Phoenix: City of Beautiful Parks

Phoenix' fame for beautiful parks may soon surpass its current reputation as the "Swimming Pool Capital of the World." A long-range program of park development envisions a vast network of scenic recreational areas and playgrounds to meet the needs of the one million people, which crystal ball experts predict will inhabit this sprawling desert metropolis by 1980.

The City of Phoenix already is well on the way toward its 1980 goal, with such magnificent play areas as South Mountain Park, 14,817 acres of desert mountain terrain reputed to be the largest municipal-owned park in the world; Papago Park, 1,176 acres that is fast becoming one of the most beautiful and complete city recreational areas in the nation; and ever-popular Encanto Park, with its palm-fringed canals, frolicking kids, bandshell and golf courses that each year attract added throngs of young and old.

The National Recreation Association recommends that cities provide one acre of park for every two hundred persons in order to maintain balanced community life. Phoenix today is keeping abreast of this pace despite the fact that it is the fastest growing city of its size in the nation!

Phoenix parks range in size from the huge preserve at South Mountain to small ovals under one-half acre. There are approximately forty-three park areas of significance, plus several special areas and countless numbers

BY ROBERT B. WHITAKER

of tiny sites that break the monotonous flow of stereotyped tract developments.

Let's take a look at some of the more spectacular parks in Phoenix by starting off with the giant of them all, South Mountain Park.

This mammoth city park is unique not only because of its size but in the type of terrain. The park preserves an entire mountain in its natural state, with roadways and trails leading to picnic areas, ramadas and scenic overlooks.

One twisting stretch of asphalt climbs to the summit of Mount Suppoa where visitors obtain a breathtaking

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"NIGHT VIEW OF PHOENIX FROM SOUTH MOUNTAIN PARK" This photograph was taken from South Mountain Park, overlooking Phoenix. The city itself, as night approaches, appears below like a jeweled carpet. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; 210mm Symmar (360mm TeleXenar for exposure of moon) lens; September.

EXOTIC ROCK FORMATIONS...and FUN FOR EVERYONE

panoramic view of Phoenix and the surrounding mountains and desert. At night, the lights of the city spread out like a colorful Navajo rug beneath the twinkling stars in the desert sky. During daylight hours, you can count a dozen separate mountain ranges and the story goes that before the days of metropolitan haze you often could see the snow-capped crest of the San Francisco Peaks. There are more than three hundred specimens of plant life growing within the mountain park. In a drive up the winding summit road, you can see most of the plants native to the desert. These include the saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, rainbow and pin cushion cacti, together with the demon of the desert, the cholla. Visitors also see an abundance of palo verde trees, ocotillo, century plants and mesquite the favored charcoal wood for broiling Western steaks. Scenic hiking trails and bridle paths wrap around the towering mountain creating an atmosphere of wilderness within sight of one of the largest cities in the country. The preservation of South Mountain as a natural park assures future generations of a place where they will have continued public access to one of the most commanding views any city possesses. There is a twenty-five cent fee per car required to enter the park, but this permits the visitors full use of the picnic ramadas, playground equipment and other facilities. Last year, a grand total of 737,190 people toured the rocky expanse of South Mountain Park. Papago Park is perhaps the most spectacular recreational area of all. This scrambled mixture of rugged desert buttes and sandy draws was passed along by the Federal Government to the State of Arizona following World War II, and later went to the City of Phoenix. It remained largely undeveloped for several years, enjoyed only by a few outdoor-lovers who appreciated the beauty of this rolling land flanking the eastern edge of the city. Then, as bond funds became available, the Parks and Recreation Department moved in with an ambitious program of development. With the program still in its initial stage, there today is a new 18-hole golf course, beautiful picnic ramadas, horseback trails, refreshing lakes, together with an adjoining botanical garden, a zoo, and nearby the fabulous Legend City amusement park styled after California's Disneyland. Immediately to the south of Papago Park is the spanking-new Phoenix Municipal Stadium, a masterpiece of design that will house the San Francisco Giants during spring training. Papago Park combines exotic rock formations in a natural desert environment with the suburban needs for a golf course, water recreation and the organized amusement demanded by a booming population. Although Encanto Park is the oldest of the large parks, it nevertheless continues to be the most popular. More than one million visits were paid to the main Encanto park area and the two golf courses - a shortened 9-hole version and an 18-hole course during the past year. The outstanding attraction at Encanto Park is the meandering canal that furnishes fishing for youngsters, canoeing and a place for others to take leisure bank-side strolls. Beautiful Encanto adds a novel touch of serenity to the barren desert. Two other large parks also are destined for popularity in growing Phoenix. North Mountain Park, with main access at the head of Seventh Street, is already becoming a popular picnic and hiking area. The mountainous reservation contains 275 acres of largely undeveloped land. Squaw Peak Park is almost entirely undeveloped as it awaits more funds and the pressures of an exploding population to bring on improvements. The 546-acre region is currently the playground for exploring-type citizens who enjoy mountain climbing along precipitous trails to the craggy peak where they can gaze out on what many consider the most sensational view of outstretched Phoenix. The remaining parks are scattered throughout the city in a pattern that places a majority of citizens in proximity to a neighborhood recreational area. Included