Rio Salado Trail — Attraction in Phoenix

Located in between downtown Phoenix and South Mountain is the Rio Salado trail. In fact, there are several trails here that parallel the Salt River. The trail you pick will depend on your activity. The paved trails are ideal for bikes, but the closer you get to the river the rockier it becomes. Either way, if you wear comfortable sturdy hiking shoes, you should be OK. The river itself is pretty modest in size, not too wide, not too deep, or fast. If you were expecting the Rapids of the Colorado or the Mighty Mississippi, the Salt River at this location and this time of year is not for you. The hikes here are actually pretty nice. On the day and time that I went, the air was cool, crisp, and envigorating. Like I said before, the trail is rocky so watch your step. There are sections that are flat, so enjoy the sounds of the river and the birds, and in time your thoughts will drift into nothingness. Overall, a great place to spend an hour or two. Check...

If you’ve got a few hours to kill or a family who wants to get out and explore some of Central or central South Phoenix stay away from this place! Phoenix may have had a good idea at the beginning, but this is a park that has become overrun by homeless and Drug users. The park is apparently no longer being maintained as the weeds are now above 6 feet in height, and all of the vegetation is crispy or dead. As far as restrooms go you’ll have to fight off or stand in line behind the homeless or washing their clothes and sleeping in front of it. On the bright side, there’s plenty of parking including two...

The area wasn’t safe and definitely not worth the birding experience I went there for. No one else was on the main trail at 7:30am on a Wednesday or the lower North Terrace trail, which was littered with trash and vacant encampments. There was a group of houseless men set up at one of the shade pavilions who were harmless, but I walked past a man under the 7th street bridge who had a gun and heard gunshots earlier on my walk. Maybe the area has more foot and bike traffic at other times but I wouldn’t advise going here alone without more...