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| - I was looking for a quick place to take a hike before heading out to watch the G-Men at Scottsdale Stadium. My sister suggested this place as another one of her favorite easy spots, that would also be good to take my 3-year-old. Dreamy Draw (DD) also happens to be only a few miles from her house as well, so it was conveniently located in the city and not out in the sticks. So, we set off on another Father & Son Hike.
Parking- There's a paved lot located at the end of N Dreamy Draw Dr that holds about 60 cars. It was about 40% full on a Wednesday morning, so I can imagine it probably fills up fast on the weekends.
Restroom & Amenities- There's a restroom located at the south end of the parking lot that's pretty decent; they have stainless steel facilities which are not preferred, but get the job done. There's also some covered and uncovered picnic tables close by the restrooms--as well as a Volley Ball Court (WTH?).
Trails- The dirt trails were pretty rough and rocky, much like Piestewa Peak--but unlike Piestewa Peak, there are some paved trails here which is muy bueno. We hiked mostly dirt trails, so I'm not sure how far the paved ones extend; I do know they start way down by the freeway (Hwy 51) entrance at the beginning of the park.
Scenery- The overall scenery is nowhere on the level of the Piestewa Peak trails, but there's still some pretty bitching desert scenery to behold. Unfortunately, these trails don't go very high so you don't get the majestic views, but that's what makes these trails so easy--ye old catch-22.
Difficulty- On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate DD's trails as a 2 for adults and a solid 5 for kids, but that's based on the dirt trails. If you do the paved trails I'd imagine those numbers could go down. Of course the 800-lb Gorilla when talking about hiking in AZ is the weather; that could add a +3-5 on any given day.
Mystique- I didn't know this until after my hike was over, but my Yelp friend, Mark R, informed me there are rumors that there's a UFO buried underneath the Dreamy Draw Dam. I was a bit skeptical, but after a quick internet search I discovered he wasn't pulling my leg! I need to go back and do some investigation of my own, and I'll report back then--assuming I'm not grabbed by visitors! Until then check out this website: http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/unexplained_phenomena/dreamy_draw_dam/index.php
I was originally going to give DD a 4-star rating, but after finding out about the buried UFO it just sent the coolness factor through the roof!! I'm so stoked to go back and check out that DD Dam, I almost want to go on a night hike! In all seriousness DD is still a really good place to introduce kids to hiking and is a great way to get in a quick and light workout in Phoenix.
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