Cool hidden spot that I've found many locals to not even know about! The Verde River winds through…read morethe Tonto National Forest, and a great hidden spot is between Bartlett Lake before the river makes its way down to joining the Salt River. It's called Needle Rock recreation area. You'll find off-road trails, some shade for picnics, and little areas to play in the water along the shore. Drive out to the end of Dynamite, where it becomes Rio Verde drive, and instead of heading to Fountain Hills, take a left into the beautiful Tonto National Forest. Be sure to stop and grab an $8 day pass at the entrance. If you're lucky, Dave will have his hot dog truck out at the entrance so you can grab a dog and some Huckleberry ice cream on your way down.

What a spectacular find! We drove back to this site after finding it on a map of trails. We had no…read moreidea we were going to find such a beautiful area to explore! There is a daily park fee of $12, which you pay at the park "box" located on the side of the road when you turn left off off of Dynamite Rd/Rio Verde Dr at Forest Rd. About .1 miles before you reach the park, it becomes a dirt road but it is compact so we had no trouble driving on it. There are trails that go beyond this park and they are very sandy so an ATV or truck would be better if you chose to venture farther down the route.

Super nice park! Came here from phx to somewhat escape the July heat! Had been here before but not…read moreto the playground/splash pad. Took us a bit of driving as google maps was unclear on where to find the playground. It's a good sized playground with a nice splash pad. Perfect way for kids to cool off and my on had fun! It was a little crowded when we were here but I think there may have been a bday party going on. Would for sure come again.

I absolutely love this park. It's probably the best one in Payson. They have events in the summer…read moresuch as movies and music in the park. They have events all throughout the year for family fun they have fishing events and four different types of fish in the lake. You can also use a boat if you want to go out further into the lake. It's a great place to walk your dog bird watch in a or just get some peace. There is also a nearby playground and museum nearby. It has plenty to do and I never get bored. Look for the bald Eagle to nest every spring is my favorite activity to do when I visit!

I've been on all of the trails and have competed in races on several. Prices have gone up for park…read moreentry and passes for the first time in quite a while -- it's $10 per vehicle for entry, which I think is still a bargain for a weekend activity with the family. They keep improving the park and it's always clean when I go -- which is quite frequently (at least once a week, but usually more in the spring and summer). The facilities have changed for the better over the years and there is actually more parking within the park itself than you might guess. The volunteers are friendly and do a wonderful job welcoming people, collecting fees and offering advice. Recently, there has been work on the Pass Mountain trail that reroutes it a bit and makes it more easily passable. Wind Cave is still really popular with families, but I have noticed Talon getting a lot of traffic, especially from mountain bikers. The loop around Pass Mountain is great for a longer challenge. Be sure to subscribe to the Maricopa County Parks newsletter to be notified of activities that take place at the park.

We are so lucky. This park is right down the street from us - easy access for walks or hikes…read moreyear-round. My husband buys the Day Use annual pass for $85. It's good for a car entering or him entering without the car. ($20 extra to add an additional person, but I'm covered if I'm in the car with him.) Such a great variety of trails and elevations here. There is truly something for every type of enthusiast. I walk a lot on Blevins which is about a 3.3 mile loop. My husband does trail running. I always see lots of mountain bikers out enjoying the trails. There are also trails like Wind Cave: it's about 3.2 miles up with around 1000 ft elevation gain. At the top you get a great view of Phoenix and Ft. Hills. If the timing is right you can even see the famous Ft. Hills fountain going off in the distance. In the spring if it's a good wildflower year you might see some good wildflowers on the Pass Mt. trail. It's really just a beautiful park to come visit and enjoy the beauty of Arizona. I've seen a gila monster, rattlesnakes, lizards, jackrabbits, coyotes, tarantulas, deer and scorpions so stay alert but enjoy!

Visited McDowell Mountain Regional Park while in Fort McDowell, AZ. The atmosphere was vast and…read morerugged, and the overall experience felt impressive but spread out. The park is massive -- it's honestly a bit crazy -- with nearly a 20-minute drive just to get from the entrance to the North Trail, which really puts the scale into perspective. Tried the North Trail -- scenic and well maintained, but the sheer size makes it feel more like a destination than a quick outing. Overall, worth checking out once, but not a spot I'd go out of my way to revisit. Saluti

This is a really nice park. Very big lots of trails. We went to the north trail which was nicely…read moremaintained. The huge plus here is the fact that sprinkled through this huge park are actual running water bathrooms!! SO NICE!! Clean bright. Superb.

Every weekend I try to go to a new park with my dog, Millie. I call these Adventure Time. My dog…read moreunderstands these words and expects the activate every weekend lol. There's two playgrounds at the park. One is smaller and has covering to block the sun during hot days. Theres a tennis court, sand volleyball, a work out style playground for adults, basketball court, and something like a basketball court that I'm not familiar with (see photos). The park was quiet and peaceful with people enjoying themselves respectful, while playing tennis. I felt comfortable and welcomed. There are benches and a few pavilion with two tables that can fit between 6-8 people with grills to cook on. I saw 1 water fountain. This park has no nature shade. The trees are small/ tiny. This park would be ideal during the cool seasons and early or late in the day, when the sun isn't so hot. The field was short and the grass was not to pokey. There wasn't much weeds either. I didn't see any glass burrs (tiny sticker balls). My dog and I played frisbee while training. We practice; "On Me", "Stop", "Around", "Come", "Leave It", "Stay", "Hit" (Down or Lay Down, "Under" (figure 8 under the legs), and "Other Side". I took plenty of photos since there wasn't much available. I hope this aids you! I'll probably return in the future.

Took my kids here on a Sunday afternoon in January. The weather was perfect at first but it quickly…read moregot warm. While there are attempts to provide shade in some areas, it's at weird angles lol the water fountain doesn't work. Other than those 2 things, we love this park. There's plenty to do with the dank court, basketball court, tennis court, open field, 2 playgrounds for different age groups, and swings. Not a lot of ramadas available. A great walking path. Parking along the street.

I enjoy coming here during the winter and fall because the park is quiet. A few people come to…read morefish, and there is a small playground as well as a workout space. One of my favorite activities is walking around the pond and watching the ducks.

A beautiful park to walk around the lake and also take your dogs to the easy to get to and clean…read moredog park highly recommend when I. The area or if you live near by

On the way back to Tucson from Mesa and wanted to stop to take a break and eat some lunch and…read moreVillago came up in a Yelp search. It is off the 10 freeway, had a decent size parking lot, and there are covered picnic areas. It is a decent park and has exactly what we were looking for. It is clean and there are bathrooms, a play area for kids, some basketball courts, a walking trail, and a nearby water feature that is on the walking trail. The bathrooms did not have any soap or sanitizer though. This is a good spot for a picnic, or to sit and relax, or get some exercise.

Breathe in that fresh crisp air. We are passing through and the park awaits. Time for puppy fun run…read moreand plays. In our many travels the puppies persist with their whines. "Please let us out mama!" They either need to potty or play. Probably both. In my travels with my four legged kind, parks are better than rest stops for walking puppies. Every time we opt for a rest stop, other fellow humans come up to us wanting to play with our puppies. We all need our time alone to do our business, puppies are no different. The small pleasures of serenity in a park give the dogs a quiet place for their enjoyment. As their handler I can enjoy a small amount of joy as the puppies have some quality romp time together with no one around. In the middle of nowhere we found this park in the Yelp search. It came back under the search words of park. It's corresponding Yelp page shows no one has explored it yet. We are the first to give our report. The puppies are playing enjoying themselves. It's a rather small place with lots and lots of grass. It's in a little neighborhood that seems to be very safe and quiet. Great place to walk the dogs and enjoy a stroll with the puppies. The climate is perfect right now with the cold at bay. The temperatures in the low fifties. The grass is kept nice and short. If it were warmer out you could enjoy a stroll on that soft grass. The park is well kept with a small jungle gym for the littles. It's nothing fancy, but a small place to enjoy a breathe of fresh air. Their is no fence for your puppies so obey the leash laws in your local community. Currently, just the littlest of the pups is on a leash for "others," protection. They run and play chasing each other. The few trees here the dogs scent; this park is definitely puppy approved. We are on the road again after a few hour lay over for some puppy rest time. As the puppies played we enjoyed some picnic foods from the ice chest. This is a lovely place to build those strong bonds at. Be a kid and go play. The twins slide down and the dogs greet them from the other side. As they play hide and go seek the puppies follow the twin leader around. So much zany fun. We laugh and giggle as we separate ourselves from the world for just a moment. Remember what it was like to be six, perhaps ten. Take the family to the park and remember these days of long ago. Happiness is a count away. Tag y

Over Memorial Day weekend we were on the quest to play in as many parks as possible. When we…read morestopped for lunch in Payson I went on Yelp! to find a park to play in before driving back down to Phoenix so my daughter could get out and play. When we first drove up to the park, we went to the older swing set (not shown in the photo) and were a little let down because it wasn't kept up very well and pieces of the play equipment were broken. When we walked around and up the hill we found the nicer playground with better looking and more updated equipment! It was so fun even I got out on it and played. It looks like a really great neighborhood park that was very busy with baseball tournaments. We would definitely stop by the next time we are in town.

We had a phenomenal hike here. This park is easy to find, has great views, and the hikes aren't too…read morehard physically. Be sure to download AllTrails and track/rate your hike! Decent amount of parking and a variety of sports courts as well. Payson's such a fun spot to get in touch with nature.

Wonderful historical archeology park. Land of the Salado native people. So informative and…read moreinspiring to walk through the ruins and absorb the information on the museum. What a magnificent magical (not to mention humbling) experience.

A nice archeological site that's a nice stop if you're in the area or you're interested in ancient…read moreArizona cultures. It's affordable and consists of a small museum with pottery and other artifacts, outdoor ruins from an old Salado pueblo (self-guided), and a small gift shop. There is a film you can watch at the beginning of your visit to better understand the site. Decent-size parking lot, and it's unlikely you'll be sharing the site with too many other visitors. It was fairly empty when we went on a Saturday afternoon. I like how they incorporated cacti and other elements of Arizona landscapes into the ruins. A lot of the ruins aren't accessible and can only be viewed from behind metal fencing. I fully understand wanting visitors off the ruins but wish the site had adopted more aesthetically-pleasing solutions than metal wire fencing.