Fork 'em, Devils. If…read moreyou attended ASU, you have probably climbed "A" Mountain. It's a rite of passage as a Sun Devil. Did you even attend ASU if you haven't stepped foot here? It's a tradition for me to hike this mountain on New Year's Day. You got to start the new year heading in the direction you want to go: upwards and forward. Hayden Butte Preserves is a very doable and easy hike in the heart of Tempe. Come for the sights.

Pretty easy hike. Trail could use some maintenance- missing/washed out steps. Not too crowded at…read more8am on a warm Sunday. No bugs or overgrown shrubs. Rails toward the top for safety and easy to grab/hold onto for stability. We finished in 33 mins and that includes a couple stops to take in the views and catch our breath after a set of steps.

Whenever I visit the ASU Downtown Campus, I always find myself walking through the Civic Space…read morePark. This is a park with a lot of potential as there is a nice grassy area, some tables and chairs next to the US Post Office and ASU Student Center, a beautiful sculpture, and other places to hold an event and escape from the heat. At the same time, the Civic Space Park in recent years has been overrun with the homeless who find their own spaces on the east side of the park and sometimes elsewhere in the park. This has led to some safety concerns from ASU students and their families as many students have to walk across the park to get from the Sun Devil Fitness Complex or the Fusion on First upper-division residence hall across to the rest of the ASU Downtown Campus. There have also been a number of altercations over the last few years between multiple homeless and occasionally between a homeless person and a student. I have seen groups of students and even community members holding events in the park either in front of the Student Center entrance at the tables and chairs (gatherings by students or staff), on the grassy lawn area (community members playing soccer, frisbee, or having a picnic), or even on the south side of the walkway (though the lighting wasn't very good in the evening in that area). Again, it may be a challenge if some of the homeless community members try to engage at these events with the students, staff, and/or community members. Another challenge we learned is that it isn't the role of ASU Police or Phoenix Police to monitor the park. Rather there are park rangers who are responsible for doing so, which adds some complications as the rest of the ASU campus is supported by ASU Police and on occasion, by Phoenix Police. If you look at other reviews of Civic Space Park, it is difficult to find one that doesn't highlight the famous sculpture known as "Her Secret is Patience." In fact, I recall doing a photo shoot about 12 years ago under the sculpture at Civic Space Park. This sculpture is a public art sculpture commission that was designed for the city of Phoenix. The sculpture consists of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and colored lights. Again, the space has a lot of potential though due to safety reasons, there is some work to be done to really prepare this park to meet its full potential.

Nice park to just hang out at. Lots of grassy area for kids or animals to run through…read more We just sat there for a while soaking up the sun and people watching. At night the tornado looking thing lights up.

We love the brand new Activity Complex at South Mountain. It has a ton of parking, lots of shade…read moreunder the pavilion, lots of restrooms with sinks, soap, and water refill stations and water fountains. The new ramadas are very nice too, some are large, others are smaller - all rentable. What I really loved was the design, the pathways mimic mountain edges and the water pathways are marked like rivers, and mountain ranges have infographics and are named in the indigenous language with a snake taking you to the sign. Shiny and new, come take a look! Then hike the Holbert trail for a nice view of Phoenix.

Brand new addition to South Mountain park with access to hiking trails, a pavilion, and ramadas…read more There are also restrooms and water fountains and plenty of parking. This is a beautifully designed concrete modern structure and all of its paths and landscaping complement the surrounding desert. There are also information boards about the mountains visible from the park. Phoenix has outdone itself with this new complex!

This Preserve has really been cleaned up for the better. Once a place for beer drinking, bottle…read morecaps and assorted trash, it now is a pleasant spot for hiking. Trails are marked although when you first enter the premises, it is not that clear. I am so glad it really is a Preserve now. They have their own small parking lot and there is street parking.

One of the nicest things about Phoenix is having hiking opportunities close by. Phoenix Mountain…read morePreserve is a great example of that. This sprawling preserve has a ton of trails to choose from. It's also the home of Piestewa Peak. I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon with my buddy who was visiting from out of town. Since he was in charge, I'm not sure what trail we selected but it was a one-hour hike that we followed on the All Trails app. I'd say it was of moderate difficulty and rocky terrain which is what you will mostly find in Phoenix. Your reward, halfway through the hike, is some nice views of Phoenix in between a valley in the mountains. The type of spot you sit for a while and take it all in. While not mesmerizing, it was nice. If you're looking for a ton of different options, of various difficulties and length, Phoenix Mountain Preserve is a great choice. It's right within the city so you don't have to venture far to check it out, either. Parking wasn't an issue at all on a weekend which is nice, too.

Papago Park is an amazing place to take a walk, get photos taken, or simply relax. Nestled among…read morePhoenix Zoo & Botanical Garden, it's a popular spot in the Phoenix Metro Area - for good reason too. Don't forget to take a hike and climb the "Hole in the Rock", a pretty mild hike and very rewarding when you get to the top!

This is one of my favorite spots in Phoenix to connect with nature…read more The biomorphic facade of the boulders is fascinating to look at, no matter what direction you're looking at it from. Easy 5k trail.

Visiting family on a sunny phoenix Sunday morning the family , dogs included make a trek to this…read morepark on north side . The park was busy with non league? soccer / futbol games going on on two large fields. There were trees for shade for spectators. We went to a new ( newer ) playground new slides, ladders , a bridge , & favorite a stand alonr seat like small tractor seat that you can spin around on .., fun! It seems after visiting other city of phoenix parks that the children's playgrounds are newer with the latest playground activities. What are love to see are big multi-lingual kids signs / educational number & word boards in braille, Spanish ,& English , engaging the community . Lucky to have fun ,safe educational , newer playgrounds, & sports fields with trees! ( if you doing a park tour" check out Roadrunner on Shea? & the train park in Scottsdale is an adventure !

Since park season is upon us, I decided it's time to give some props (do people still say props?)…read moreto Venturoso Park. This park has a renovated play area that is certain to entertain your little ones. Two infant/toddler swings and two regular swings greet you as you walk up the path to the play area. Just behind the swings, there are two covered play structures within the sandy area. One is geared toward younger children and has a few small slides. The other, larger play structure is nothing short of fantastic. There is a large slide, monkey bars, a fireman's pole, stairs and ladders like most playgrounds I remember growing up.....but the fun doesn't stop there. There are also two small, faux rock walls and bunch of stations that are real lessons in centrifugal force. You can stand up, sit down, hang from bars, all while spinning like a teacup at Disnyland! Aside from the play area. Venturoso Park has an enormous grassy area surrounded by a walking path. The perfect place for an afternoon picnic or a family stroll with the dog. There are a few covered picnic tables, a water fountain and soccer goals (minus the nets). One big negative is, the only public restroom available is a port-a-potty...yuck! There is occasional football or soccer practice here, but otherwise, this place is empty. We usually have the entire park to ourselves. Not for long though, because after you read this, you are gonna pack up a basket, round up your crew and head to Venturoso for some great family fun.

The best running path in Central Phoenix! Love the architecture, landscape & proximity to my house.read more

What is a good reminder that I live in the wild wild west? Where can you see families riding their…read morebikes, friends out for a good walk, athletes training for marathons and me pretending I love marathons? The lovely bridle path, that's where. And how do you know when you're at the bridal path? When you get to the horseshoe and dirt path. Yep. I'm serious. And, it's in the middle of Phoenix. I love the bridle path. It's my favorite place to get a good jog in and do a good bit of people watching at the same time. And stay in the city. When I'm not on a hike, this is usually where my run takes me. It is a little bit of the olden days right here in the city. The path is pretty frequented on weekend mornings, especially Saturdays, but it's not too crowded that there won't be room for you. Trust me. You should try it out. You'll get a good workout, some beautiful scenery, and it's a lot better than running on the pavement :)

I have missed feelings about this park. Don't get me wrong, it is a decent park. It spans 1.8 acres…read moreand there is limited street parking, a lighted full basketball court with a nice mural in the background. There is also a shelter with picnic tables under it. The park has a vast amount of green space suitable for playing catch flying a kite, having a game of soccer, okaying football or other similar field activities. There are very picturesque palm trees that run along the back side of the park that adds to its ambiance. There is a homeless camp that was set up under the shelter while I was there, They pretty much took over all of the pavilion and part of the playground. The park is home to a pretty decent playground that is on a bed of wood chips. The playground's equipment is limited but in decent shape and consists of a jungle gym with slides, climbing walls and bridges. It has a shade structure built on it to keep the little ones cool on a sunny day. There is also a bank on traditional/toddler swings, a pebble bridge, and sphere climber. As I mentioned, the park's facilities are pretty nice and the park is well maintained. There was a guy doing maintenance and cleaning the park while I was there. This is a decent park to visit if you are in the area or live in the nearby neighborhood. This is definitely not a destination park. A 3.5 star rating would be more appropriate here, but that is not an option, so I went with a 4. One thing that I noticed was missing here was a restroom facility. There is also not a walking or jogging trail at the park. Anyway, this park will do in a pinch or if you have some time to pass.