Spur Cross Ranch is the newest and only designated conservation area in the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation system. Despite its small size, the variety of habitat is host to a myriad wildlife, with expansive recreation opportunities that will make you forget this unit is only 2,154 acres!
What it lacks in acreage (and the creek for which it is named), Cave Creek Regional Park north of Phoenix more than makes up in recreational opportunities, from guided horseback rides to archery lessons, hiking to stargazing (telescope included)!
The only water-based park administered by Maricopa County is also its most popular – at Lake Pleasant Regional Park northwest of Phoenix, you can fish, water ski, even scuba dive in addition to hiking, camping, and stargazing in the park’s almost 25,000 acres!
Tucked between the its namesake creek and the hills of south Redlands, the 200-acre San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary offers open space and trails for humans and reliable water for local and migratory wildlife.
By far the largest park in the City of Murrieta, the rustic 165-acre Cole Canyon Natural Park offers wide open space, access to Murrieta Creek, and trails with fantastic views of the Temecula Valley.
Stunning natural red rock arches, pinnacles, and deep sandstone canyons characterize this easily-accessible designated wilderness right outside Sedona, Arizona.