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Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
14 reviews for Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch
14 reviews in English
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Review from Norm R.
12/2/2011 7 photos
This is a beautiful preserve in the middle of one of Gilbert's extensively developed residential areas. It's a great place to hike, bike, or just stroll and enjoy the tranquility and the beauty of nature. A trail system loops around Water Ranch Lake and seven ponds, and the availability of water results in the maintenance of a more lush vegetative community than you would expect in this region. The lake, ponds, and abundance of vegetation also provides habitat for a lot of wildlife, and indeed this is a bird watcher's paradise. There are picnic areas and restrooms, and children can play in the play area or dig for "fossils" in the Dino Dig area. My friend and I are thankful that the preserve allows dogs (as long as they are on a leash) and even provides "mutt mitts" for cleaning up.
Listed in: Nature and the Great Outdoors
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Review from Logie Z.
Tempe, AZ
3/30/2011
It's a beautiful day. Clear sky and around 65 degrees in the late morning! What to do? My little guy had been riding his bike without training wheels. Woo-hoo! Is he ready to go on a dirt trail? We're gearing him up to go mountain biking up North. Hubby suggested Riparian Preserve. It was an excellent choice.
"This is awesome!" my little one exclaimed, as he bounced up and down on the trail. Then, he'll just stop right in front of me without warning. Five year olds get distracted so easily. "Is that a wasp? Look at that hover fly! What kind of ant is that? What kind of beetles live here!" asks my little future entomologist. We'll be taking some tours and classes the Riparian offers soon!
My little one did bite the dust several times due to some excessively gravelly paths. He learned to either walk his bike over or slow down a bit. Such a sport! "Let's come back here again., That was fun!" It was fun for us too!
We're so lucky we live not far from here. It is a very well maintained park. As it gets hotter, we would walk and feed the ducks in the morning and spend the rest of the time in the Regional Library. I highly recommend you check this place out.Listed in: Exploring on two feet or two…
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Review from Su-shien C.
Phoenix, AZ
3/21/2011
An oasis in the midst of a busy city . . . I'm not sure how I first heard of this park but I'm glad I was in the area with my family and made a point to stop.
Giant pond where people sit and fish, read a book or simply meditate.
There are guided tours for birds and nature walks.
My son and I had a great time biking around the path that went around the pond.
Beautifully landscaped, a super way to enjoy an relaxing Sunday afternoon or anytime during the week if you are in the area! -
Review from Don M.
Scottsdale, AZ
I've got to admit, fishing at the Water Ranch pond kind of makes me think of the Beverly Hillbillie's "cement pond". But I really like it!
The location is perfect; right at the intersection of Guadalupe & Greenfield. Parking is no problem. The walk from car to water is little more than a skip, hop and a jump. Very easy for my elderly dad to take my son fishing.
The fishing is easy too. The pond is stocked with Trout, Bass, Catfish and Sunfish. We've been catching nice trout (10-12 inches, Yum!) using nightcrawlers. I'm keep hearing that white power bait works too. Although the bottom of the pond seems to have several rocks, snags don't ever seem to be a problem. Maybe best of all, the edge of the pond is a cement curbed sidewalk. Like I said, Jethro Bodine would be right at home. I suppose if you are gonna be an "Urban Fisherman" you might as well do it right!
Not much into fishing? No problem. There is a wonderful library with windows looking out over the pond. There are paths for a nice walk. There are birds everywhere. There is even some kind of observatory (haven't checked it out yet, don't know the details).
All-in-all, this place is exactly what you'd want... and more. -
Review from Jeff M.
7/12/2010
Wonderful little spot in the middle of Gilbert that so many locals don't even know exists. It can be a little rough in the high summer, but any other time of year it is wonderful for a walk and some wildlife exploration.
Or just to sit and think. -
Review from Julie M.
Mesa, AZ
4/24/2009
The really interesting thing about this preserve is that it's in the middle of Gilbert. You'd never expect to find a nature preserve tucked between the unassuming Gilbert Public Library and track-home neighborhoods. Yet, it's there, and it's quite a gem of the east valley.
They have multiple things going on all times of the year, from guided bird watching to night-time observatory star gazing. The preserve is a little sanctuary of nature and beauty within the confines of our sprawling metropolis and I absolutely love it.
What I especially enjoy is how the Gilbert Public Library looks out to the preserve with its giant floor-to-ceiling windows. So even when it's sweltering in the dead of summer, you can still go to the preserve and enjoy the beauty while reading a book in the library.Listed in: Local businesses, Outdoor activities in Arizona
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Review from Natalie W.
Chandler, AZ
3/16/2007
What a gem! A true oasis in the desert! Can you tell I love this place!!
OK, enough of the exclamation points. The Gilbert Riparian Preserve was created to utilize recycled waste water to create a community wetland and wildlife sanctuary for recreation, education, and research. In Gilbert, AZ! (I know, more excamation points...)
The Preserve is right across from the Town Library, so make a day of it. The website boasts that over 200 species of birds can be seen throughout the year. Not being a myself, I have noted probably a dozen or so. No matter. The 4.5 miles of walking trails are lovely, with enough wild vegetation you feel like you are out in the desert, not on a busy Gilbert street-corner. The wetlands create both bird and wildlife habitat and a fishing area, where kids can have a no-fuss first fishing experience.
The Riparian Institute also offers programs and classes to the public, like ranger-led birds walks, kids camps, public educational programs with naturalists, and viewings at the new observatory. Although my family hasn't tried it yet, they offer stargazing every second Friday of the month. The Preserve is free, although special events and camps can require advance registration and a fee.Listed in: Kids Stuff
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Review from Amy S.
1/20/2009
The purpose and goals of the preserve are great- conserve water, help animals, provide a place for the public to spend time outside enjoying nature. The 2 people that reviewed before me did a great job of outlining all of those assets.
The reason that I didn't get the Riparian Preserve more stars was because of my disappointment in the activities at the preserve on an average day. I went with a friend and we walked the trails (unfortunately, the water levels were all low at the time and there wasn't too much to look at). We heard birds, but not being too in-tune with nature, neither of us knew what we were looking at (or could we actually SEE the birds most of the time). It's quite possible that I'm just not used to Arizona wildlife yet, but I felt like there wasn't too much to see. But, at the very least, it was a good walk. -
Review from Lynn H.
Phoenix, AZ
8/25/2008 2 photos
My Chihuahua, Elvis, and I are in a Doggie Social Club and we meet here once a month. The 110-acre Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is located just east of the intersection at Guadalupe and Greenfield roads in Gilbert, Arizona. The purpose of the Institute is to preserve valuable natural resources, create and conserve scarce riparian areas, and protect wildlife habitats. Quite an ambitious goal.
The Riparian Institute is a non-profit organization formed by the Town of Gilbert, with of mission of promoting awareness and appreciation of Arizona's ecology and natural history, particularly desert and riparian environments. The Institute offers a variety of education and recreation programs, ranger-led walks, family bird walks, youth programs (bird walks, nature hikes, dinosaur and archaeological digs, astronomy viewings, and camping), and group lessons on conservation, ecology, water, plants and wildlife.
Who knew how cool this is! You need to go with or without a dog!Listed in: Active fun
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Review from Nicole J.
Portland, OR
4/4/2010
My first encounter at the Preserve was a first date. I had to give the guy kudos for picking such a cool place although we later just became friends.
So I decided to adventure on my own. It was a beautiful Saturday and I did not want to do the usual hike. I wanted something a little different as I wanted to journal and read. I get to the Preserve and it is a nice crowd of vehicles in the lot. Nothing too crazy but it was great to see people taking advantage of the beautiful day on the Preserve.
There is a little something for everyone. You can go into the library and grab a book or hit the computer. Outside is the real gem. You have urban fishers, bird watchers and people walking for exercise. There is something to see around every corner. There are so many different types of birds there it sounds like a symphony when you get out of your car.
There are schools of fish floating around. Turtles scooting from here to there. Flowers everywhere. The rains really made such a difference here this time of year. It was just bustling with activity. I came to stroll, take it all in and relax. I walked around a bit partaking in the beauty of nature. I found the perfect little covered bench overlooking the water. I think I stayed there on that bench for 2 hours. Between reading, journal writing and staring at the birds the time just flew by.
The Riparian Preserve is a must for anyone in the valley. If you can get there while the wildflowers are in bloom do yourself a favor and go. -
Review from Eireen C.
Phoenix, AZ
5/23/2010
Lovely!
Excellent place to take a stroll, birdwatch, fish, write, study, meditate, etc. It's so lush and peaceful you forget you're in a big city, in the desert. Great place to include on a staycation. -
Review from Caitlin H.
Salem, OR
8/8/2010 1 photo
My fiancé and I love this place so much! If you enjoy bird watching this is THE place for you. We see more species and behaviors here than we do anywhere we go to hike. This is a wonderful beautiful park right in the town of Gilbert. And it's dog friendly!
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Review from Seana S.
Chandler, AZ
4/30/2010
I came here to sit around and do some sketching. I ended up sitting under a tree near the catfish stocked pond, which is actually big enough to give you a nice, outdoorsy lake feel. People were sitting around in lounge chairs fishing, feeding ducks, you can see a few turtles here and there near the shore, on the other side of the lake/pond, there's a swampier area where you can see alot of interesting birds. It's definitely a relaxing retreat, the buildings are close to the lake, there's a library, so it's kind of a park, only bigger, yet smaller than Tempe Town Lake. Hope that makes sense and gives you an idea.
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Review from Karthik N.
Scottsdale, AZ
12/8/2009 2 photos
The good thing about this place is that it is ideal for families as all age groups will find something to do. My parents could not walk long distances. The kids found some spots to play around. The place does look beautiful but remember to check the weather forecast first as it will be no fun to be out there under a hot sun.
