I was right in the heart of Phoenix and the only day that I had to explore was the same day that I had the concert (which was my entire reason for wanting to go to Phoenix). Unfortunately, this meant I couldn’t drive more than a half-hour away from my AirBnB, so my opportunities for hikes were pretty bleak. That said, I did make a quick jaunt to Papago Park. This park was truthfully a bit disappointing because it’s highly industrialized without much nature. It was tough to get a single shot that didn’t have a street light, road, or power line in it. This was disappointing but understandable.

It was also considerably crowded, even in the early afternoon on a weekday, so that was a bummer, too. I was practically battling crowds at a few points just to get through, which isn’t really the experience I want when I’m trying to get a solid nature experience. However, again, I totally understand this as it isn’t exactly a secluded park and it isn’t off the beaten path like most parks that I visit when I’m on vacation. I was limited in my options, here, so crowds and signs of human development are all to be expected when I’m under these circumstances.

So, all of that being in mind, this was overall a pretty nice park. It was clean and pleasant, with some nice views of the city and distant mountains. I got a couple of photos, though once again it was hard to get a decent shot here. I wouldn’t come to this park with photography in mind, at least not during the busier times of day, but there were still some decent enough views.

When I return to Arizona in the future, I’ll be sure to book an extra day so that I can go farther from the city to experience the sights beyond Phoenix, as Papago Park just didn’t quite do it for me.