Cave Creek Regional Park

We’ve fallen in love with Cave Creek Regional Park in the Maricopa County Park System.  This was our first stay in this park on the northern edge of the county.  Cave Creek is located northeast of Phoenix next to Carefree, Arizona.  It is a small town with lots of horses and about 6000 people.  The great thing about State and Regional Parks is the space.  There is lots and lots of space between RV's.  We have a huge backyard and trails right outside our door.

 Maricopa County parks have great trails for running, hiking and biking and this park is no exception.  The one difference at this park is the number of horses on the trails.  There are lots of horses and horse apples on the trails. It is very busy on the weekends with lots of hikers and horse back riders.  During the week, you may pass a few people on the trails but it’s generally pretty quiet.

A sign on the Clay Mine Trail

Check out the greenery!  There has been rain in the region so the landscape is green.

And, at the end of a day of hiking and playing, we can start our propane fire, our propane grill and light up our lights and have an enjoyable outdoor picnic.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

This 19,800 acre park was the first Regional Park in Maricopa County. Estrella (Estreya) Park is south of Goodyear, Arizona.  A small fee of $7.00 per vehicle will get you into this park anytime between 6AM and 8PM Sunday through Friday and 6AM - 10PM on Saturdays.  There are all kinds of organized activities in the park.  Visit the parks website at maricopacountyparks.net to get information about the park, the schedule and the fees.  

There are several trails in this park if you’d like to go for a little hike.  We visited this park for the first time this year.  We decided to go for a walk on the Quail Trail.  The slight incline and pebbly surface make this a very easy trail for walkers of all abilities.  

 

There has been a lot of rain in this area so plants are blooming.  

You can get a trail map when you check in and the trails are well marked.  The desert views are amazing.

The Park Nature Center has all kinds of information about the area and there are live snakes in cages inside the building.  

 The bathrooms are really clean and this is the first park bathroom I've been in that has toilet covers.  

If you are in the Phoenix area, I recommend you check out the Estrella Mountain Regional Park.

Skyline Trail

If you love to hike, bike or run, Arizona is the state for you.  Not only are there trails everywhere, you are in the desert and it’s possible to just pull over and go for a walk, run or bike ride but watch for those teddy bear cholas, they are hard to shake.  This week, we found Skyline Trail.  If you are ever in the area, just type the trail name into your phone and you will be taken right there.  It is a mountain trail so the first half is uphill.  

The trail is well traveled. We went on a Friday and there were several visitors of all ages and abilities.  Some people were hiking, some running, some biking and some just enjoying a picnic at the tables at the bottom of the trail.  The bathrooms are clean. 

We actually didn't see one bee.

There is a spur at the top that is a little more difficult but it isn’t part of the loop trail so you can ignore it if you want.  The spur brings you to the top of the mountain and the views are lovely.  

Linking To: Saturday Sparks