Santa Cruz River Park — Attraction in Tucson

Win I was younger, my mom would tack me an my other siblings down to the Santa Cruz River in Tucson Az an tell us about all the different stories about the Santa Cruz River, some stories were fictional, some stories were real, actual events that happen in or around Santa Cruz River, she used to tell us about when all community Tucson Arizona used to come fishing or hunting in or around the Santa Cruz River, it needs to bring communities together in Tucson Arizona, old Friends new friends families they would all gather in and around the Santa Cruz River, used to bring people together whether they knew each other or not it was a valued part of our community in Tucson Arizona, sometimes they're used to be festivalsin in celebration of the Santa Cruz River, in the Life...it did it bring to Tucson Arizona, it would help nurture the lifes end and around it it used to help farmers with their crops help others to survive for the fact that it brought food to our community weather it'd be the fish or the wildlife around the riverit was good things that happen in a senator Cruz River and there was bad things that happened in the Santa Cruz River the fact remains that it was a very important part of our community temp Tucson Arizona, there's a lot more I could say about the Santa Cruz RiverI can go on and on and on and that's the thing Santa Cruz Riveris something that can be talked about talking about learn from and let's just say everything else because it's a very long story more than one kind of story weather in New fiction or fact the Santa Cruz River is was and will always be a very important part of our community in Tucson Arizona and every other city and state and communities that it runs through and touches in some sort of away I would like to say that the Santa Cruz river is infamous it is not just a physical body of land I would like to say it has its own spirit and spirits that run in and around the Santa Cruz River however long it may be however many twists and turns it takes throughout its journey from the beginning to the end the Santa Cruz River it is a special place to me and...

This review is mainly pertaining to specific sections of the pathway, that being from Irvington and a mile past Ajo way.

I grew up running along the river as a kid and over the years I’ve been able to walk or run almost the entire path so being able to notice the changes (for better or worse) has been relatively easy. Most of the pathway is nice and has good scenery. Yes the increased homelessness has made the experience take a nose dive but the city can only do so much.

Now for those that do venture into the section from Ajo way all the way to Irvington (cyclists and distance runners) I urge you to take caution if you’re out in the evening. The area is very very bad. And police presence is scarce unless a major event happens, so you can’t count on police as can on the other side of the path way.

In recent years in this section, parents and their adolescent kids will ride their 4 and 3 wheelers and sometimes even dirt bikes ON THE PATH, which is very dangerous as I regularly see people walking or running with their strollers or with their small children in tow. The sad thing is that no one ever says anything, ever. But that reticence is common on this side of town and I don’t know why. So for those who are not familiar with this side of town please be aware of your surroundings and yes the homeless are around frequently but through all these years I’ve never seen them bother anyone. Also the grounds keepers on this particular section seem to neglect certain parts of the river for some reason and they only focus their clean up efforts on certain areas, which is why it’s common to see the same piece of trash for weeks if not months on the path. It really is sad to see this part of the path to become what it is now (the Wild West), because it wasn’t always like this. Also don’t expect people on this section to adhere to the “keep right” rule, there are people who walk/run on any side they want and won’t move to the right if you run or bike past them; again no one ever says anything on this...

Love it its also known as the loop and it pretty much encircles tucson now..get in shape and get back to nature at the same time ..get a map from a bike shop if you want to see how huge this riverbed trail is..flat and paved bikes hiking jogging even horseback or rollerblades..no motorized devices of transport allowed but some do and theoretically closed at sundown..but truthfully its nearly as busy at night..lots of wildlife bobcats coyotes javelinas and the occassional snake also bunnies roadrunners quail doves etc an occassional owl or two and ive seen huge golden eagles there and birds of every variety including hummers..enjoy ..dogs are suppossed to be leashed but almost never are just fyi people have on rare occassions been bitten as well as dogs occassionally mailed by coyotes i live along there and there are hundreds and hundreds..shine a flashlight into the riverbed and see the eyeshine of a few or even a few hundred so i do recommend pets be on a leash as if they do come for a loose pet they come in by the dozens if not hundreds so no matter how tough you think your dog is hes not gonna survive a true hunting attack by them from a hundred different angles all at the same time nothing can in those numbers..they are however fearful of people very much ..rabies is always a possibility so keep your dogs leashed if you love them..and everyone does right..again...