Phoenix Mountains Preserve facts for kids
The Phoenix Mountains Preserve is a special group of parks located in the Phoenix Mountains in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It's like a big natural playground right in the middle of the city! One of its most famous parts, the Piestewa Peak recreation area (which used to be called Squaw Peak), is even known as a Phoenix Point of Pride.
These parks are super important because they protect the beautiful desert mountains and give people a place to explore. Two of these parks are so big they are considered among the largest city parks in the entire world!
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Exploring the Phoenix Mountain Parks
The Phoenix Mountains Preserve includes several amazing parks where you can go on adventures.
What Parks Are Included?
The main parks that make up this preserve are:
- Piestewa Peak recreation area: This park used to be called Squaw Peak. It includes the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, which is a great starting point for trails.
- Camelback Mountain Park
- Papago Park
- Lookout Mountain Preserve
- North Mountain and Shaw Butte Preserves
- Phoenix Sonoran Preserve: This park is still being developed, meaning it's growing and getting new features.
Sometimes, South Mountain Park is also considered part of this amazing group of parks.
What Do These Parks Look Like?
These parks are mostly made up of small mountains and the areas right next to them, called foothills. These mountains rise about 2,000 feet (which is about 600 meters) above the flat desert floor. They really stand out because most of Phoenix is very flat. Since the main part of Phoenix is about 1,000 feet (around 300 meters) above sea level, the tops of these mountains reach almost 3,000 feet (just under 1,000 meters) above sea level!
How Were These Parks Protected?
The idea for these parks started with Piestewa Mountain Park and North Mountain Park, which were originally county parks. However, most of the park system we see today was bought and protected in the early 1970s. This happened because Phoenix was growing very fast, and there was a worry that new buildings would cover these beautiful mountain areas.
Today, all these parks have lots of hiking trails for you to explore. Many also have special areas for visitors with parking, picnic tables (sometimes called ramadas), and restrooms. Some places even have horse stables nearby where you can rent horses and go riding into the park!
