City: Phoenix, AZ

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (602) 534-6324

Address: 10919 S. Central Ave.

Description: At 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park is billed as the largest municipal park in the country. More important than that to Valley dwellers and visitors, it offers an easy way to get an overview of the Valley. You can see virtually everywhere in the Valley from Dobbins Lookout, and a “compass” points you in the direction of such landmarks as Four Peaks, a mountaintop in Tonto National Forest to the northeast, and the Estrellas to the southwest. A park road hairpins up and down the mountain to serve vehicles and daredevil bicyclists. In addition, the park offers an interpretive center to learn about all the desert flora and fauna, an activity complex, ramadas and picnic areas, restrooms, and a network of hiking and riding trails. See the Horseback Riding and the Hiking and Biking sections in this chapter.