Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

While the National Park Service is being forced to turn visitors away due to a government shutdown, Maricopa County’s regional park system is welcoming individuals seeking recreational experiences in the Sonoran Desert.

“While the folks in Washington remain at odds, we’re doing our jobs and will continue to remain open to the public. Not only are we here to provide services to our regular visitors, we’re also here to serve visitors who have been displaced by the shutdown of the National Park Service.

“Our regional park system is home to a wide variety of trails, campsites and we offer great educational programs,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andy Kunasek, District 3.

“We have over 120,000-acres of pristine Sonoran Desert in our park system,” said R.J. Cardin, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department director. “The great thing about our system is its diversity and our ability to connect visitors with nature.

“ In our parks you can go hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding; boating, fishing or scuba diving; set-up your RV or a tent; try your hand at archery; or bring the family out for a picnic and evening of stargazing. We also have a full-service shooting range in Buckeye for those who are looking for a place for target practice.

“In addition, the trails within our parks, we also have the Maricopa Trail. This trail system, once completed, will link all of the County’s regional parks together with one continuous trail system.

“We are currently half way through the build-out on this project and a collection of trail maps for this system can be found on our Web site for the completed segments,” Cardin added.

There are 10 Maricopa County Parks: San Tan Mountain Regional Park, Usery Mountain Regional Park, Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Adobe Dam Regional Park, Buckeye Hills Regional Park, Cave Creek Regional Park, Estrella Mountain Regional Park, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area and White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

For more information about any of the parks, call the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department at 602-506-2930 or visit the website at http://www.maricopa.gov/parks.