Maricopa County Parks

ALT Maricopa County Parks and Recreation graphic celebrating National Take a Hike Day on Tuesday, November 17, 2026. A map of the Maricopa Trail appears on the left, with event details on a navy blue background on the right. The graphic announces that day-use entry fees will be waived at all Maricopa County regional parks, although additional fees may still apply.

ALT Navy blue and orange Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Eco-Blitz graphic titled “Costa's Hummingbird.” A circular photo shows a hummingbird resting in a small nest among tree branches. Fun fact: Hummingbirds can have heart rates of up to 500 beats per minute at rest and 1,260 beats per minute during activity. Photo credit: Nohel Alfredo Martinez Armenderes, iNaturalist.

ALT Military Service Appreciation Day - November 11. The day-use entry fee for all Maricopa County regional parks will be waived for active and retired military personnel.

ALT Graphic featuring a close-up photo of a desert blonde tarantula. Text shares an Eco-Blitz fun fact that females can live more than 25 years, often in the same burrow, and can flick irritating hairs from their abdomen toward predators as a defense. Official Maricopa County Parks & Recreation logo at the bottom.

ALT Turkey Vulture graphic featuring a photo of the bird perched on a branch and a fun fact stating that Turkey Vultures have a wingspan of five to six feet.

ALT Promotional graphic for Maricopa County Parks & Recreation seed pellet workshops. The collage shows participants making and displaying seed pellets, including a group hiking in a desert landscape and tables covered with finished pellets. Workshop details: Cave Creek Regional Park on September 18, 8–11:30 a.m. - https://signup.com/go/yCxtVev Usery Mountain Regional Park on October 2, 8–11:30 a.m. - https://signup.com/go/dvcpZyy The graphic includes the tagline, “Planting seeds for the future!”

ALT Graphic titled “Arizona Bark Scorpion” featuring a close-up photo of a bark scorpion on rocks. Text reads: “Did you know bark scorpions have superpowers? They have strong pincers, a venomous sting, and they glow under UV light. What’s more super than that?” Photo credit: iNaturalist, Julian Fuchs.

ALT A black-and-white-banded Common Kingsnake curled in a person's hands, with a fun fact explaining that kingsnakes can hiss and vibrate their tails among dry leaves to mimic rattlesnakes, even though they are nonvenomous. The Maricopa County Parks & Recreation logo appears at the bottom.

ALT White-winged dove perched on a blooming cactus with bright red flowers in the Sonoran Desert, featured in a Maricopa County Parks Eco-Blitz educational graphic.

ALT Blue and orange graphic citing a Palo Verde Tree fun fact with a photo of yellow Palo Verde flowers and text explaining they act as nurse plants that provide shade and protection for young saguaro cacti.

ALT A graphic that announces that invasive species treatment will take place in the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, February 23 - 27, 2026. The Spur Cross, Metate, Fairy Duster, and Dragonfly Trails will be impacted as crews treat for invasive grasses, Stinknet, and Invasive Perennials such as Mustards, Thistles, etc. Treatment methods include Foliar Spot Application Herbicide Treatment.

ALT Male (black feathers) Phainopepla with red eyes perched on a Mesquite tree branch. Photo taken by Michael Smith. The orange box below the photo contains the text "Phainopeplas can imitate the calls of twelve other species, including red-tailed hawks and the northern flicker."

ALT Invasive species treatment February 23 through March 5 along Casey Abbott Drive, the Nature Center, and the wash area behind the facility. Avoid the area during this time.

ALT Invasive Species Treatment at McDowell Mtn. Regional Park graphic featuring an orange cluster of grass representing invasive species at the top.

ALT Flyer - Crack seal operations will continue in White Tank Mountain Regional Park, the Waddell area, and on roads west of Loop 303 near Glendale, January 30 through February 5, to help extend pavement life and improve roadway conditions.

ALT Volante – Las operaciones de sellado de grietas continuarán en White Tank Mountain Regional Park, el área de Waddell y en carreteras al oeste del Loop 303, cerca de Glendale, del 30 de enero al 5 de febrero, para mejorar las condiciones del pavimento.