With so much natural beauty surrounding the Goodyear, Arizona, area, it’s easy to get outside and enjoy the many parks and outdoor spaces you can find here. Whether you want to spend the day with the family hiking, watching a ball game, or just resting in nature, enjoy these five awesome parks near Goodyear.

Papago Park

“Papago Park” licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr by jackketcham

About 5 miles north of Goodyear is the beautiful and diverse Papago Park. Only minutes from downtown Phoenix, with one section in Tempe, this oasis in the middle of Arizona’s largest metropolises is home to the Phoenix Zoo, the gorgeous Desert Botanical Garden, and Papago Ponds. Have the kids try their hand at catching fish in the lagoon, or hike one of the numerous trails along the Papago Buttes. The red sandstone buttes dominate the park and take on the morning and evening light for a showstopping display.

When you come to Papago Park for hiking, be sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen as you take the sun-soaked trails through the hilly desert terrain. Easy trails include the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail, Eliot Ramada Loop Trail, and the short 0.5-mile nature trail. Intermediate trails include the Loma and Canal Trails.

Before hiking or mountain biking the trails, visit the Desert Botanical Gardens to learn about the flora and fauna of the area. Then, when you’re out wandering through the park, you’ll be able to identify plants and animals that you saw on exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. Entrance to Papago Park is free, while the zoo and botanical gardens charge a modest fee to enter. You can find Papago Park at 625 N. Galvin Pkwy.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

One of the more popular parks for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in the Goodyear area is Estrella Mountain Regional Park at 14805 W. Vineyard Ave. in Goodyear. This 20,000-acre multi-use park features pristine desert terrain with mountains and wetlands. You can fish along the Gila River, and hike, bike, or ride a horse over the 33 acres of trails. Additional features of the park include a grassy picnic area, a baseball field, and a golf course.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park was one of the first parks established within the Maricopa Park System. Since 1954, visitors have enjoyed recreating in the beautiful desert and riparian ecosystem that make up the park. During the summer monsoon season and winters when the rain falls, the seasonal wetland attracts migrating and local birds. Bring your binoculars and camera to capture your adventure at Estrella Mountain Regional Park

Goodyear Community Park

There’s something for everyone in the family to do, including the dog, when you visit Goodyear Community Park. The park has a splash pad for the little ones to cool off in during the summer, a dog park for the pup to run around in, and numerous ball fields and sports courts to get exercise in. For the skaters in the family, they can put on their helmets and safety gear and head over to the adjacent Goodyear Skate Park to practice their moves.

When the family gets hungry, there’s a concession stand to pick up snacks, and water fountains are scattered throughout the park. Walk in peace among the hiking trails, sit in the shade of a cottonwood tree and relax, or enjoy a picnic while getting fresh air when you visit Goodyear Community Park. Stop by the park at 3151 Litchfield Road to enjoy a fun day in the outdoors.

Estrella Star Tower

The Estrella Star Tower is a unique architectural building located in the Estrella Park community. The building pays homage to the area’s stargazing culture. Once you climb the stairs to the top of the 50-foot Star Tower, you’ll have sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and desert. The building has a spiral configuration that reminds you of the Milky Way or a nautilus shell. The steel and stone building sits next to a bubbling waterfall that helps to create a peaceful and meditative experience.

Once you park at the entrance, you’ll walk along pathways and over little bridges to get to the base of the tower before you begin your climb. While the views from the top of the tower are magnificent any time of the day, climbing up the tower when the sun sets and the stars begin to twinkle in the evening sky is the highlight of any visit to the Estrella Star Tower. You can find the tower on Estrella Parkway in Goodyear.

Goodyear Ball Park

Enjoy watching spring training and baseball teams playing when you visit Goodyear Ball Park at 1933 S. Ballpark Way in Goodyear. Two major league baseball teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians call Goodyear Ball Park their home. It’s fun to watch these two teams play during spring training as the atmosphere is light-hearted and casual. In addition to spring training for the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, the ballpark hosts events such as rookie league and fall instructional league challenges.

The park opened in 2009 and has a seating capacity for over 10,000 baseball fans along with several practice fields and team office spaces. Both teams share six full-size practice fields, two infields, batting cages, and observation tunnels.

When the Reds and Indians aren’t training at Goodyear Ball Park, the city of Goodyear holds special events like the Star-Spangled 4th, the Fall Festival, and Home Plate for the Holidays. In addition, you can check the events calendar for sports activities and programs held in the park throughout the year. You won’t go hungry when you visit Goodyear Ball Park with several concession stands serving classic ballpark food. The concession stands offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

There you have our list of fabulous outside places and parks to visit near Goodyear. Which location was your favorite? Which one do the kids want to go back to? Did we miss one? If you have a recommendation for other awesome parks near Goodyear, we’d love to know about it. Feel free to contact us and we’ll add your suggestion to our list.