The Following Article was Published in the April 2009 Edition of Where to Retire magazine in their Article on the Eight Spots in the Country with Fantastic Weather

With a sky-high position at 7,200 feet up in the Arizona's White Mountains, the Pinetop-Lakeside community is nothing if not sensational in the scenery department. Known for its setting near the worlds largest stand of ponderosa pine, Pinetop-Lakeside lies next to the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. There, residents and visitors spend many happy months hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding on the White Mountain Trail Systems 180 miles of multiuse trails.

Most of the year there are plentiful golfing options. When theres enough snow on the ground, young and old alike are outside for cross-country skiing, sledding, snowmobiling and occasionally even ice-fishing. Theres great exercise also in downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing at Sunrise Park Resort on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Fishing all year long is a given, as some 40 lakes lie within 40 miles of Pinetop-Lakeside.

In town, Woodland Lake Park offers all the fresh air a resident could want. Crowning the 580-acre jewel is an 18-acre lake stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth bass and catfish. In the surrounding landscape, there are hiking trails, tennis and volleyball courts, and picnic tables. Anyone who must heed the call of the shopping gods will find Phoenix about 185 miles to the southwest.