to make reservations at least 4 days in advance. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov. It's always best practice to print a copy of your reservation. There is no cell service in this area.
We look forward to camping again at Rainbow.
TravelerWe live in the Phoenix area, and we use this KOA as a launching off point for trips to the East. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The grounds are well maintained. We were assigned spot #58 which is a big spot with a paver patio, furniture and a firepit. It also has privacy fencing on each side and full hookups. With our KOA discount it was $81.83. This was our first time with this large of a spot. Next time, we will go back to a regular spot again for a better price. The location is just off Interstate 40 which makes it convenient, but you can hear some of the freeway noise and an occasional train. They serve a delicious breakfast with a good variety that has an all you can eat pancake option for only $3.99. There is also a Cowboy Cookout every night. They are making more improvements to the grounds. Some spots will have a private enclosed patio with a gazebo and fire pit. For dog owners, there are some spots with your own enclosure, but those are hard to get. There is a dog run as well as a designated dog walking area with trees and trash cans.
LegendLarge gravel lot. Modern utilities, large sites.
Guide
We pulled in after hours and a ranger kindly helped us find our spot. She recommended a cool hiking trail to check out the next morning. Bathrooms and showers are super clean and well maintained. There is only one designated bathhouse building so if you park far, you’ll be walking a ways. Did I mention the views are gorgeous? The views alone are worth staying here.
GuideThe park was practically empty. The views are always amazing, and the weather was perfect. The wind picked up in the evenings to about 10 mph, but then was calm around 9pm. In the morning the lake was very calm, and taking the kayak out was so peaceful. I spoke with the ranger and ahead said next summer a vendor will have boat and jet ski rentals. Good and bad, but maybe that will help keep camping rates low. Highly recommend a trip here when you have a long weekend.
RangerRolled in to enjoy a nice sunset. Spots are narrow but long. Kid and doggo loved the amenities. Everyone there was nice. They had $4 all you can eat pancakes but we didn’t partake. They also offer dinner. Clean bathrooms, good showers.
Scout
Reserved site #13 on line for August 15th. On arriving this site has no flat areas and you must pass directly through site #12 to access. The entire campground was EMPTY except us. We decided to move to site #12 to get a flat area. I informed the host out of courtesy of our move to the empty adjoining site. He said NO! I had to pay him $20 to make the change. If I did it on-line, it would be zero fee. THERE IS NO CELL COVERAGE at this campground, so it is impossible to go online and make that useless change. Another caretaker drove by and said he didn't see a problem moving if it was his call. The dude at Brookchar would NOT budge...he wanted his $20 bucks ( I have a senior pass and at worst it would have been $8.00). Told him to stuff it and to contact his manager. He refused. The other caretaker guy drove away and and said he would discuss it with her. Bear in mind, the entire campground had zero reservations for that evening besides us. He returned later to inform me that the manger had "OK'ed" the change for no fee. It is zero fee to change a campsites....zero! Unbelievable,,,,Beware....
ScoutWe've stayed here with our littles 4 times over the last 6 years. The service, smiles, clean campsites & restrooms/showers, breakfasts, and cowboy cookouts are all top notch and worth coming back for. Well done, folks!
TravelerClean, quiet, open campground, tents, trailers and cabins. Very happy with the week we spent here
LegendCampground is outdated but good for over night stay which is what it seems most are doing. Close to the Petrified National Forest which is awesome. Sites can be muddy when it rains. Laundry was clean and easy to use. Not sure what the deal is with the double wife’s are in the property.
ScoutNice bathroom and shower facilities, Wi-Fi is a bonus since cell connection isn’t the best out here. Free firepits to borrow
Guide
Overall great experience camping here. Wife and I tent camped here for 2 nights 3 days. Sucked that we couldn’t have a fire due to a fire state-ban. Close to the highway but not bad on highway noise. Our site was 7 which faces east. Lake is half a mile or so we kayaked so we drove it.
TravelerFHU available
Spacious sites
Wind does come up
Lake is down and good fishing
Clean restrooms and showers
Has store well stocked (no tobacco or alcohol)
Fish cleaning station
Nice viewing of stars at night
Quiet, cabins, tent sites, FHU available, beach camping.
Rangers on site along with hosts
Black top roads
Blacktop to park your rig. Some pull thru site
Mostly back ins
Large sites
ScoutAwesome cabins and the lake was great! The hiking and rock art was a cool addition !!
TravelerCheck in was a breeze, the attendant had everything mapped out for us before we arrived. Very clean sites. Great cookout was delicious!! We had cheeseburgers with baked beans and potato salad. The only thing that I would change is the motion sensor light that kept turning on like a spot light through our curtains all night.
ScoutGreat spot
TravelerNice campground out of the way. Very polite rangers. Sad the lake is so low ... climate change, but enjoyable 2 days. Petroglyphs were cool! Tip: best campsite would be #17 - trust me ;) Hottest, highest pressure (ie: exfoliating showers) I've ever had in a campground!
GuideOnce again we are the only ones here! It got a little cold this morning, down to 15 but the sunrise was awesome. Lots of nice spots, you can get everything from a small cabin to a dry spot down by the beach. Some of the bathrooms are closed for the winter but there are a couple still open. 30 and 50 amp power. Water at the pull through sites but you need to disconnect at night to avoid freezing.
ScoutIn my cross country move, I stopped here for a night to visit the Petrified National Park. I had never stayed at a KOA before but got a cabin with no bathroom for 1 night. It was very nice! Cozy. There was a strong heater, and it was pet friendly! The manager was nice and the park was well kept!
GuideStayed here Nov 21-23, 2021.
Firstly, these sites are pretty tight. They are level, but tight. All gravel. Secondly, there's nothing for dogs. They may advertise as pet friendly, but it's really just not. There's an area designated for a pet walk, but it's just not a pet walk at all. You have the option to pay an extra $20 for a site that includes a little area for your doggo, but it's about a 4x4 cage with fake grass. Really only big enough for a toy chihuahua to comfortably use it for potty time. The restrooms were clean and decent. Wifi decent. Laundry facility decent. This place is pretty straight forward in how it's designed and what it has to offer. If you don't have pets, then this place might be good for you. Overall, it was okay for 2 nights, but no more than that.
GuideQuiet and secluded with a huge lake!
GuideBusy place.
Easy access.
Ok bathrooms and showers - clean but tired
Hooks ups good
Staff nice and direct
Sunset unbelievable
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Show Low, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Show Low, AZ is Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA with a 3.8-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Show Low, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 glamping camping locations near Show Low, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
