Being that I work in Parks and Recreation, whenever I visit a friend in another city, I always like…read moreto check out the local parks. So when I was visiting my friend in Phoenix, she wanted to take me to one of her favorites, Encanto Park. Of course, the name immediately made me think of the Disney movie, so naturally we played the Encanto soundtrack all the way there! Unfortunately, we picked a particularly brutal day to visit because it was a blistering 110° in Phoenix. Needless to say, our visit was a pretty quick lap around the park! It was beautiful and appeared to be fairly well maintained and clean. I was curious about why the water was SO green, though. I'm not sure if that's typical or just a result of the heat. There wasn't a whole lot happening while we were there, which wasn't surprising given the temperature. Even Enchanted Island, the amusement park attached to Encanto Park, wasn't open yet because of the heat. One thing I absolutely loved was the drum circle. I could have stood there and watched for quite a while, but we knew we couldn't stay outside for too long in that heat, so we moved along. Overall, the park looked beautifully maintained and fairly clean. I definitely think this would be a great place to hang out, explore, or spend the day on a much more reasonable-temperature day. I'd love to come back when it's not 110° because I have a feeling there's a lot more to experience here than we were able to see during our very hot and very quick visit!

A gem of a green space smack in the middle of central Phoenix -- where I least expected it. We…read moreneeded to walk off our dinner and were looking for a nice scenic spot and this was just the place. You have a number of paved walkways zigzagging through some very nice landscaping with lots of palm trees, an island and a bunch of picnic tables, and crossing over a number of canals and lakes. A big parking lot makes for easy access too.

The large playground is the perfect place to let out your child's inner explorer…read more A big playing field with lots of toys and swings means there will be plenty for everyone! Whether you're having a birthday party or just want to spend time with friends, this place is the perfect spot.

This park gets crazy busy on weekends and during the evening all week long so I try to avoid it…read moreunless it's before noon during the week because it's practically empty. Lots of colorful characters for sure so I tend to avoid it. But... my kid enjoys coming here and I don't always feel like driving all the way to friendship park. Do keep an eye on people that are parked. I have noticed lots of suspicious older men who just sit in their car for hours and watch as the children play. If you are lucky, you may even get a chance to see popping and locking dad. He dances in the middle of the playground while the kids (including his own) watch in amazement.

Great place to RUN & walk ! Choose sidewalk or dirt paths . The plenty to do here , pools , courts…read more, fields , skate park , tennis courts, you name it !

Nice park and amenities. Well maintained. Nice environment and ample space for children and pets to…read moreplay and run.

Beautiful park. Very spacious and clean. Lots of grassy areas and plenty of parking spots. Has a…read morejungle gym and a dog park area.

The maintenance team keeps the bathrooms perfectly clean and fully stocked. The playgrounds are…read moregreat. Haven't been since before they updated the dog parks years ago, but look forward to taking my fur babies.

We absolutely adore this little park near Roosevelt Row. We live in Mesa so we don't visit as…read moreoften, but every time, we've enjoyed the quiet and the space. There's plenty of space to lie around to relax or set up for a picnic. Nearby, there is the Japanse Friendship Garden and lots of coffee and restaurants. We were here earlier today for our little one to enjoy the park and run around. The playground here is very playful with giant structures to climb and around. There was also a small rock climbing wall for bigger kids to enjoy. There is plenty of parking, everyone keeps to themselves, and a doggy park not too far away! I highly recommend for everyone looking for a nice spot to relax and chill.

When I think of large parks that can hold big events or be enjoyable to stroll through, bring a…read moredog, or perhaps have a picnic, I can certainly envision the Margaret T. Hance Park. I've personally been there for a number of festivals over the years, and my sister-in-law has led fitness classes in the park. I have also used the park to cut across from the library to the other side of the park as a shortcut before. I feel that it is well-maintained with some play grounds, areas to sit, and areas to avoid the sun as need be. I stopped by the Margaret T. Hance Park this past weekend to attend the annual Arizona Fall Festival, which included food, service, and shopping vendors, plenty of food trucks, alcohol tasting area, games, auction, and more. This upcoming week, the Phoenix Pizza Festival will be held there. A lot of careful planning takes place for each and every festival taking place in the park. This public park was named after the first female mayor of Phoenix who advocated for the park. In 2016, the city announced a ten-year master plan costing over $100 million dollars, which would include adding an amphitheater, a skate park, and more. The park is home to the Japanese Friendship Garden, Irish Cultural Center, McClelland Irish Library, Phoenix Center for the Arts, and Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library.​ Features of the 32-acre park include a dog park, drinking fountains, grills, picnic area, playground, restrooms, shade structures, splash pad, and a volleyball court. The park itself is ADA accessible. The published hours of the park are daily from 6 AM to 10:30 PM. You can read more about the park at https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/parks/activities-facilities/city-parks/margaret-t-hance-park.html. I look forward to seeing what this park turns into as it has such amazing potential!

I have been coming to the park for years yet just found out about the community center nestled…read moreinside the beautiful, formerly named César Chávez Park, located between the golf course, dog park, and skate park areas. What a spacious, clean, and well-designed facility! They have an indoor basketball/pickleball court, a fitness center upstairs with an indoor walking track--perfect for those hot summer days--a gaming room, a relaxing sensory room, classrooms, and conference rooms for various meetings needs, including youth and teen programs. There are also plenty of outdoor work spaces with beautiful views of the park that rival any coffee shop. For just $50 a year, this community center offers so much and can go a long way toward meeting a variety of community needs. Definitely worth checking out!

This has got to be one of the best parks in Phoenix. My wife and I frequent Cesar Chavez Park…read morefrequently. We love to take walks around the magnificent lake which has an incredibly good and convenient concrete path good for walking, jogging or biking! They have plenty of trash receptacles, lots of shade trees and benches for watching the water or the birds. My recommendation of Cesar Chavez Park may sound like a commercial, but I wholeheartedly think it is an underutilized place. Sure, I encounter many families enjoying the picnic areas, kids on the playground area, some fishing going on... but mainly on weekends. This place beets the mall anytime for wiling the time away, enjoying some fresh air or just contemplating Mother Nature at its best as structured by man. It's amazing what this park has to offer, everything one can imagine or want and hard to think so much is here in a park like Ball Field; Basketball Court; Dog Park; Drinking Fountains; Grill/Picnic Area; Playground; Racquetball Court; Recreation/Community Center; Restrooms; Shade Structures; Skate Park; Soccer Field; Tennis Court; Urban Fishing; Volleyball Court; and Lake. This is one of the best local parks, recreation and cultural facilities, and uses of open spaces in Phoenix. We are so happy that we happened to be just a few minutes' drive from it.

A really nice place to walk enjoy the views and see amazing wildlife ! Bring a sandwich and have a…read morepicnic but remember to clean up after yourself too :)

A quick disclaimer for the following review -- This review pertains to the fishing quality of the…read morearea. I worked in Laveen for many years and drove past this location on 91st Ave hundreds of times but did not know about the Tres Rios Wetlands until a friend suggested it for a fishing outage. The first recommendation I will make is to bring/leave nothing of value in your vehicle. This is a high-crime area of Phoenix and the "parking lot" for Tres Rios is essentially just the shoulder of the main road. There have been several police reports filed at this location for vehicles being burglarized and catalytic converters being stolen. Secondly, a permit is required to park/use Tres Rios. The permits are free and available through the Tres Rios Wetlands page on the Phoenix.gov site. Each permit is good for a 6-month block. I have no idea if there is any enforcement action taken against non-permit holders but the consequence is a class 5 felony for trespassing on government land per multiple signs posted all over the park. Finally, if you went through the trouble of obtaining a permit and driving here just to fish, you may have set yourself up for disappointment. The actual wetlands sanctuary area that is advertised on the website is completely off limits to the public (including permit holders) and is surrounded by a 7 ft barbwire fence. The only area where fishing is actually permitted is a small strip of water outside of the sanctuary. The area is not maintained and it is completely surrounded by thick 6ft tall reeds and grass with only 3-4 gaps over about a half mile about the width of a single person. Maybe I went during wrong season, but the ground was covered in swarms of millions of ants crossing the pathway. Be careful what you put down on the ground or where you stand as you're likely to be covered in ants. If you're here to walk, hike, or birdwatch, I'm sure this location is beautiful gem in the desert thats full of wildlife. If you're here to fish it's unfortunately a big disappointment.

I'm on a new-ish quest to check out all of the County Parks. Being that the (south)western part of…read morethe Valley is relatively unknown to me, I decided to check out Estrella Mountain RP by myself during hiking season. Depending on the time of year with regard to NASCAR races, you may only have access to one entrance or multiple in/out of the park. The main entrance is off Vineyard and Bullard. This park has a nature center (just past the entrance) where you can buy an annual Parks Pass, check out some nature things inside or talk with an employee. As of 2024, passes are $7 unless you have a Parks Pass. Most of the trails I found in this park are loops of varying degree and all somewhat connected to another. You'll see hikers and bikers alike. They also have a couple of playgrounds, pagodas and ball fields which can be rented. The trailhead I parked at had a bathroom building which was appreciated!

It has beautiful scenery, a wide driving path, and multiple trails to walk on…read more Walking trails for all levels and abilities are available, and if hiking is not your thing, there are plenty of picnic areas and a playground. They offer a nature center for learning and enjoyment as well.