Let me first dispel the mischaracterization of this park as a drug and miscreant riddled cesspol - idea you might get from reading a couple of the reviews... if you've never been here before.
This is a nice, popular little park full of family and friends, grillin' and chillin, kid's playing, mountain bike riding, dog walking, volleyball, frisbee, yoga meditation, private and public events, and yes... a few people with their backpack-n-bedroll homes napping or relaxing usually toward the edges of the park in quite shaded spots. Apparently some folks are rattled by this - "first world problems" if you ask me. But enough of that soap box.
This park can get packed at the busy times of the year because it's pretty darn nice. There is a ton of room plenty of shade plenty of sunshine plenty of picnic tables and chairs a few very large grassy areas or you can put together little game of t-ball or touch football, or whatever.
It can get noisy over by the play areas and gazebo where families often gather. That's on the Southeast side of the park but take a walk over to the Northwest part of the park and you can't hear any of it. The only sound there is the sound of the traffic on Montezuma Street which borders the west side.
Bridge if you walk under the bridge at Montezuma Street you are connected to the network of trails along Granite Creek that Meander through the downtown area. It's a fun little walk or bike area. If you're having a picnic and you run short on ice or charcoal or anything else you can take a short walk to the south side of the park up a little path and through a gate and you're right there in the Sprouts shopping center. No need to get in your car to drive for supplies.
The park is pretty well kept up, but after the monsoon seasons you will see some weeds and overgrowth along the edges and around some of the feature. But this is not Scottsdale, so...
I've been many happy times here with friends families and co-workers. The part doesnt deserve to be represented in a bad light. It's close to downtown, where there is a push against the homeless an street people, so this is the closest place they can get some respite. That's just life in modern America. read more