I decided to take the grandkids on a hike along New River between Sun City and Peoria this morning. Turned out to be a great walk in the river bed and the kids really had a lot of fun. We had several choices on our side of town and we decided to try the one that was flowing with a little water from the rains a couple of days ago.
Enjoying a Cool Walk in The Water
There are three rivers that meander through the west side of Phoenix and they end up in the Salt River just south of Interstate 10. All three of the rivers are seeing some development as recreational areas as a result of agreements made some fifteen years ago.
The companies that remove gravel and rock from the river beds are responsible to reestablish the central waterway and a flood plane along each river. They have to establish a stable bank and permanent hiking trails along the banks. As a result of these agreements, there will soon be over a hundred miles of trails along the three rivers with improved flood plains and several public parks along the way.
We took off from Thunderbird and 91st Avenue where there is a park on the north side of Thunderbird Road. We went South and followed the river which went from only five or six inches in depth to as much as fifteen inches deep. The hiking trails were sometimes on top of the banks along residential areas and then would gradually make their way to the river side and sometimes cross to the other side. The trails were all paved and in good condition. We saw people riding bikes and walking their dogs and occasionally wading in the water.
Two miles south along the river where the river crosses under Peoria Avenue the hiking trail moves to the top of the bank and then crosses Peoria Avenue at a signal light. The parking lot at the shopping center is a great place to leave your car while you are heading either north or south along New River.
This turned out to be a lot of fun for us and we’ll be out again in a couple of weeks to try out some of the other trails along the river banks.
Be sure to let us know about the trails you discover on the weekends out with your family.
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