Estrella Mountain Regional Park is adding a new campground. Construction for the campground will begin on 03rd February.
The new additions will include:
- 50 developed campsites
- Two new restrooms with showers
- A fenced equestrian trailhead
- A shaded dog area
- Renovations to the Rainbow Valley Trailhead
- A dump station
- Five covered park host sites
The Parks Department decided to make the addition after feedback from the public. Visitors said they were interested in having a campground at the park’s rodeo arena.
“We took the feedback seriously and found a way to bring this project to fruition,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who represents District 5 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Areas of the park will be closed for construction through March 2027. The construction area is at 143rd Drive and Arena Drive. Park visitors will not be able to access the Rainbow Valley and Coldwater Trailheads, restrooms, or the parking lot.
Changes are also coming to some of the park’s picnic areas. Sixteen acres will be constructed to desert landscaping with decomposed granite, and 400 native plants and 100 cacti will be planted. The park will also get an upgrade to its irrigation system.
The park became Maricopa County’s first regional park in 1954. At the time it was 828 acres but by 1962 had grown to 16,468 acres.
It is now 19,836 acres. Visitors can find miles of trails, including a competitive track, a nature center, a nature-themed playground with shade, a golf course, habitats and ponds, picnic sites, a pollinator garden, and much more.
