Went for a quick one-mile walk and ended up doing two. It's like Bridge to Terabithia in the heart…read moreof the city: seven ponds, shaded trails, turtles, birds, and a floating boardwalk, all free. The mental health messages along the paths are such a pleasant touch. If you want something more leisurely, you can do an easy walk around the lake. My mom found this helpful, instead of venturing back into the trails. Parking fills up fast, but the library next door has plenty of free spots, and parking there is allowed, so you won't get towed. Bring water!

Being from NYC this is our version of central park. I love the observatory which is open Friday…read moreand Saturday nights sunset till 9pm. It's free but donations are appreciated. They are rib by volunteers. The trails are clean, dogs welcome everywhere, horses in designated areas, camp sites also available to rent which come with bbq grills and pits along with space for tents. Check out their website for the info. This is a great park to take your kids to the playground, go fishing, get your steps in, take your dog food a walk or have a date. Many picture perfect spots which are popular for graduation, wedding, and birthday pics. I even saw a couple get married on the bridge at sunset a quick 5 minute ceremony to not hold up anyone. Parking in a few spots and adjacent to the library for extra parking. 2 bathrooms I've been to are clean and maintained. Water fountains also there.

Been out exploring and looking for new trails to hike out at the Superstition Mountains and came…read moreacross Carney Springs Waterfall. You can access this trail off Lost Goldmine Trailhead East. Its an easy to moderate round trip out back trial with over 4 miles of hiking and almost 700 foot elevation gain. The last trek to the waterfall is when it gets the steepest, and on the way to the waterfall you will come across a cool cave as well. Now Carney Springs Waterfall most of the time is dry, but if you happen to go after a rainfall or monsoon, you will be treated to the waterfall. The Carney Springs Waterfall is visible from Peralta and is apx a 240-foot drop. While hiking along the trail making your way to the waterfall if you look to the left you can see the trial for the Wave Cave and even spot it in the distance. You also will see some interesting canyon views along the way. There isn't any clear signs to the waterfall but if you are going along Lost Goldmine Trail #60, at the fork that goes to the Wave Cave, turn right go past the cave and make your way to the waterfall. We went after a rain fall and got to see the fails. Once you turn off the 60 and head up Peralta trail the road becomes a dirt road, but you don't need a 4x4 to get there. The parking lot will be on the left side of the dirt road just up the road from Peralta Park.

Please don't go here when it's summer time in Az. Unless you think you can handle the actual sun…read moreBEATING YOU UP (iykyk). The hike is gorgeous, I recommend going at sunrise or sunset. You see the valley in a whole new light. It's always been one of my favorite places to explore. Every time I go, there's something new/someone friendly just around the corner. Love this mountain.

Super easy hike comparable to A mountain just a little more rugged. My 7 year old and 12 year old…read morejoined me on the hike with no issues.

As a respectable hiker, I'm not going to call this a hike but it is a cool experience. I stopped by…read moreon Memorial Day in the afternoon by design. It was 95 degrees so I knew a challenging hike would be out of the question. Something like Hole-in-the-Rock though, easy peasy. While there were a decent number of people there, I had no trouble finding free parking. This natural wonder is located in Papago Park close to the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden. After you park, you'll have a five-minute walk to get to Hole-in-the-Rock. You'll have to climb an incline to get in the hole, so definitely be careful, but there are kids that do it too. And a lot of tourists that show up. So that pretty much sums it up. Once you get inside, you'll have an awesome view of the Phoenix through a literal hole in a big rock. You'll see a lot of people using it as a photo opp. That's not really my style, so instead, I took a seat and enjoyed the beauty for 10 minutes or so. It can get pretty crowded so keep that in mind if you stop by on a weekend. Hole-in-the-Rock is one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor in Phoenix. Definitely a cool (and short) adventure to cross of the bucket list. I spent 30 minutes there (which included hanging out in the rock for half the time).

A truly mystical and magical place. They close at 7:00 p.m…read more Most people try to get there later in the day to avoid the scorching 110 deg. weather and hot sun. There is a pond with tons of geese. I saw a man fly fishing.

These soccer fields are located on the South side of Brown Rd in Mesa West of the loop 202…read more These fields are new so it is very difficult to find a map of the fields so I made one (see photo). It shows the orientation of the fields, the parking and entrances, and where the bathrooms (stars) are. There are entrances on the N, E, S, and W, as well as between fields 12 and 15 to get to the bathrooms. You should look at the map to see where to park. The grass fields are in good shape and the bathrooms are pretty new and clean. Just check my map so you know where to go. It also shows where they are compared to the original fields 1-6 which are SW of these fields.

Wonderful disc golf course and beautiful park. Very busy on the weekends in the fall.read more

Beautiful and simple hike that will take you to a half way mid point, then you can keep going to…read morethe top. Lovely local hike with good views. Going up can be rocky, not a smooth path.

Great hiking area with beautiful views all around! The trailhead starts right at the base of the…read moremountain - don't be misled by Google Maps - just drive straight up the road leading to the mountain ahead. Once here there are several routes you can take varying from easy to challenging. Most importantly, please wear appropriate footwear!! I saw an older guy wearing Crocs without the back supports going up the path and he nearly toppled backwards several times. I was very worried for his well-being - this path really requires socks and shoes. Of note, depending on when you go and which direction you choose to go in, one side of the mountain has no relief from the sun - it is hot! The other side is shaded and pleasant. Whichever route you take, make sure to bring liquids to hydrate and know your limit. You can always get to a lower elevation and walk around the mountain if it gets too steep.

Mountains are to me a cleanse for the soul.This trail was a 1100 gain off of 145 th in Scottsdale…read more We were lucky enough to discover this trail after meeting a Scottsdale local who recommended it. We found parking at the entrance although there is parking down the mountain another 500 feet away from this one if full. Even though it was 56 degrees at the start it can get warm as the trails are a moderate climb in parts but with good trail shoes and balance you most likely would not need hiking poles . The views from different points are worth a view and we were lucky to go early on a Saturday where the trails were not crowded. It was dog friendly and clean.No facilities so definitely need to bring water or drink of choice. Return: definitely for the views

A lovely hike. It has some elevation gain but is not overwhelming. There is also a lovely false…read morepeak a bit over a mile from the top which is a nice rest or place to stay as the rest of your party does the last bit of the hike. Lots of cute desert plants as well!

Nice trail to walk especially with doggos! They love seeing all the bunnies and ducks on the trail…read moreas we walk and are always ready for naps by the end of it. Such nice scenery and very well lit at night as well on one segment of the trail which is about .50 long and enough to get their energy out at night while still feeling safe

The Paseo Trail travels through Chandler along the Consolidated Canal. It runs mostly N-S,…read moreconnecting to other trails along the canal in Mesa and Gilbert, totaling around 18 miles. The trail is mostly paved on the east side of the canal and pea gravel hard pack on the west side. It runs along subdivisions, golf courses and even a couple farms. The grade is very gentle throughout. I would consider the trail primarily for use by joggers, bicyclists and equestrians. There is parking at the address listed for the trail and nearby parking at Tumbleweed Recreation Center at McQueen and Germann. There is also easy to find street parking near many of the junctions with major streets. A good southern starting point is off of Riggs Rd. between Arizona and McQueen. There is plenty of street parking. From here the ride north is mostly a slight uphill ride, making the return trip a nice relaxing roll. One issue with the trail is crossings with major streets. Most are not marked for motorists as trail crossings and there is no crosswalk so you may be faced with a relatively long wait to get a break in traffic or forcing the issue and forging ahead with care.

This riparian area is an outstanding terrestrial bird watching biome. Mallards, Great Blue Heron,…read moreRing-necked Duck but just a few of the177 species known to visit. Spectacular views of the Lower Salt River tributary and Red Mountain. In the distance Piestewa Peak to the West and Four Peaks to the East. Fish Species are Rainbow Trout. Largemouth, Smallmouth and Yellow Bass. Crappie. Sunfish. Channel and Flathead Catfish. Walleye. Tilapia. The Salt River is fed by numerous perennial streams that start as springs and seep along the Mogollon Rim and in the White Mountains. Water quality is much poorer this far down stream. Some of this 50 degree water makes it to Tempe Town Lake. Much of the area is covered by cacti, in particular the familiar giant saguaro, but there are also dozens of smaller species like the Hedge Hog or Cholla. These cactus colonies merge with bushes all around. Plenty of tall trees next to the water provide a green treetop canopy over the site. Hiking today was exceptionally beautiful with plenty to photograph.

This is the first place I went paddle boarding and it's still one of my favorites. First of all,…read morethere's areas to have a nice picnic or grill out which is nice for groups or a nice date spot. There are also sightings of the wild horses and cows which is such a treat to see. I enjoy starting at the lower area of the river and paddling up the river a ways. Today was very sticker because of the wind (13 mph with gusts of 20mph). It was still a great workout and experience. There were also some nice enclaves to dock and chill while enjoying nature for a while too. Note: Sometimes there are also groups who play their music really loud (where the others can't enjoy nature) but thankfully today there were only a couple of people doing that.

Very cool spot! It's a short distance from the car to the water…read more You can bring stuff to hang out by the water if you're not planning on floating on down. There's a lot of people tubing and paddle boarding downstream, dogs included too. This is a great place to cool down with the kids, families, and dogs. Parking was easy. Even though there was a sign that says the lot was full, there was plenty of parking spaces.

Another stop on the trail to try to find the wild horses. You can use your America the beautiful…read morenational park pass to avoid any day fees. Didn't see the wild horses here but you could tell that it is a good spot where they could come through. Short walk from the parking lot to the river, and it did not look like it was going to be much on the walk over but glad I decided to walk down there and check it out. Some of my favorite pics on this adventure.