Steele Indian School Park — Attraction in Phoenix

Update: 5/2018 Water from the water fountain was extremely cold and refreshing, considering the weather.

What a hidden treasure in the midst of downtown Phoenix, accessible by the Metro Light Rail and plenty of parking. From the outside of Central and Indian School Rd, this place looks like one coveted by none. But go behind those gates and one is immediately transported to another time and another place! Not only is Steele Indian School park a place for relaxtion, but it is a Historical place on the map the holds so much value to the Native Americans of Arizona, and one everyone ought to visit and learn much.

I passed this place for over a year and always wondered why it was called a park, when I never saw the gates open and I certainly never saw children there. I only learned more about this gem due to my intrigue of my first Native American parade last year. I intended to not only watch the parade, but hang out where it ended which was Steele Indian School Park.

I was blown out of my mind with all that I saw. This is such a lovely compound graced with beautiful landscape to relax any relieve any weary soul. This place is well cared for and well monitored. There is so much land to that one has to take time to trek it little by little to get a taste of everything. There is so much water that surrounds one on this property. It's simply amazing! There is a little wildlife to observe as well. (Warnings are out for coyotes).

Natural, historical, and photo lovers alike will enjoy this place. One can hike, explore, fish, walk, jog, bike (gridbikes available for rent), or rest. There is also a huge children park at the back, and further back are two dog parks. One for larger dogs and another for small dogs. How precious to even consider our four-legged friends. There are also two bathrooms around the park, and I believe some are located inside he newly opened building as well. (The one bathroom I saw was fairly clean. I could not take a picture for the privacy purposes.)

Winter and summertime has it's own looks. During the summertime I saw beautiful red and white roses blossoming everywhere. I did not even know roses grew in Arizona!😍 All over the park there are water fountains should one get thirsty, though I dare say carry your own water bottle.

If one pays attention to the first building that greet you inside the park from the veteran hospital side, on every brick on the lower half of the building, there are names signed by the students of the boarding school for Native Americans that was housed there many years ago. The building itself is a kept building from all those years ago so and well preserved.

Throughout the year, public events are held at the park, and you can also plan your own event in the new building as well. There are locations for barbecuing, however that portion is shut off for now, and am assuming it is due to the weather.

Some people complain of the homeless population but they bother no one. The stick to their groups and most are friendly, and there to relax like everybody else. If you like a little more serenity, the best time time to go is before 3 pm. The high school kids may be there after, and may sometimes be loud and rowdy. However, keep their own little groups and if you do not mind the little noise then it is still enjoyable.

I encourage everyone to visit this place. Do not go by what you hear, explore it...

This park is big and it has a lot of open space. It is the escape from the city without having to leave the city. I have had few negitave encounters throughout the years with some people who will probably be on hard time for a while, but those have all been overshadowed by the memories of wonderful moments that will last with me till the end. With three parking areas and three bathrooms near each area, it's already a good park if you have children. Plus, it has a good-sized playground for the kids without it being so big you'll lose them. The playground and basketball courts are closer to the west parking lot Wide open spaces allow you to play or picnic with a relaxed feel. My highlight is the two ponds. Ducks and sometimes Cranes frequent these ponds, but the park is well maintained and clean. The water has the smell of water and not that putrid smell some parks in Arizona get. There is a dog park and it is also usually we'll maintained with lots of shade. It is located closest to the east parking lot. It has a fenced in area and lots of people bring their dogs for the dog park as well as to walk around the park. That walkways are wide solid concrete paths that run throughout the entire park. From large get-togethers to people taking time for themselves, there is plenty of room and space for everyone. Events are held here throughout the year as well. There are some homeless and some users of unsavory substances that come here too of corse, but mostly stay towards the south side of the park where they keep to themselves and have a little more seclusion. If you have youngsters, I wouldn't let mine run off in that area alone. That being said i feel this park is very safe everywhere. My favorite spot tho is located in the southern part where there is a area that commemorates the native Americans from near and far with a message that is on a curved wall. It's a message that makes you feel connected to this park whether your native or not. I hope you'll go read it sometime and enjoy it as much as I do. Wether you come here to let your dog/s mingle, or ware out your kids with the playground, maybe even grab a blanket and picknit basket to enjoy some open space or just go for a nice relaxed stroll,whatever the reason for coming I hope that when you're here you enjoy it and and have that same wonderful relaxig feeling of being able to take a breath away from the pressures of the city. The real oasis of Arizona and its hot and harsh desert is Steele Indian...

When I first read about Giant Bubbles and after making one myself I was to say the least overwhelmed and awe struck. I first encountered Giant Bubbles when I purchased a $1 Giant Bubble kit at a dollar store. I had never heard of Giant Bubbles and with the small kit I purchased I was able to make some pretty cool bubble tubes. One evening I made my first Giant Bubble and from then on I was hooked. The bubble was huge and because there wasn't much wind that evening it just hung there over the street for several seconds before popping. Not ever having seen anything like it I was blown away. It looked alien, something from another world. Since learning about big bubbles there was one spot that immediately came to mind to make them.There is a large and very beautiful park situated in Central Phoenix at Indian School Road & Central Ave called Steele Indian School Park. In the park is a large lake stocked with fish where many ducks, geese and other birds hang out. Just to the West of that lake is a small hill. I imagined that to be an ideal spot to make Giant Bubbles. I was right. The lake adds to the humidity which is essential to making long lasting bubbles. I go there several times each week usually around sunrise for at least a couple hours and if the wind cooperates I can make huge bubbles as big as a car that drift across the lake. In the early morning sunlight the bubbles refract amazing colors and rainbows. It is truly a sight to behold.

So there you have it just one reason to visit this amazing park. As you have noted, this is a somewhat lengthy review so let me just thank you for bearing with me and remind you the next time it rains, the following morning swing by the hill West of the lake in Steele Indian School Park around Sunrise and have your socks...