Looking for ideas for the next family weekend? You’ll find our favorite activities and yours at these Gilbert area parks. Check out what you can do and the options available for all ages.
Winding Down at Freestone Park
With two lake areas, over a dozen different sports fields and picnic and playground areas, Freestone Park is not the place to feel bored. If you’re looking for something different for your kids’ birthday parties, Freestone Railroad area is perfect. With amusement rides and a miniature railroad, young party guests are constantly entertained. For kids who have outgrown these entertainment options, check out the 22,000 square-foot Freestone Skate Park.
All-Purpose Discovery District Park
Significantly smaller than Winding Down, the Discovery District Park is far from disappointing. This 48-acre park is all about family outdoor fun featuring a climbing rock playground area, basketball and volleyball courts, two lakes using reclaimed water and stocked for fishing, and a butterfly garden. Take a break from an activity-packed morning and reserve one of the eight ramadas with picnic tables and BBQ grills. All picnic areas have electrical connections.
Exploring at Riparian Preserve
For those wanting to spend time in close contact with nature, there is no better place than the Riparian Reserve at Water Ranch. With a 110-acre wetland that is also a wildlife sanctuary, an ethnobotanical garden to learn more about the region’s plants and farming customs, a Dino Dig, and the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory to gaze at the stars in the evening, this park allows you to combine family fun with learning. If you want to take this nature experience to the next level, spend the night at one of the three available overnight campsites.
Taking the Dogs Out at Cosmo Dog Park
For families with one or more fur babies, check out the 17-acre Cosmo Dog Park. Although it combines areas for dogs and their owners, pets are definitely the focus of this park. Four acres of fenced area await you and your canine (where dogs are allowed to run off leash), and the park includes separate use areas for active dogs (in case your pet is not too comfortable around others), washing stations, and pet drinking fountains. Four ramadas (three small and one large) and a picnic circle with two tables are available for rent.
Sports at McQueen Park
If the McQueen Park could be summed up in a theme it would be sports. If your family can’t say no to a friendly ball game, this is the perfect spot for a weekend outdoors. The 41-acre park accommodates two volleyball fields, two basketball fields, two tennis courts, four youth baseball fields, and three youth softball fields. It kind of makes you want to organize your first family sports tournament, doesn’t it? Also, all fields are lighted so you can play right until the park closes at 10 p.m.
With so much to choose from, there’s never a boring weekend outdoors thanks to the Gilbert area parks.
“Father & Son” via Flickr by Jay Thompson. Used with permission via CC BY-SA 2.0 / cropped from original
