A jaunt with jackrabbits at Veterans Oasis Park

VETERANS OASIS PARK TRAILS

Chandler

Bird of Paradise plants frame the San Tan Mountains

Alas, another weekend of summer high country hiking was thwarted by thunderstorms.  With my Flagstaff plans put on hold and the weather forecast for Phoenix looking pretty good for at least a few hours in the morning, I decided to head off to the green trails of Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler today.  Anchored by an urban fishing lake surrounded by picnic areas and playgrounds, the park also features a series of wetlands created with five recharge basins that hold reclaimed water. A maze of trails wind among the pools and a variety of vegetation zones---mesquite bosques, hummingbird/butterfly habitats, chaparral and water-loving riparian plant populations keep things interesting.  Two hilltop viewing areas provide good overviews of the site and the swarms of waterfowl that nest in the shallow basins.  The lake circumference trail is paved and barrier-free while the wetland trails are level dirt/gravel.  An unexpected delight on the trails were the dozens of Black-tailed jackrabbits playing hide-and-seek with my camera. I had a blast photographing them as well as myriad vociferous birds and a flock of Turkey vultures soaring above the wetlands.

LENGTH: 4.5 miles of inter-connected trails

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 1270' -1311'

FACILITIES: restrooms, drinking fountains, horse watering station, dog poo bag posts

DOGS: must be on leash and kept out of the water

HOURS:

Park: 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily

Preserve: 6 a.m. to sunset daily

Environmental Education Center: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday and Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday.  Closed weekends and holidays.

FREE admission

Great Blue Heron (left) looks over a  recharge basin

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel east on Loop 202 to exit 44 for Gilbert Road.  Go 3 miles south to Chandler Heights Road, turn east (left) and continue 1 mile to just past Lindsay Road.  The entrance is on the north (left) side of Chandler Heights Road.

4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, AZ 85249,

INFO: City of Chandler, 480-782-2890

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/urban_lake_veterans_oasis.shtml

http://www.chandleraz.gov/Content/VOP_Equestrian_Trails.pdf

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Fancy fowl and a flower-rimmed lake.

WOODLAND LAKE PARK

Pinetop-Lakeside

Ferruginous hawk

On a balmy early September afternoon, I spent nearly an hour watching a lone Ferruginous hawk turning aerial acrobatics on the wind currents above Woodland Lake.  I was thankful for the oak shaded bench at the edge of the marshy end of the lake that provided support as I tried to capture photos of the graceful predator. Soaring overhead, the bird’s unmistakable rusty markings stretched and contracted with the beat of its wings much like the attitude-soaked moves of a hard-edge model on a New York fashion week runway. Except, this well-dressed beast eats rodents, instead of, well, not eating at all?

Five easy trails roam within and around the 100-acre park complex, which includes tennis courts, softball fields, covered picnic ramadas, grills and playgrounds. Even with all the adjacent family-friendly amenities, the hiking trails are pleasantly quiet and very scenic.  Lake Loop is paved and suitable for strollers, wheelchairs and walkers. It's a good place to begin, as it's the hub for various routes.  As its name implies, Lake Loop circles the water, passing a boat ramp, fishing dock and a cattail-cluttered wetland. The summer wildflowers that flourish on the moist banks provide convenient cover for flocks of Yellow headed blackbirds and a vociferous stew of waterfowl.  Connecting trails cut through sunny meadows and pine-oak forests.  It's also possible to hike from the lake to Big Springs Environmental Area (see separate blog post)---just follow the Hitching Post Loop for 1.5 miles to the signed turn off and hike to explore yet another open air theater for “fashion week” fowl shows.

LENGTHS:  park maps do not give mileage for all the trails, but the total length for all the trails felt like about 6 miles to me

Lake Loop:  1.25 miles

Hitching Post Loop:  2 miles

Turkey Track Trail: ~1 mile

Meadowview Trail: ~ 0.25 mile

Walnut Creek Trail:  ~ 1.25 mile

RATING:  easy, Lake Loop is paved and barrier free

ELEVATION: 6950'

FACILITIES: restrooms, picnic ramadas

GETTING THERE:

From AZ260 in east Pinetop turn right (south) on Woodland Lake Road---located past Blue Ridge Schools at milepost 353 and there's a Chevron station on the corner.  Go 0.25 mile on Woodland Lake Road to the park entrance. Drive to the end  of the road for barrier free access or else park at any of the lots for unpaved access to the Lake Loop trail.

INFO:

Town of Pinetop-Lakeside

928-368-6700

http://ci.pinetop-lakeside.az.us/woodlandlake.htm

MORE PHOTOS:

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