Love this place and the wilderness vibes. There’s a little pond with turtles and ducks that my daughter loves. Serene wooded trails along the river/ wetland area. Plenty of chill spots to relax in nature on benches. There is almost an eerie vibe going into the trails, it scared my daughter at least but I could see why.I found some devils trumpet flowers growing down here which are poisonous, hallucinogenic and delirients, but also beautiful and smell lovely. I found some Ephedra growing down there which is like natural pseudoephedrine.There are also a lot of homeless that hang around here, it’s secluded and peaceful so I can’t blame them and haven’t had any trouble. But it’s something to be aware of.

Lot of wildlife like frogs, birds, turtles. There are ponds to fish aswell as a steam that runs east to west. And dont forget the different types of plant life. Its definitely a place to check out.

This is a great place to visit in the middle of the city. Lots of trees and walking trails. It can be hot in the middle of summer, so take lots of water with you. Ive lived here in Phoenix most of my life and I had no idea this place was here. I hope to walk more the trails once the weather starts to cool. Like any place, be wary of your surroundings.

If you are looking for a swift Excursion that gives you a breath of fresh air and a hint of green among the desert of Arizona, especially within the City of Phoenix then this park may be an option for you to consider. Yes, it has trails that meander among waterways, splashed with bits of artwork, derelict pieces of concrete artistically displayed, and the occasional camping site that may have been used by some poor soul who is looking for their new fix of the day. Nature clings to this place in every possible way whether it is the critters that live under rocks, birds in the trees, Denisons clamber between the brush and the odd family walking about. Take a stroll here Release Yourself; get away from the tall buildings and the landscape that was pre-prescribed by some artist who never took a Horticultural class.

Beautiful place to take a walk in the early morning. Did pickup some trash with a friend and her son. Doing our part to keep it clean.

For starters I lost my dog she was gone 2 days we saw a ranger who was extremely helpful and drove down by the river all the way to tempe looking for them another one took some flyers to pass out we did end up finding her thank god! Its much cleaner than before a lot of homeless hang out around there but I dont mind they arent rude or interrupting anything

Very nice public park area with trails, wildlife, vegetation, and natural and nan made water sources.

Had some time to kill, so I thought I would take my baby and dogs for stroll here. I was only out of the car for about ten minutes when I decided it didnt feel safe/wasnt a smart decision to be there by myself with my baby and dogs.Curious what others have experienced here, but I did not get a good vibe at all.

Quiet and clean ...saw rabbits and ducks...plenty of trees and trails

Very nice park. Would recommend to all parents who have kids homeless about 8

IT NO LONGER LOOKS LIKE THAT PHOTO. NEEDS ALOT OF ATTENTION THE WATER IN THE FRONT POND IS GREEN FROM ALGAE THE WATERFALL IS NO LONGER DUE TO ITS SOURCE BEING CUT OFF. IT LOOKS DESOLATE THERE VERY SAD

This is a very lovely area, but it seems that there is quite a bit more trash building up then there has been in the past.

This is a favorite of mine, however, they’re hours of being open are very misleading, says they are open until 7 pm that’s a lie.I have a lot of pictures confirming it’s a lie to make matters worse they’re hours of operation are inconsistent sometimes it’ll be open until 5pm, sometimes 5:15pm, 5:30 pm, 5:40pm, and so on what I can tell you for sure is they close way before 6pm so don’t bother going anytime after 5 the gates will be closed.I have a feeling it’s the park rangers not Honoring the actual hrs of operation,but what can you do, I tried calling their number listed on their website to no avail.

This place is super low key and extremely beautiful. a lot of trash tho...

There is alot of people living on the property, parking their cars during the open hours, it makes it hard not to look over your shoulder. This was a leak in the irrigation hose. That a lot of water was lost. That means the parks maintenance people do not walk out on the trail. Old shoes garbage on the property. Makes me sad. They dont keep it clean.

My ducks!!! Thats what I love. That and the fact that people leave you alone. But honestly, my ducks are my #1 reason for loving this park. When they see our truck or hear us call their names they literally come waddling as fast as their little webbed feet will allow. And I swear to you theyre just like dogs in that their tailfeathers are just moving side to side. They wag their behinds when they see us, follow us when we try and leave and literally all have theyre own personalities. This park is amazing because of them!

Great little place to get some exercise by yourself or with the family. There was a few ducks and birds around. It’s actually quite expansive! I even got turned around and couldn’t figure out which direction the parking lot was, so maybe another sign or two that directs people to main parking lot would be good. But overall great lil oasis. The constant airplanes overhead are just part of the city life. I was loving the positive paintings raising environmental awareness, and so humbled and saddened by how much trash was in the river. But unfortunately that was from the amount of storm water we received recently. Still was a great demonstration and example of how far too many adults and their offspring are littering way too much, but also systematically we need better solutions on the enormous amount of trash we create in this country that NEVER goes away I.e. plastics

Has a good path for strollers but I also like the waterfall

The place I visited was at a different location, however, this place is amazing. Rio Salado used to be just a big river. Over time the City of phoenix has improved this wonderful area into a hiking, biking, picnicking beautiful place to visit. This is a good place for gathering with family or just sitting there and having lunch. No fire permitted. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. There is a cement pond filled with turtles ducks and fish, plenty of trees and shade. Plenty of parking and restrooms. This park is located just south of University on South Central Avenue. Opened from dusk to dawn.There is an asphalt path that runs from 7th Avenue all the way down past 24th Street and it is landscaped in a desert Style Garden where you will catch glimpses of prairie dogs quail butterflies and more. This Wildlife preservation is vital to our ecosystem. Its really worth the trip down, wherever you live in Arizona, just to enjoy a secluded quiet place where you can enjoy nature at its best. This wonderful park is one to experience. Its definitely worth 5 stars. And best of all its free!

Amazing and fun place!!! The rangers are awesome!! 12/10 recommend!!!

Great place to hike, weather youre a seasoned hiker or have never been before, this is the place to go! Lots of wildlife and beautiful plants! Great for families and pets.

Love bike riding the trails here. Now that they have connected the trails you can ride all the way from Phoenix to Tempe. Great ride out past the airport. I usually park at Central Avenue and ride.

Super chill and beautiful scenery. Perfect escape from the industrial area nearby

This place is really nice to go to with the family. I wish there was a little more water, bit there is a beautiful small water fall. There is also a nice view to sit and eat a snack under the shade.

Went to for a photo session and the area was sad and deserted. No type of Habitat Restoration going on here.

Quiet. Explorable. Back to nature. I enjoy it when I need out of the city for a moment, without driving far. A unique spot for Phoenix. Reminds me more of home up north.

It’s nice to find a place that makes you feel like your in the middle of no where. A few sketchy people but not to bad.

The reservation is beautiful, however I wish people wouldnt leave so much trash laying around, its kinda sad

To many homless people cool rocks tho

Due to location... They have made a really nice place to enjoy.... Short walks or a good hike. A variety of natures creatures an vegetation... The little waterfall was a gift for the soul.

Cool place to see nature and just hike

Very peaceful and quiet, usually kept clean. Its also not far from where i work at all so i usually walk to work during the sunrise.

I love bridges structures, this is the perfect place to see bridges, there is also a downtown owls at the canal it was beautiful to see that, its a nice long walk, good to run or ride the bicycle.

Its very pretty, even at this time of year. I was surprised to find a little waterfall stream in Central Phoenix. Im looking forward to exploring the area more.

This is a very peaceful place to go when youre in need of a walk or time alone! Its my favorite place to go during the sunrise because its just so pretty!

Great, easy hiking trails and lots of diversity in flora and fauna. I love taking my dog here or riding my bike on the trails

We love this place, its a nice place to visit with kids. You can feed the ducks and fish, and see rabbits and quails.

Great place to chill and walk, but lots of places someone could hide... Always be aware of your surroundings!

I come here with my wife and daughter and they love it they like seeing the lil animals and the waterfall looking for pretty rocks its nice a quite great place for a walk

Such peaceful area to take the dogs to take there morning dumps

This is a beautiful place or trying to conserve or save however you put it I dont know how the word that. Its beautiful and there is monarch butterflies which is something you dont see very often and I saw a little waterfall at least thats what they called it is more like a little stream rushing over a few rocks but it was all very pretty nice place to go in Phoenix and see a little wilderness

Awesome great scenery

Nice place to visit

Beautiful riparian walking and biking trails

I love this place to explore and enjoy with people of all ages. I do some jogging with my husband, for training. I understand that most of the trash from the streets of around the city ends up on the river during raining or monsoon season, I encourage you instead of complaining always carry a bag an pick up some of the trash that is on your waythat is what we do. Lets keep exploring

Its just the trail head but it does have some nice ponds with fish in them

Beautiful scenery and places to take pics

Very nice relaxing place to eat your lunch on the car and watch the ducks and birds

Great place for a walk. It is noisy. Lots of airplanes flying over. They do have water and it is green and pretty.

Peaceful waterfall. Trees in PHX! Great birds and butterflies. A unique place.

Be careful here, theres homeless people installed in the bathrooms, and dont wander off the trails

Smells a lil funk .. fake waterfall ..

Park is kept pretty clean. People take lots of pictures here. Not usually a lot of people.

Looked for the waterfall but found nothing. Lovely sunset though.

It is a pretty place..and yes there may be homeless people here sometimes. But maybe ask ourselves how to prevent homelessness instead nof saying . They should go somewhere else?

Perfect little getaway between South Mountain and Down Town Phoenix

I came here by myself to explore and there was nary a soul and it was too quiet. It seemed a bit sketchy. Also, right by the restrooms, there were quite a few homeless men.The first part of the trail was nice. Ducks were floating around in a body of water surrounded by an elevated concrete border. After that, you were walking along the river where more homeless men were scattered about. To me, it didnt feel so safe so I turned back and headed out.

Cool place to walk dogs or bike ride. Lots of allergy inducing pollen during this time though so keep that it mind.

Its sad to see a beautiful place that is fell with trash me and my friends were trying to clean it up but it was to much

Not as pretty as I expected when I saw the pictures but my little dog enjoyed it anyway :)

Nice place to come and walk, lots of trails including to enjoy with friends

I love coming here! Its really a hidden gem of phoenix. So beautiful and I love seeing the different wildlife.

Quiet and calming. Dead fish though.

Theres alot of sketchy folks around the park but its a great location to hike.

The restoration area needs to be restored. Destroyed by awful humans

Beautiful area for nature walks in the middle of the city

Great walking trail. Needs more shade. Very peaceful

Peaceful walk along the Salt River

Its pretty but its got trash here and there. When you walk under the bridge theres signs of squatters and it stinks.

Nice trails. Pokemon and watfall.

Really cool spot to hike and see wildlife.

Nice and quiet and peaceful and beautiful

Mosquitos are horribly abundant and the weeds were covering mossy of the pathways

This is a very lovely place to visit and enjoy the views, habitat, and the tranquility. The park is open till dusk, and the park ranger will try to make you move your vehicle Prince its closed. If you can stay till after sundown it is spectacular. Ive seen a number of families gathering for pictures. Seeing them all dressed up with the park as their background. It made me feel good seeing that take place. The female visitors should be weary for there are a number of transients about. Most are harmless but please be cautious.

I did not get to spend much time there. I need to go back to explore

It was ok. I figured for the drive from AJ, it would have been more impressive. You couldnt read the information signs, there wasnt much to see...we were actually quite bored.

What a beautiful place for a nice stroll with a loved one! I loved helping clean the trash up with keep nature wild!!

Fun place to explore with the kids

The place is nice but has an overwhelming amount of trash and camps left by homeless people. Also its a campsite for the homeless so wouldnt recommend going alone.

Beautiful hidden location! Just had our wedding photoshoot and this place was just amazing.

I found this place one Spring Morning in April of 2007. It was such an incredible day that this park made a tremendous lasting impression on me. This park is huge and runs from 7th Ave to 16th St along the Salt River bed. The city has spent the past 25 years restoring the area to the original Wetlands that was the Phoenix Valley when Rio Salado was a powerfully flowing river. To this day I go as much as possible. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Nice place to walk and see wildlife lots of qail, rabits, ducks and koi in the pond really nice

This was a perfect spot to get away to on my lunch break to relax and just chill.

This was an experienced I will never forget, a wild park in the middle of the city Phoenix, I saw a giant butterfly fly toured me, a little creek clear water, well this group come over every month and cleand the park, trimmed the trees, a refreshing experience come over

By far the most convenient place to bird-watch living in downtown Phoenix. Its always sad to see the amount of trash that piles up here, but luckily for me and my Birds and Beers Meetups group, the wildlife doesnt seem to mind as much as I do. Always a fantastic sighting on each outing, we got to see the Great Horned Owl and Belted Kingfisher today (and many more).

This could be such a beautiful area if the City of Phoenix would get off their tails and clean it up or even organize some kind of a public clean up I would be there there. It is a great natural resource to have in the downtown area almost like a little Central Park right in the middle of Phoenix. Such a shame its being wasted as a garbage dump and campsite for the homeless ridiculous. This area should be patrolled cleaned and developed with regularity its such a waste. Get your act together Phoenix

Very nice place

Nice place to walk around

Beautiful place to be with family

A beautiful gem in the heart of the city. Sometimes the Salt River still flows well.

Nice easy hike.

Great place walk hike bike ride

Love one of the most amazingly beautiful places to go. Especially for the kids

Not certain what habitat theyre trying to restore here under the Central Avenue bridge unless its trash-strewn homeless habitat. There is rarely any water in this section of the Salt River bed at any time of the year and hardly any wildlife to reside in this so-called restored habitat. Phoenix should be ashamed of itself. Not sure what goes on in the nice shiny new Nina Mason Audubon Center, but theres no evidence of anything noticeably related to conservation. Be sure to check the visitors center out before you make your next donation to the Audubon Society. You may think twice about getting up off of those hard-earned dollars.

Good place for family pictures.

Nice place to walk. There isnt shade on the trails. So bring a hat and water. The area after the big pond is still being improved and there isnt much to see. Its nice to see that they are working on it and giving people options to bike and walk along the trail.

A nice park great for biking, jogging, and hiking. The park is 600 acres that runs from 19th Avenue to 16th Street on lower Buckeye. Not many people use the paved pathways. Visitors are mostly concentrated at the Central Avenue entrance along the trailheads. The lack of visitors is probably due to most people not knowing about the park. Also it could be due to South Phoenix being heavily industrial. The park does have an issue with trash around the central entrance on the N side of the salt River. The rest of the park is mostly free of trash and debris. I enjoy the view of the Salt River along the dirt trails and the paved pathways. I saw maybe a couple of exotic birds but thats it. On the pathways I spotted a couple of cottontails. I think lower Buckeye needs more development in the area to lure more visitors. As there is probably a constant fear of South Phoenix. I do encourage others to visit the park regardless. I recommend The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration for families, couples, and individuals. Come on out and enjoy this desert Oasis two miles south of downtown Phoenix.

Great place to take pictures in spring, not nice in the winter or fall.

It was cool very pretty place and it is peacefully.

I would love to give it a TEN its very nice, and l do mean nice, just need to fix that restroom area, real SPOOKY Scarey!(Closed), Its a lookout point, but otherwise the park is nice, a trail run thru that restroom area also!, Look out for the homeless sometime too in the Park area. Park Rangers be patrolling ok!