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!

Loved this 8 miles round trip trail…read more Easy access by a regular car to the parking. Be sure to arrive early as a parking is limited. We arrived around 7am and it was about a half full. When we were ready to go home around noon, this place was packed. Most part of the trail has tree shades, with nice water sound, I felt pretty cool in the hot summer. Trail is mostly flat. Less than 1,000 feet in elevation gain. Trail has access to the creek throughout, you don't have to hike all 4 miles to enjoy cool water. Bring lots of water. I carried almost a gallon of water with me and I think I consumed 2/3 of them. I saw a camper hiking down in the morning. They said they packed everything including water and spent a night in the woods. That sounded really intriguing, I think I should really thinking about camping here someday.

I have been hiking here for 30 years. It's a great place however as the population grows here the…read moretrail is also packed all the time now. Try to go off season (fall I think is best) to have the best experience. If you have kids, they will love to play in the creek in the hot weather.

The Tonto National Forest is a large territory of preserved lands northeast of Phoenix ideally…read moresuited for recreation. There is a lifetime of official and unofficial trails in the Forest. Most of them are in the desert, with little shade and oppressive heat, but if you live in Arizona that probably doesn't stop you. Based on its size and preservation, there are stunning vistas of the Forest even a short drive from the Phoenix area. Describing it as a "forest" is a deceptive term. It is more of a National Desert. Acknowledging that point does not make it a less impressive place to explore. Arguably, the panoramic views are even more impressive in the desert because there are no trees blocking your line of sight. One of the more surprising aspects of the forest is how few Arizona citizens take advantage of the recreation opportunities. Phoenix is a megacity, but if drive 30 minutes away, you can have a 10 mile trail all to yourself. This means either Phoenix citizens are not into the outdoors or there are enough trails for everyone to spread out. One trail in particular that my brother, wife, and I were able to explore by ourselves was the Ballantine Trail. It's halfway between Mesa and Payson on highway 87. The first couple of miles suffered significant burn damage a year earlier. This was quite disappointing at first. As we continued hiking, we were able to appreciate the signs of transition from burned and blackened landscape to fresh grass and bush rejuvenation. The return hike along the side of the mountain, rather than over the top, yielded one of the most stunning views of grass and saguaro cacti that I have seen.

I was in town in Show Low staying at my friend's place and decided to take my dog to Tonto National…read moreForest (specifically the two sixty trail area) so we could enjoy the weekend day. It was an hour ride, but I think it was so worth it! My dog really enjoyed it! What I loved was that the facility and trail were clean and well maintained. There was a restroom station and a marker/direction for a subtrail at the entrance from a parking lot. The trail itself was clear and not crowded at all. There were just 2 other people we met during a weekday late morning during our visit for an hour there. My dog really enjoyed roaming around the trail and we loved that we didn't see any trash at all. While the trail was a bit unleveled, the path was clear! Bonus too that it was a free hike/walk for us, including parking! The only minus was that there was no cell phone signal (T-mobile/Mint Mobile), so I was very wary that we might get lost if we didn't keep track of ourselves well enough..so we mostly stayed on the trail and didn't go in too far. But...it is a wonderful place to enjoy the nature for sure!

This is a beautiful, well-maintained park with a majestic natural bridge. The bathrooms are clean,…read moreparking is ample, and there's a lovely souvenir shop where you also pay the entrance fee. It's definitely a must-stop if you're in the area! It took us about two hours to complete the main trail, though you can easily wander longer and soak in the views. Be sure to wear good hiking shoes with a strong grip as some areas can get slippery. And skip carrying a water bottle in your hand; a backpack or hip pouch with a water carrier works much better

The natural stone Bridge is incredible and we absolutely loved it here! Make sure you get in there…read morebefore four so that you can actually walk one of the trails because you need to give yourself about an hour and they do put a sign out at the entrance.

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.

FYI: If you're planning to go during the government shutdown, you can't drive all the way to the…read moreparking lot -- it's about an 8-mile hike (a lot of it on gravel). But honestly, it's worth every step! Just when you think you've reached the falls... you haven't. Keep going! The road in is pure washboard -- about 13 miles of bump city -- so make sure you have a 4-wheel drive and that nothing inside your car is loose. Fossil Creek is absolutely stunning, and bonus -- no permit needed after October 1st. The other thing says this trail is easy. No, it's not to be careful if you're taking somebody elderly over that doesn't have good mobility because there's some rocks you had a climb and what not also make sure you take plenty of water to drink and a little snack everything you pack in your pack. I would also suggest leaving the house by three 330. No later you don't wanna be hiking in the pitch dark.

I didn't know anything about this place beforehand. If my boss had never been here and my cousin…read morehad never told me about the Permit, I would've made a wasted trip. I wish I knew more before going. I need to know more information about how things work at Fossil Creek. Even after going, though we enjoyed ourselves, I still don't know how it works. There were no signs telling you where you can access trails to get to the creek. You just had to guess. I found a trail at our Homestead parking lot, but it was very steep and a little dangerous. We found a spot okay in the shade but was very small for our party of 6. We worked so hard getting down there that we just made it work. After leaving we went up the road a little way in our vehicle to see what the other spots looked like, but I saw no bridge or easy access from The Bridge parking lot either, and the road was just way too bumpy. I hope my wife's suspension is okay on her Mazda CX-5. The information before going should've told us about the road and what to expect, basically how to plan. It's all a guessing game. I could've asked the Ranger lady more questions, but I didn't know what to ask. My boss made things sound different. Apparently you can't drive people to the waterfall trailhead anymore. You have to walk over 2 miles on a dusty dirt road in over 100 degrees with vehicles driving by kicking up dust. That makes no sense whatsoever. We enjoyed our time at the water. Everything else leading up to it and after it we could've done without. I don't see us coming back unless we have someone with better suspension and/or better knowledge of the area. Thank you.

Did you know this about the Mogollon Rim? - Stretching 200 miles, the Mogollon Rim provides…read morebreathtaking views overlooking an expansive forest of pine trees. The rim is a true geological wonder hosting sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rock. The Mogollon Rim has been a favorite place for us to camp at over the years. Take the turn off to Woods Canyon lake and follow along turn off to a dirt road. We have many fond memories from our camping trips. It is free to camp and is a first come campsites. Plenty of boondock camping sites along the way to the rim or stay at one of the many campgrounds. The evenings do get cold even in the summer so pack accordingly. If you're not into camping it's a great day trip from Phoenix with lots of hiking and exploring opportunities. Great for pets, kids, fishing at the lake, hiking, wildlife watching, or just a relaxing and beautiful drive to soak in Mother Nature.

Have not been here for many years. Enjoyed an early morning weekday fishing trip. Lots of camping…read moresites available. Parked near the boat ramp and convenience store that has reopened. Got some tips on bait and purchased a few more lures. A couple of small snow packs still visible, and a few snow flakes in the morning. Caught and released a nice rainbow trout. Saw a bald eagle fly by and enjoyed the scenery. Had lunch near a scenic outlook. Place is likely crowded on weekends but that is expected, given the location and beauty of this place.

Too expensive! $15 to get in and the trails aren't even that long. It was $10 just a year ago…read more Also, $2 for a map - absolutely bonkers charging money for a piece of paper when there's a map once you get inside. We paid $15 to sit at a picnic table and hiked a quarter mile :/

Second time being here, so lovely! So glad we got a nice spot on a Friday afternoon during the…read moresummer as I heard it can be very busy and if they're full they'll turn you away. We took our 3 pups to walk around and chill by the water for a few hours and it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Highly recommend! Bring some beach or camping chairs and or a hammock!

What a blast! We had a great time here this past Wednesday. The park opened up at 1 PM and we…read moreplayed for several hours. It's been a dry winter so all of the "snow" here is made with machines. There are many different tubing slopes and they were SO much fun! Not all of the tubing slopes were open but there was still plenty available and no wait times for us. Our 4 year old had a blast!! There are food trucks available or you can bring in your own food and drinks. Gear is also available for purchase (think gloves, etc). There is one kiddie slope (orange color) for the little ones -- this is the only slope that can be used for double riding in a tube. Overall an amazing experience for us! Would absolutely recommend and be back for more snow fun!

There is activities for all here. We had fun riding our bikes on the trails. Great place to being…read moreyour family.

We just have returned from another beautiful camping trip outside of Payson at the camping grounds…read moreat the Washington Park trail . This trail will lead you right up to the rim if you have the equipment , endurance and motivation to get to the top. Our family enjoys camping here when the weather allows for campfires. We like this area because: We have a stream/ creek right behind our campsite. We can hike / walk / explore without difficulties The area has primitive campsites We can drive back to Payson if we need something we have forgotten W e can pull a popup trailer right into the woods with little problem The trees provide shade when it's hot or sunny The weather is generally not too extreme from March to November Dogs are tolerated

Great place for a day hike to the rim or tunnel. The signs for the tunnel are a bit hard to see if…read moreyou aren't looking so keep a good eye out to head west off the path toward the tunnel. From the top you can head 0.5 miles to General Springs Cabin.