Dreamy Draw Recreation Area — Attraction in Phoenix

I dropped by on a rainy day. Things cleared up for a sec so I was able to stop by for a quick hike. It was definitely worth the view! 🥾⛰️📸 🌧️☁️🌦️☁️🌧️ Dreamy Draw Park sits off Northern Avenue and State Route 51. It’s a desert landscape with sprawling hills, steep mountains and secluded valleys.  Did you know Dreamy Draw was a name residents coined in the early 20th century to describe the area where miners spent long and arduous day? “It was said that the miners in this area would leave and be in a dreamy state so they were coming back from the Dreamy Draw," said John Southard, a Phoenix-area historian.

That’s because of what the miners were looking for. Southard said miners here began digging for copper in 1916. But instead, discovered a significant amount of cinnabar. That’s a mineral that’s processed down to extract mercury — which was a commodity at a time when a world war was raging. “In fact, mercury is a neurotoxin and working with mercury can have some very interesting effects on people. If you were to be in a mine shaft or working with materials, processing it, things like that, it is entirely likely that it could have an impact on your health and state of mind," Southard said.

Despite its value at the time, this area produced fewer than a hundred 76-pound flasks of mercury. Mining operations shut down in the 1940s. By the late 1980s, the government decided to build a highway. When the area was surveyed for construction, mining equipment was found...

This was a great place to hike. It had one parking lot that we saw coming in from Northern which was kind of small for such a huge park but thankfully it was only half full. There are LOTS of trails to take and a huge map at the beginning of the main trail to show you the set up. I liked the paved sidewalk than ran along the 51 freeway and all of the trails branched off that. Lots of bikes on the trails, runners as well, there's lots of options for hiking the trails. Most trails are pretty moderate and some trails go straight to the top of the mountain. I'll definitely go back to check out more trails. Not sure if they still do night hikes, but we took one years ago with ranger there,. Looked for various reptiles and spiders....

I have been hiking this park for years. Bikes and horses are welcome here and there are more trails than you can hike in a week. Trails range in difficulty from a stroll in the desert, to a strenuous cardio work out. Plenty of parking, including horse trailers. Only one water fountain and bathroom at the. Parking area, so bring your own water if you are taking a long hike. A less known benefit of the park is a large storm drain that allows hikers to easily cross under SR-51 to the less used part of the Preserve to the north (you'll find it a short distance to the NE of the...