Carefree Desert Gardens — Attraction in Carefree

Not really a “Botanical Garden”. More like a mini walking path and kids park. We were hoping for a larger garden as it advertised 4 acres, but we didn’t see that being true. It’s pet friendly with a few spots for dogs to do their business with pet cleanup bags. There’s a tiny kids playground, which is fine for probably 6-8 kids. There’s also a book nook for reading, plenty of spaces to sit down and relax while in the shopping center. The auditorium and stage next door did have some nice bluegrass music playing nearby, I think a speaker system that’s wired over to the play park area would be cool. Nothing much to see, but that’s my review. And yes, it’s free...

If you enter from the Hampton Inn side of the Sundial Plaza, that will provide the easiest and quickest access. There's plenty of parking in the plaza, but it does get busy. As for the garden, it was mostly concrete paths- and it's a pretty small area that you can see in under 2 minutes. It's marked by a brick wall and a tall fountain spouting water down. There's a sundial and numbered tiled stone circles, and alongside it some desert plants scattered around. Nearby is a splash pad and some stone seating areas, and further ahead is the Sundial Park (another small green area in the midst...

Small but nice. Especially nice is the su dial with the time instruction. Day before Eastern Sunday, Care Free has beautiful weather and the desert is blooming. Nearby Spanish village is cute. Walked by the older building with antique shops which is a sharp contrast to the newer buildings and the architecture style of the botanical garden. Hope those old buildings will not be torn down so that the area showcases the evolution...