Perhaps the most unusual park in the Phoenix metro area centers on Tempe Town Lake (tel. 480/350-8625; www.tempe.gov/rio), which was created in 1999 by damming the Salt River with inflatable dams. With its construction, Tempe now has a 2-mile-long lake for boating, and lining the north and south shores are bike paths and parks. The best lake access is at Tempe Town Beach, at the foot of the Mill Avenue Bridge. Here you can rent kayaks and other small boats, and even take a brief boat tour with Rio Lago Cruise (tel. 480/517-4050). Boat tours cost $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 6 to 12, and $4 for children 5 and under. Tempe Town Lake is the focus of a grand development plan known as the Rio Salado Project, which will eventually include a hotel and other commercial facilities. Until then, most of the south shore of the lake is a barren wasteland waiting to be developed.

Among the city's most popular parks are its natural areas and preserves. These include Phoenix South Mountain Park, Papago Park, Phoenix Mountains Preserve (site of Piestewa Peak), North Mountain Preserve, North Mountain Recreation Area, and Camelback Mountain-Echo Canyon Recreation Area.

Not far from downtown Phoenix is the Steele Indian School Park, at Third Street and Indian School Road (tel. 602/495-0937). This park, as its name implies, was once an Indian school. Several of the old buildings are still standing, but it's the many new fountains, gardens, and interpretive displays that make this such a fascinating place. A stop here can easily be combined with a visit to the nearby Heard Museum.