Welcome to Chandler, Arizona, the Innovation Community! With its parks, open spaces, designated recreational areas, pools, museums, art galleries, hotels, resorts, golf courses, restaurants and extensive shopping opportunities, Chandler is one of the best cities in Arizona to live, play and work. The city of Chandler's parks are open for public use starting at 6 a.m., and the Mayor Kevin Hartke and the members of the City Council are always ready to welcome you. Chandler Police park rangers are there to support recreational and park activities by enforcing park rules and providing visitors with information that will help them enjoy a pleasant and safe experience in the park. In addition to park facilities, park rangers also help patrol and provide security to the city center.
Under the Department's park regulations, the use of drones is not allowed within the Maricopa County regional park system. Dogs with leashes no longer than six feet are allowed in most Maricopa County regional parks. However, dogs are not allowed in the Hassayampa River Reserve. Maps are available at the entrance station, on the website, on the map page or by email as a PDF file. All parks in Maricopa County have a rule of staying on designated trails to reduce the erosion of the natural desert environment.
Guided hikes reduce inadvertent impacts, vandalism and theft at these sensitive sites. All trails in Maricopa County Park are limited to the use of non-motorized vehicles due to safety concerns. Riders and biking are restricted to open public trails. Bicyclists should stay on the trail and maintain a low speed for the safety of others. Many of Maricopa County's parks have primitive, developed campgrounds where visitors should anticipate a natural environment and bring their own provisions, including water.
If you pay the camping fee for the developed site, you can use the dump station but it is not recommended. Pack a water bottle, a hat, walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather if you are spending the night with us. We can reserve time before or after your scheduled programs. Your school guide will meet you in the bus area or at the poles adjacent to the parking lot if you arrive by car. From there, you'll enter the building and head to the multipurpose room where your rangers will meet you to explain the day's events and review the rules. Most groups eat in our multipurpose room which serves as a meeting and dining area.
Other groups prefer to take advantage of the landscape and eat outdoors in the amphitheater or on the patio. We ask that you do not bring glass containers, try to prevent pieces of food from falling to the floor and attracting bugs and be sure to pick up all garbage. Many groups bring large fridges and coolers for this purpose but if you request it we have a refrigerator available to keep food and drinks cold as well as ice for your coolers. A propane grill is available for free but you must bring your own grilling tools. In addition, a commercial kitchen is available for an additional fee if your group is large or if you hire a catering service.
If you book the kitchen at least one member of your group must have a current food handler card. Contact Desert Outdoor Center or see their rates page for a list of current rates. It depends on the class you take; some classes are taught entirely outdoors while others may include a brief outdoor activity or be held entirely indoors. All classes meet Arizona academic standards and emphasize subjects such as science, social studies, visual arts and physical activity. All classes are taught by highly qualified full-time interpretive rangers who have been in Maricopa County Parks for an extended period of time. They are specialists in involving people especially children in a variety of cultural and natural history topics as well as fun recreational activities. We will adjust class schedules to adapt to late arrivals including deleting classes if necessary.
For groups of 10 or more students review program descriptions and recommended grade levels then discuss options with our rangers who are trained to adapt tours to group abilities and interests. Be sure to bring your class list as well as students' lists of emergency contacts all medications needed by students such as inhalers etc. The DOC can accommodate groups that stay overnight with tables for up to 150 people with seating limit for chairs only being 200 people plus an additional 30 people standing outside on patio. Honeymoon Cove Trail is a 2-mile circuit with average hiker taking around an hour to complete this trail. You can take a self-guided walk using instructional brochures available in main office making your walk more interesting informative. Our circular trail does not descend to lake but there is separate trail accessing pier at Honeymoon Cove only available to groups accompanied by DOC staff unauthorized access strictly prohibited. Since safety is always our top priority be sure to let us know when making reservation if you have students with special needs so that we can better plan accommodation. Chandler Arizona offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation activities such as hiking trails, camping sites, fishing spots, swimming pools, golf courses and more! With its wide range of attractions from museums to art galleries there is something for everyone! The city has strict laws and regulations that must be followed when visiting any public park or recreation area within its boundaries.
Park rangers enforce these laws while providing visitors with information that will help them enjoy their experience safely. Dogs must be kept on leashes no longer than six feet while visiting most Maricopa County regional parks; however they are not allowed in Hassayampa River Reserve. Maps can be found at entrance stations or online as PDF files which will help visitors stay on designated trails so as not to disturb natural desert environments. Bicyclists must stay on trails while maintaining low speeds for safety reasons; motorized vehicles are not allowed on trails due to safety concerns. Camping sites offer primitive accommodations so visitors should come prepared with their own provisions including water. Groups visiting Desert Outdoor Center should bring class lists along with emergency contact information for each student; any medications needed such as inhalers should also be brought along. The DOC can accommodate up to 150 people seated with an additional 30 people standing outside on patio; they also offer commercial kitchen services for an additional fee. Honeymoon Cove Trail is a 2-mile circuit which takes around an hour to complete; self-guided walks using instructional brochures can make it more interesting informative! Accessing pier at Honeymoon Cove is only available through DOC staff so unauthorized access is strictly prohibited. Chandler Arizona offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation activities that everyone can enjoy! With its strict laws and regulations enforced by park rangers visitors can rest assured that they will have a safe enjoyable experience while exploring all that this city has to offer!.
