White Tank Mountain Regional Park

I volunteered about three hours of my time this morning to help "trail blaze" one of the trails located at White Tank Mountain Regional Park (WTMRP). Located in Waddell, far west of my central Phoenix home, I didn't think I would ever take the time to visit this county park. But, a volunteer opportunity gave me the motivation to get out there and see it.

The trail blazing part wasn't easy work. For the most part, it involved filling wheelbarrows up with dirt and rocks, then pushing them up a slightly steep trail grade about 1/2 mile, and repairing the washed out parts of the trail. Good thing it was relatively cool out this morning!

But, after we finished for the day, I decided to hike one of the easier park trails (Black Rock Trail) and enjoy the views. I have to say, I was impressed with all WTMRP has to offer.

It's a newer park (about two years old), with a large and beautiful, high-tech, nature center and library located at it's entrance. What a great place for a library! And the park was also a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Nearly 30,000 acres makes this the largest regional park in Maricopa County.

Like many other Maricopa County Parks, WTMRP has many different trails with varying degrees of difficulty, but all with great views of the landscape and wildlife. They also have many Ramadas with picnic tables and grills throughout the park, and plenty of water stations and restrooms.. great for a family day out or picnic. There are more than enough parking spaces.

Desert Dreams | A Short Documentary

A film created without narration or people, Desert Dreams lets viewers experience the Sonoran Desert from the inside out. This immersive 52-minute production focuses on beauty and biodiversity followed through a cycle of five seasons: Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring.

Long-time resident of Tucson, Arizona, Producer-Director-Cinematographer Thomas Wiewandt blends HD video and time-lapse imagery captured over the past 4 years with stills compiled over 3 decades. And the supporting sound track combines natural sounds with a kaleidoscope of flute and percussion vignettes by Gary Stroutsos.

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Video Trailer for DESERT DREAMS from Wild Horizons® on Vimeo.