Location: Snowflake
Top Things to do in Snowflake
What to do and see in Snowflake, United States: The Best Places and Tips
Snowflake is a town in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It was founded in 1878 by Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake, Mormon pioneers and colonizers. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. According to 2012 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 5,564.
Restaurants in Snowflake
1. Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 240 reviews
The park along the lake, located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, opened in 1994 as a result of cooperation between the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish and the city of Show Low in partnership with Arizona Public Service and McCarty Construction Company. Today, visitors can camp among the tall pines and hike along the lake at a cool 6,300 feet in elevation. Year-round camping, fishing, picnicking, boating and wildlife viewing opportunities make Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area a popular place.
Reviewed By Gina A - Dallas, Texas
A beautiful, quiet State campground on the lake. We woke up one morning to 2 elk play fighting, antlers entangled and pushing each other back and forth. It was too cold for us to go kayaking as we had planned. Lake is great with no large boats or jet skis! Close to Show Low where with grocery stores and restaurants. A nice little trail along the lake. Our site (Redhead #12) was level and easily fit our 35” motorhome and jeep. One note: the road going into the campground is very rough as there are ruts in the asphalt.
2. Woodland Lake Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 179 reviews
A nice lake surrounded by tall Ponderosa pines and meadow. Facilities consist of ball fields, children’s playground, tennis court – not in the best of shape, 1.25 mile paved walking trail, other dirt trails, picnic shelters, bathrooms, dock and boat ramp.
Reviewed By Marty H - Phoenix, Arizona
What a nothing-burger. Touted as "the shining centerpiece of the community" this micro pond isn't much larger than a McDonald's parking lot. A baseball diamond and few trails around the quagmire, and you're pretty much done covering the entire thing in under 15 minutes. Skip this. It's well worth the drive to go over to Fools Hollow, or even right next door to Rainbow Lake
3. Petrified Forest National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 598 reviews
Reviewed By Sherry P - West Linn, Oregon
This park is remarkable for so many reasons. The scenery is spectacular, the geological formations impressive and the cultural histories fascinating. The sheer size & numbers of fossilized trees are breathtaking. The stories their presence tells! My husband & I chose to enter the park right at 8am for the morning light photography and the solitude. All the park rangers, staff & volunteers are very friendly & helpful. Ranger Ketchum assisted us with choosing hikes and, even though there were many visitors...she remembered us the next day. We did all the hikes...each one very special. Blue Mesa was one of our favorites...along with one of the “Off the Beaten Path Trails”: Onyx Bridge. We chose to hike the 4 mile Onyx Bridge hike at 3pm for the late afternoon colors. This is an unmaintained trail so requires skills to find your way. Even though we never found the bridge...we did hike up to lunar like landscape. We also enjoyed the historic Painted Desert Inn...be sure to set time aside to tour the Inn. The craftmanship & beauty is so stunning! Picnic tables are on site. We were so happy that we had set aside two full days for the park. It allowed us plenty of time to enjoy the park and it’s facilities. Don’t miss the 15 minute movie at the visitor center. We are so fortunate to have our national park system...we encountered so many foreign visitors that were taken aback by the grandeur of our park system!
4. Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Co.
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 179 reviews
Reviewed By Mary A - Carlock, Illinois
If you like rocks, minerals, and fossils, don't miss stopping here! We almost drove by, but are so glad we didn't! The fossil exhibit and private collection is awesome, and if you want to add to your rock collection, this is the place to do it.
5. Porter Mountain Stables
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By Liisa W - Chandler, Arizona
Perfect way to spend a mountain morning. The people at Porter Mountain Stables are friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. Even more, they make every effort to show they're glad you've come to visit, and to give you a great mountain trail ride experience. The horses are well-trained while still spirited. The trail meanders through lovely terrain and crosses through a creek at least twice. We called a few days ahead to reserve a space, and others we were travelling with were able to get a ride by calling the same day. Pro-tip: if you are comfortable on horseback, opt for the two-hour ride.
6. Show Low City Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By Ginny1234_5678
I found this park quite by accident. It is huge, with great hiking trails, athletic fields and courts (baseball, basketball, tennis, disc golf, etc.) as well as playgrounds and picnic areas. It is located in a lovely treed area with interpretive signs telling about the various types of trees in the park. The paved trails make it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs too. I did not expect to find such a wonderful treasure, but am glad I did.
7. Apache-Sitgreaves Observatory
Overall Ratings
5 based on 3 reviews
The Apache-Sitgreaves Observatory in Overgaard, AZ borders the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and offers World-Class dark skies for night sky viewing using the largest public observing telescope in Arizona - a 36-inch telescope. On select Friday nights there are Couples Night Sky Photography Workshops for a romantic night under the stars learning about DSLR cameras, astronomy, and each other. Select Saturday nights, viewing using the 36-inch telescope (groups by reservation, too). Saturday late morning and afternoons see the Sun safely and hear it too on the radio telescope. An exceptional monster of a telescope, the 36-inch computerized telescope will show you unbelievable views. Visit the website for online reservation information for your family and friends observing experience using the largest public observing telescope in Arizona.
Reviewed By photography_jet - Waterford, Michigan
Apache-Sitgreaves Observatory is remote enough to provide a fantastic view of the night sky but close to conveniences to make it very comfortable. We choose to tent-camp at the site and there is little more rewarding than pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion and then walking just a few steps to a comfortable place to sleep. Steven, the host, is extremely knowledgeable and answered our questions without talking down to us or over our heads. He was accommodating and entertaining. I choose to spend my day time there relaxing, reading and talking with my friends and with Steven about the coming evening. We put together lists of things that to look at once it gets dark, objects that we have never seen or that might be challenging to view (like Einstein's Cross, look it up!) We also took field trips to Meteor Crater and Lowell Observatory.
Facility: The observatory is nothing more than a rolling shed and at first glance seems unassuming and unimpressive. What I realized on the very first night was that once it's rolled out of the way the incredible telescope that it houses stands majestic under the most incredible night sky with the milky way brightly painted across the night sky. Nebula, galaxies and star-clouds are all easily visable with the naked eye. The whole sky is visible and you can look in nearly any direction and see stars, lots and lots of stars! The images through the 36" telescope are a rare treat even for a 30 year amateur astronomer like myself. It's a combination of a giant, well-constructed telescope, dark, remote site and Arizona's incredible clear skies.
Accomadations: For tent camping the facilities are very nice. A hot shower and toilet facilities are nice whether your a man or woman. You're in the Arizona desert so you won't be lounging in your tent more than an hour or two past sunrise. That sun is hot! There are plenty of shady spots and lounge-chairs to nap in and there is always a nice steady breeze during the day to keep you cool.
I have a rather large telescope myself and use it often in dark sky sites in Michigan. Nothing compares to the Apache-Sitgreaves site. As an astrophotographer, my very best images come from my time spent there in Overgard.
Already looking forward to next year's trip!
8. Navajo County Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 130 reviews
Reviewed By misty_bee_Wyo - Sheridan, Wyoming
Interesting historic building with quite a few local history exhibits. We found the old jail cells particularly fascinating. Used up until the 1970's, they sport some artistic jailhouse art and graffiti from past residents :)
9. Crystal Forest Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 204 reviews
Reviewed By Rachel H
We were disappointed about all the stops (with creative names) being similar if not the same during the 20 mile stretch. If you have never seen petrified wood, just look in the gift shops. You can visit if you don't mind paying $20 for the hikes at each named stop. There are interesting landscapes of sand and stone also. It's about 40 miles total to do the drive through the forest and back on the highway.
10. Show Low Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By ALT44 - Surprise, Arizona
This is a fun place to spend an hour. There are 17 small rooms, each with a different theme. There is lots of history of Show Low, plus eclectic collections/displays from the area: the Rodeo-Chedeski Fire; pottery and Navajo rugs; items made by pioneer women; a jail room; a post office display; a blacksmith shop display; cooking and washing items from the 1800's; items from pioneer families; and a great display from the Silver Creek Railroad Club. We were fortunate to be there when one of the club members was present to tell stories and run the trains.
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