The red rock is stunning. There's not a lot of parking but it's never been an issue for me. The mountains sir just above everything else in town so you can get some great views of sunrise or sunset without having to go to high. Very accessible. There is a lot of trash on the ground... given the area, I understand, but it can take away from the experience.

My husband and I had a blast visiting Papago Park. The weather was perfect, and the scenery was stunning--it was a beautiful, sunny day. It was amazing to see the buttes up close. The trails were easy to hike, and we saw lots of saguaros, plus a jackrabbit! It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

Papago is a peaceful, iconic, large nature park desertland beautiful area in central east Phx/west Tempe border. It includes land consisting of the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Gardens, public park space, gorgeous rock formations, a lake, Hole In the Rock, cactus, plants and trees. I have taken many trips here and field trips as a teacher. It is a photographer's dream. They have kiosk space you can rent from the city too.

5 Stars only because that is the limit!!! I loved this place so much. It has ample parking, facilities, walkable trails, picnic tables, pavilions, and so on. The park has the Phoenix zoo, the Garden of the Desert, and the Hole-in-the-wall. That is what I went for. It did not disappoint. Amazing views and I was there on a perfectly gorgeous day. Highly recommend.

Love this park!! Hiking up to the hole in the rock isn't that steep or hard and you can sit and enjoy a beautiful view of the valley.

I visit Phoenix at least 2-3 times per year, and I always do at least one outdoorsy activity while visiting the area. I decided to check out Papago Park on my most recent visit, which was highly recommended by a close friend. This park get DIAMONDS for: - Beautiful plants and water features - Wildlife - Plentiful, multi-use trails - Cleanliness - Serenity - Scenic overlooks - Panoramic views - Ample parking - Convenient location - Multigenerational accessibility Unfortunately, there is a lot of visible wire fencing in some sections of the park that adds a certain coldness to the park, preventing it from being a complete urban oasis.

This is a great park to visit if you want to experience the natural desert landscape without going to the middle of nowhere. Papago park is accessible by light rail. The park features a variety of interesting topography. Sprawling desert, lush oasis, rocky peaks. I've seen lots of wildlife in the park. Turtles, herring, lot's of prairie dogs, little lizards, fish, song birds. There are a few great look out spots. I recommend good shoes. Especially if you are wanting to climb up on the rock features. Papago also contains the Phoenix Zoo, Papago sports complex, Papago golf course and the highly rated Botanic Gardens. There is a frisbee gulf course and a few dirt bike paths, covered picnic areas scattered throughout. And a pathed canal bike path that extends from Tempe to Scottsdale.

Must see for a sunset! Surprisingly super crowded on a Monday night, we had to park at the last parking lot available and had quite a bit of a walk to the hole in rock. At first I thought there was graffiti on the rock but everything on it is a person. Maybe get there 20 mins before sunset for a good comfortable spot for you to sit on (we got there 5 mins before), but the view is mostly the same from any spot!

This place is such a beauty!! Nice views, pretty red pebbles and dirt, great way to catch the sunset!

This park is a wonderful gem of a park. It is one of the better red rock parks that I have visited. It is located by the zoo and has tons of parking available in different areas. The park is massive, spanning 1,500 acres. It is home to two attractions, Hole in the Rock and Hunt's Tomb. You will also find some nice hiking trails, fishing lagoons, picnic shelters, a restroom facility with a couple of vending machines. there is also a very small playground area with a small slide, and a turtle and snack to climb on. The park is jointly managed by Phoenix and Tempe. Originally, the park was created as a reservation for the local Maricopa and Pima tribes of Native Americans in 1879. The park has also served as a POW camp, a VA hospital, and a fish hatchery. I recommend bringing your own water to this park, as there are limited fountains and it gets kind of hot. It is free to visit this park and you can spend hours here. It is a very picturesque park. There were a couple of photo shoots going on around the lagoon while I was there. The lagoon is stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish, tilapia, and carp. The park is near the Hall of Flame Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Papago Sports Complex, and the Papago Golf Course, so ,making a day trip including your visit here is very easy. The park is very well maintained, but being a nature, red rock, makes it not too maintenance intensive. I visited the park during a weekday and it was hot, and did not have many visitors. I am sure that this is not the case during the weekends though, atleast the visitor part. I am sure that it is still hot. I really, really like this park. It is amazing and unique. It is easily accesible. I cannot tell you how picturesque it is. It also has a very peaceful vibe about it. I highly recommend checking this park out. You can easily make a half to full day of it.