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Save Woodland Lake Park

Tour the Park from a Map

Photo Gallery

History of the Park

Activities in the Park

Habitat and Wildlife

Links to Related Websites

Woodland Lake Park Acquisition Committee

How do I donate?

Woodland Lake Park is a community recreational gem located in the high pine forest of Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona. Thousands of people visit our park to fish, hike, picnic, play ball, bicycle, and view wildlife. Only slightly smaller than New York City's Central Park, it contains 583 acres of forest, meadows, a lake, stream, backcountry and urban trails, and enough wildlife to amaze and enthrall us all. Desert-dwellers from Phoenix and Tucson who come here to escape their summer heat and those of us lucky to live here year-round know Woodland Lake Park as the "crown jewel" of Pinetop-Lakeside. In fact, it is a valuable asset for the people (and wildlife!) of greater southern Navajo County. Chances are that if you've been to the White Mountains of Arizona, you've probably visited Woodland Lake Park.

Woodland Lake Park is at risk, however. Many people don't realize that our Park is not the property of Pinetop-Lakeside. It is land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside has a short-term special-use permit to manage the Park as a community resource. The Park is disjunct from the main extent of the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest; growth and development within the Town makes the Park difficult for the Forest Service to manage. Recently, this parcel was placed on a list of Forest Service lands eligible for sale under a proposal initiated by President George Bush to raise funds for rural schools. While this proposal has not been passed, it made our Town realize that unless it purchases the land from the U.S. Forest Service, it may be sold for development at some point. This unique and special resource could be lost unless we work together to SAVE OUR PARK.

The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside and many residents and visitors committed to saving Woodland Lake Park have worked tirelessly over the past year to come up with viable ways to acquire or otherwise secure this resource permanently. The acquisition cost is high, as law dictates that federal lands must be sold at a price reflecting "highest and best use," which often means the value associated with development. Many alternatives are being researched and pursued. One is raising private donations to help in the purchase. The Save Our Park Committee, host of this website, is the group soliciting these donations. They are working under the non-profit White Mountains Land Trust, which holds and manages these funds. You can help SAVE OUR PARK by donating to our cause!

To learn more about the Park and what we are doing to protect it, please explore the links to the left.


*Save Woodland Lake Park*
Tour the Park from a Map Photo Gallery History of the Park Activities in the Park Habitat and Wildlife Links to Related Websites Woodland Lake Park Acquisition Committee How do I donate?	Woodland Lake Park is a community recreational gem located in the high pine forest of Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona. Thousands of people visit our park to fish, hike, picnic, play ball, bicycle, and view wildlife. Only slightly smaller than New York City's Central Park, it contains 583 acres of forest, meadows, a lake, stream, backcountry and urban trails, and enough wildlife to amaze and enthrall us all. Desert-dwellers from Phoenix and Tucson who come here to escape their summer heat and those of us lucky to live here year-round know Woodland Lake Park as the "crown jewel" of Pinetop-Lakeside. In fact, it is a valuable asset for the people (and wildlife!) of greater southern Navajo County. Chances are that if you've been to the White Mountains of Arizona, you've probably visited Woodland Lake Park. Woodland Lake Park is at risk, however. Many people don't realize that our Park is not the property of Pinetop-Lakeside. It is land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside has a short-term special-use permit to manage the Park as a community resource. The Park is disjunct from the main extent of the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest; growth and development within the Town makes the Park difficult for the Forest Service to manage. Recently, this parcel was placed on a list of Forest Service lands eligible for sale under a proposal initiated by President George Bush to raise funds for rural schools. While this proposal has not been passed, it made our Town realize that unless it purchases the land from the U.S. Forest Service, it may be sold for development at some point. This unique and special resource could be lost unless we work together to SAVE OUR PARK. The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside and many residents and visitors committed to saving Woodland Lake Park have worked tirelessly over the past year to come up with viable ways to acquire or otherwise secure this resource permanently. The acquisition cost is high, as law dictates that federal lands must be sold at a price reflecting "highest and best use," which often means the value associated with development. Many alternatives are being researched and pursued. One is raising private donations to help in the purchase. The Save Our Park Committee, host of this website, is the group soliciting these donations. They are working under the non-profit White Mountains Land Trust, which holds and manages these funds. You can help SAVE OUR PARK by donating to our cause! To learn more about the Park and what we are doing to protect it, please explore the links to the left.