On the eastern edge of the state, up on the Colorado Plateau, there is a range of rounded mountains referred to as the White Mountains. Because the Plateau is already at about 6000 feet, the mountains do not appear very high, but the peaks are over 10,000 feet and Mount Baldy which is considered to be the second highest mountain in Arizona, however it is really about the seventh since several of the named peaks around the Kachina Wilderness in the San Francisco Peaks are higher.
The White Mountains give the impression of a gently rolling landscape alternating between dense pine and fir forests and open grasslands. Dotting the area are several lakes, some of reasonably large size. Almost all of these "lakes" are really catchment basins or reservoirs. Big Lake is the largest and best known of the lakes. It is located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest about 30 miles south of Springerville/Eager. It is also about an hour's drive from Pinetop/Lakeside. Big Lake is situated at an altitude of over 9000 feet and so the summers are short and cool and the winters are long and very cold. The lake freezes over, usually by November.
If you like to fish, of which I am not overly fond, it is one of the best trout fishing lakes in Arizona. It is one of the nicest places to camp in the state with very nice campgrounds by Arizona standards that include showers and running water. Both of these amenities are at a premium in Arizona campgrounds in general.
The above photo shows a small portion of the lake but illustrates the nature of the surrounding country.
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