New campground coming to Maricopa County’s oldest regional park
Jan 28, 2025, 4:45 AM
PHOENIX – Maricopa County’s oldest regional park announced it is going to break ground on a new campground.
Estrella Mountain Regional Park’s newest campground area will include 50 developed campsites, two new restrooms facilities with showers, a fenced equestrian trailhead, a shaded dog area, Rainbow Valley Trailhead renovations, a dump station and five covered park host sites, Maricopa County Parks & Recreation said.
Construction for the new campground area at the park in Goodyear will begin on Feb. 3.
In addition, the park will also make sweeping changes to 16 acres of its picnic area. Sixty new trees, 400 native plants and 100 cacti will be planted, while 100 rock boulders and a new irrigation drip system will also be implemented.
Further, the 4.3-acre turf area will see its soil hydro-seeded with Bermuda, while the sprinklers will be replaced and post-emergent weed control will be applied.
“Our team has been discussing the need for a campground at the park for quite some time,” Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Director Jennifer Waller said in a press release. “When we decommissioned the rodeo arena, this gave us the perfect opportunity and space to offer this service. Given our proximity to Phoenix Raceway, this also gives their guests an alternate option for RV camping when the raceway hosts large-scale events.”
The 828-acre property for the park was initially bought in 1953 and the site became Maricopa County’s first regional park in 1954. The park grew to 16,468 acres by 1962 and has since expanded to 19,836 acres, including 57.96 miles of trails.
The park also features picnic areas, a golf course, a competitive track, a nature center, a shaded nature-themed playground, habitats and ponds, a pollinator garden and more.
“In 2016, the Parks Department updated the Park’s Master Plan. Feedback from the public revealed that visitors were interested in having a campground at the rodeo arena. I’m pleased to announce that we took the feedback seriously and found a way to bring this project to fruition,” Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who represents District 5 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said in a release.
Campground construction causing closures
While construction of the new campground is taking place, 143rd and Arena drives will be closed. The Rainbow Valley and Coldwater Trailheads, restrooms and the parking lot will be off limits to guests from Feb. 3 until March 2027. The trails can still be accessed from the Quail Trailhead, but parking is limited.