There’s nothing quite like having a favorite park to head to whenever your family yearns for time outdoors. Whether your group likes to get active and play sports, relax with birdwatching and a picnic, or anything in between, the area in and around Peoria, Arizona, boasts many parks to meet your needs. Let Crème de la Crème of Peoria, AZ, inspire you to plan your next family outing with this list of our favorite local parks.

Rio Vista Community Park

A girl making a large bubble with a wand at a park in Peoria, AZ

Peoria has a few community parks offering various activities and amenities members of our Peoria community can enjoy. First up: Rio Vista Community Park, a 52-acre park perfect for spending time outdoors with your family. You’ll find multiple athletic fields, a playground and splash pad, and the Rio Vista Recreation Center, not to mention a range of other fun outdoor amenities to explore. This park also features Peoria’s Veterans Memorial Wall, recognizing those who have served and are serving the country.

Take advantage of the 2.5-acre urban lake for fishing, walk along the path, or get in a sand volleyball or softball game at the lighted facilities. Are you in the mood for a picnic? This park features ramadas to take your outdoor meal to the next level. Rio Vista Community Park also offers a StoryWalk, a unique way to get your kids playing outdoors and reading simultaneously.

StoryWalks exist in a few community parks in Peoria and are in 50 states and various countries worldwide. They typically include laminated pages from a kid-friendly book attached to stakes or stands and then installed along the outdoor path. Your kids will delight in walking down the trail as they get directed to the story’s next page and related activities. It’s just one more reason to put Rio Vista Community Park on your list of local parks to explore as a family.

  • Location: 8866 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria.

Pioneer Community Park

Visit Pioneer Community Park if you want to spend time outside in Peoria. This park is close to the southeast corner of 83rd Avenue and Olive Avenue. The sprawling 83-acre park offers plenty of amenities to ensure you enjoy your day outdoors with your family. From baseball and multipurpose fields and a 5-acre urban lake stocked with fish to a dog park, Pioneer Community Park truly has something for everyone.

Picnic ramadas and barbecue grills make planning an outdoor meal a breeze, while a splash pad and shaded playground area mean your kids can stay cool while having fun. In this park, you’ll also find “Forge,” a large public art installation by Thomas Sayre that you can see from 83rd Avenue. Go fishing for trout, channel catfish, large bass, sunfish, and white amur, or organize a game at one of the six lighted ball fields. Pioneer Community Park is another Peoria park featuring a StoryWalk, so you’ll always have reasons to explore this fun local spot.

  • Location: 8755 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria.

Paloma Community Park

Paloma Community Park recently joined Rio Vista Community Park and Pioneer Community Park in Peoria’s slate of amazing community parks. The third community park in Peoria, Paloma Community Park opened in October 2020. The 85-acre park has much in common with the other nearby community parks. This park is another excellent place to enjoy diverse recreational activities, regardless if you want to get active or sit back, relax, and enjoy the outdoors with your family.

Amenities include a lighted ball field complex, lighted multipurpose fields, and lighted pickleball courts. Check out the concessions building and picnic at one of the picnic ramadas, or take your family pet for a day at the dog park. You can fish for rainbow trout, channel catfish, large bass, and sunfish in the lake, let your kids cool off thanks to splash pads, or explore another StoryWalk in town. The playground here is inclusive-designed, too. Peoria’s newest community park is a must-see on your list of parks in town.

  • Location: 29799 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria.

Sunnyslope Park

In addition to the community parks in town, Peoria also offers neighborhood parks. Sunnyslope Park is a wheelchair-accessible park that offers another welcoming spot for a picnic or barbecue. This park features outdoor and indoor picnicking, not to mention a colossal play range to keep your little ones entertained.

Play outside and feed the birds, or use the outdoor fitness equipment and sports fields when it’s time to burn off some energy. Sunnyslope Park is a great place to go if you’re in the mood for basketball or tennis. Check out the park’s other activities, too — whether you’re looking for games, classes, or fitness programs, you’ll find everything from fencing to yoga at this Peoria park.

  • Location: 9280 N. 71st Ave., Peoria.

DreamCatcher Park

You can stay close to Peoria and explore even more parks in the Peoria area. Nearby Surprise, Arizona, features a wide range of parks and facilities, too. If you’re looking for a place for neurodiverse athletes, DreamCatcher Park has you covered. This fully accessible, multigenerational, multipurpose athletic facility delivers a fun and safe place for recreation.

The barrier-free facility features a urethane-based surface, which makes it safe and maneuverable for mobility devices like wheelchairs and walkers. You can use it for baseball, football, and soccer. With a drive to this park taking about 20 minutes, you’ll find DreamCatcher Park a dynamic place to go close to home in Peoria, Arizona.

  • Location: 14534 W. Tierra Buena Lane, Surprise.

There you have it. Crème de la Crème of Peoria, AZ, just gave you five fabulous parks to explore close to home. Does your family have another favorite park in the Peoria area that we didn’t include? If we missed your family’s go-to local park, drop us a line so we can check out more great parks near Peoria.

Image by Maxime Bhm is licensed with Unsplash License