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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Show Low
One night is enough to see the town and the Mogollon Rim. Use it as a base for hiking or fishing, not a destination.
Show Low is a small town in eastern Arizona named after a poker hand. It sits on the edge of the Mogollon Rim, a 300-mile escarpment of pine forests and canyons. Most visitors stop for a night on the way to or from the Grand Canyon, or use it as a base for outdoor recreation. The town itself has a few shops and restaurants, but the real draw is the surrounding national forest.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–October
- Avoid
- December–February (snow and cold)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–5 |
| Burger and fries | $12–18 |
| Dinner entrée at a sit-down restaurant | $15–30 |
| Beer (pint) | $5–8 |
| Motel room (double) | $70–140 |
| Gas (per US gallon) | $3.50–4.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SOW · Show Low Regional Airport
- Contour Airlines from Phoenix (check schedule); general aviation.
Typical fares
- Show Low Airport → town centre
- Taxi about $15–25; no public transit (check)
- Show Low → Holbrook (AZ-77)
- 45 min by car
- Show Low → Payson (AZ-260)
- 1 h 15 min by car
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car is essential. The town is walkable along Deuce of Clubs, but the Rim and forest trails are a short drive. No public transit.
See and do
Known for
- Mogollon Rim
- Fishing and hiking in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
- Show Low Creek
- The poker-story origin
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mogollon Rim | Drive AZ-260 west about 20 min to the Rim Road (FR 300) | 30 min |
| Payson | Drive AZ-260 west about 1 h 15 min | 1.5 h |
| Holbrook | Drive AZ-77 north about 45 min | 1 h |
| Globe | Drive US-60 west about 1 h 15 min | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Town centre / Deuce of Clubs
- Motels and a few B&Bs; walkable to restaurants.
- Along US-60 east of town
- Chain hotels and budget motels; car needed.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HelloHEH-loh |
| Thank you | Thank youTHANK yoo |
| How much? | How much?HOW much |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom?WAIR iz the REST-room |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter snow can close US-60 and AZ-260; check road conditions before driving.
- Cell service is patchy on the Rim and in the forest.
- Fire restrictions (no campfires) are common in summer; check the forest service website.
Show Low is a safe small town. The main risks are driving in winter weather and wildlife on the roads at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Show Low yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mogollon Rim
- Fishing and hiking in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
- Show Low Creek
- The poker-story origin
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Show Low, revision 5177832 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5177832
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Show Low
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
English is the main language; Spanish is also spoken.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/show-low). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.