White Tank Mountain Regional Park, Phoenix
White Tank Mountain Park, in the west Valley community of Waddell, is a great place to take the kids. Hike, bike and horseback ride on more than 25 miles (40 km) of shared use trails. Test your mountain biking skills on 10 miles (16 km) of competitive track or your backcountry competence on an overnight pack trip. Take a leisurely hay wagon ride or horseback trail ride. Gaze at an 80-foot (24 meter) waterfall and observe Hohokam Indian rock art (petroglyphs) along Waterfall Trail. Circle through a Hohokam village site on the Black Rock Trail and play archaeologist for the day. Take part in a ranger led program and, in addition to discovering the meaning behind the name, introduce kids to the flora, fauna and history of this 30,000-acre Maricopa County Park.
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Getting there
Situated in the west Valley community of Waddell, White Tank Mountain Park is accessible from Olive Avenue. Take I-10 west to Hwy 303 north. Go west on Olive Avenue for 4 miles to the park entrance.
Getting around
Park trails, ranging in length and difficulty, are multi-use - hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding - unless otherwise designated. The 0.5-mile (0.8 km) short loop Black Rock Trail and 0.4-mile (0.65 km) Waterfall Trail to Petroglyph Plaza are family favorites. Both are hard surface and barrier-free. The 10-mile (16 km) competitive track (multi-use) is for serious mountain bikers. The track is high-speed and strenuous. Detailed topographical trail maps are available online in PDF.
Opening hours
The park is open 6:00-20:00 Monday through Friday, 6:00-22:00 Saturday and Sunday year-round. Events from ranger led walks to ranger led talks are scheduled throughout the year.
Fees
A day use fee is charged per vehicle unless you are traveling on foot, bike or horse in which case the fee is per person. Camping and horseback riding are charged separately.
Contact details
Telephone +1 (623) 935 2505. Email to whitetankpark@mail.maricopa.gov.
Things to keep in mind
Carry plenty of water and wear sunscreen. At nearly 10,000 years old, the rock-art is delicate. Do not touch or make rubbings of the petroglyphs. Picnicking and camping are possible within the park. A permit is required for overnight backpacking. Horseback riding is operated independently by White Tanks Riding Stables.
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