Urban Lakes: Red Mountain & Tempe Town Lakes

Great Blue Heron catching dinner at Tempe Town Lake

I miss being around water. Although many of the hikes that I've been posting about follow streams, lakes, and rivers, I still feel very landlocked here in the Arizona desert. I now realize how very much I took for granted growing up near the Pacific Ocean. Every birthday party, graduation party . . . even senior ditch day, took place at the beach. Exercise was . . . walking on the beach. Cooling off was . . . going to the beach. A nice meal out was . . . down by the beach. So I thought I'd post today about two places here that I like to go to find some expanse of water. Neither of these walks are particularly "hikes," but both make a really nice stroll; especially if you aren't into the rugged thing, but you just want some easy exercise.



Red Mountain Park Lake

Red Mountain Park Lake is just west of the 202 Red Mountain freeway along Brown Road in Mesa. The large and paved perimeter pathway around the lake is about 0.85 miles and very pleasant. My normal routine is to walk around the lake three times, and I can usually do this in about an hour making a 2.5 mile total walk. Along the way, there are people riding bikes, rollerblading, and fishing along the shore. I have also spotted many varieties of birds, especially different waterfowl, and rodents. Parking is super easy on either side of the park, and leashed dogs are allowed.

Tempe Town Lake is a man-made lake created by the damming of this section of the Salt River with inflatable dams. The way I like to do this lake is to park at Tempe Center for the Arts and begin the walk about 1.5 to 2 hours before sunset. If you begin at Tempe Center for the Arts, you will see a modern pedestrian footbridge going across the lake, but don't go over it yet! Instead, go due east towards Tempe Beach Park, and the old Mill Avenue Railroad Bridge will be the first bridge that you go underneath:

After going underneath the four Mill Avenue bridges, and past Tempe Beach Park with the rowers setting out for their before-sunset rows, you will continue along the path to the Rural Road (also called Scottsdale Road) combined pedestrian/vehicle bridge and turn left (north) over the bridge. Once on the other side of the bridge, turn left again (west) to begin forming a loop around the lake. Along the path coming down from the bridge, you might spot some people/trolls living underneath the bridge near some pygmy palm trees. Usually they are just sleeping. If you continue along the path, now due west, you will come to the marina:

Across the lake from the marina, you have good views of ASU and "A" Mountain with the lake in front. There is also public art along the path, and signage about the history of the lake and water usage. From the marina, under the four Mill Avenue Complex bridges, and then to the Tempe Center for the Arts footbridge is my favorite section if you are hitting this stretch just as the sun is setting. The whole loop is about 3.15 miles and well worth the walk if you are looking for water in the desert!