Fool Hollow Lake

[Gina D.]

It is my understanding that Fool Hollow Lake, just off of highway 260 in Show Low, is one of the busiest campgrounds in the state. There is a reason for that... it's one of the nicest State Parks I have ever been in.

busy is not a problem for me, as my days off are Tuesday and weds, and midweek, very few campers are there. let me rephrase that... few campers are in the tenting loops. The full hook up loops seem to be near capacity any time I have been there. The full hook ups loops are The Taj Mahal, most have lake views and they are on a forested hillside. Clean, well maintained and the services appear to be flawless.. which is needed for the refugees that flee the Phoenix area heat and bring their big rigs with big air conditioners up to cool off.

The tenting loops, are also immaculate, well laid out, with clean paved spurs, all right on the lake. The side of the lake they are on remind me more of a slow meandering river, as the lake is long and narrow there, and the park sits on the edge of the canyon the lake filled in. From my site, I could look up and down the lake and not see the ends.

Being a FGRV owner, of course, I could fit in the tenting loops, and I tugged my rig down there Monday morning for a stay from Monday nite to this morning. Selecting a site was difficult because they are ALL so nice, but I settled on the one that I thought had the best view, and privacy to boot. There was only one other campsite occupied when I arrived, the loop has 15 or so spaces. (Typical for each of the 4 tenting loops)

Here is my site, and the view from under my awning and my back window.

[Gina D.]

My dog was also impressed that they put in this cabana just for him





I did not fish there, but as I had my morning coffee under my awning, I could see and hear the splashes and slaps of jumpin' trout every few seconds.

I may actually invest in gear and license and do a bit of lazy womans fishin later. I do intend to go back.. it's 10 miles from the job and a quick and easy get away.

And my solar worked flawlessly again!

[Gina D.]

AND.. as an added bonus, I met fgrv members there.. I stumbled upon a Casita and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was members I met at the Oregon Gathering a couple years ago.. Karen and John from San Diego were there for their week long vacation.

[Joy A]

Thank for the info and pictures Gina.

I'm compiling a list of various campgrounds and site number, by state, that folks say are great. It's especially nice when pictures are added so I can see if I want to include in list.

[Pat Goodwin]

HI, for an unexpectedly great place - try the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. I needed a place near the Great Ape Trust and found it online. 1600 campsites on slightly rolling acreage. You would never know you were within a city.

No, don't stay during the fair when packed but the rest of the year, you have your choice of spots. At the back of sections 7 and 10 are campsites on acres of grass shaded by huge trees and with a view of trees and neighboring horses and are in easy walking distance of clean and free showers.

Since out of the 1600 sites only about 6 were occupied, it was quiet and private. We'll pretend I'm not saying this but due to lack of people and since we were all alone in our huge area, I let my two dogs off leash and they had what amounted to a giant park to themselves. Nice host said that only happened because she didn't see them when I mentioned it. Yes, we were well away from anyone who would see them. For the dogs, it was best place of all we used in the last ten days.

For me, it was Woolly Hollow State Park, site 18 (neighboring site 17 also wonderful) about 75 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas off highway 65. Site at far end of the campsites and totally private AND within 50 feet or so of lake and dogs could swim or wade. Small lake surrounded by hardwood forest; watched a giant gray crane stalk and catch a large fish and swallow it. Huge bullfrogs serenade at night. Area has marked trails for hiking and a swimming beach. Beach faraway from Sites 17, 18 and not within sight. My view was of far end of lake with trees and water. Wonderful. Discounts during weekdays. Lots of vacancies. Electric and water each site. Office even sells ice.

Another super place was Gillham Lake in southwest quadrant of Arkansas - Army Corps of Engineers area and was cheap. Site 19 (and neighboring ones) on edge of low escarpment which overlooked rushing river. Riverside with trees, grass and paths. The campground was Cossatot Reefs. This river is known as one of the most difficult for boating and kayaking and looked somewhat intimidating. Edges quiet and dogs waded and a woman was fishing.

The places I stayed in Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas all had clean, warm or hot, FREE showers unlike most of places I've stayed out west. The Missouri and Arkansas areas where we stayed were beautifully kept and maintained with areas of beautiful grass and sites and decks in good repair. Be sure to ask about good sites marked RESERVED since was able to stay overnight in two places in such sites since campers weren't expected for two days.

Pat

[Joe Z]

Gina.....
We where at that campground checking out the area when we lived there and i have to say that it is the nicest i run across and i took the same pictures as you..... Really a must see campground to get away from the heat and the way they set those campsites up top the hill is really nice
thanks for the reminder as it's been about three years since being there.
Joe

[brian m.]

Thanks for the nice camping report Gina! Do you have to make reservations? Any website? It looks like a nice spot, I'd like to bookmark it for the future.

[Joe Z]

Link to Fool Hollow ......
http://azstateparks.com/Parks/FOHO/facilities.html

[Gina D.]

Joy, I was in site # 12.

Brian, AZ State Parks do not take reservations. They don't even ask your name when you arrive! It is all very organized, the check in process is pretty smooth.

We are starting to get the overflow at the campground I work at on weekends. The park calls down here and asks if we have spaces and then sends those that show and can't get a space to us.

We are at least 3 hours from any major population area.. Phoenix being the closest, and I can't imagine driving that far and risking no space, but there are at least 30 campgrounds, government and private, around here.. so no one should go homeless. They just won't get to be where they intended.

[David & Leslie]

Looks like a wonderful spot, Gina - thanx! It will be one of the camps we visit if/when we are going to see someone at Clay Springs Sounds like things are going great - hooray! Hugs from the Geezers, L 'n D

[Adrian W]

I believe we spend a few days there for a 4th of July many years ago. We enjoyed canoeing on the lake especially the backed up creek section if it is the same place. But now that I am thinking it over, where we stayed might have been a Forest Service campground. It has been a long time, maybe 17 or 18 yrs. We had a beaver tail splash us at the end of the lake near the creek entering it. The kids got to see a small town July 4th parade and see a fire works display at their football field. Even got to see the score board get on fire. We had been camping at Big Lake but had to leave not having reservations.

Is this the same place? Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/recreation/ca...mp_hollow.shtml
I pretty sure ths was the place we stayed anyway. But not it being a state park, must be two places in the same place/area. Or it could very well have been a totally different place.

After looking a couple of maps, I do not believe we made it to Fool Hollow Lake. Where we stayed was not very large, was between Show Low & Lakeside, not too far off Hwy 60, we rode bikes to 60 and looked off the Rim. I may have to hunt up a written account of that trip, I've been puzzling over the name of it for a year or so. I'd came up with the Fool Hollow, but it is just not located right.

Fool Hollow SP looks like a really nice area, nice photos. Thanks for sharing.

As for: AZ State Parks do not take reservations. That is the way they all should be IMHO. I just hate having to have reservations. Or hate when the States make it hard not to have them, such as California.

Our dog used to like those cabanas as well.

[Kevin K]

[BOBSMITH]

Wow. What a nice park!

[Roger C H]

Fool Hollow. Hmm. Is it near the Fool's Hill I was always climbing as a young'un?