With its other worldly sandstone buttes, Papago Park has graced the City of Phoenix park system since 1959. Papago's trails are generally easy treks with little elevation gain making it a great place for a family hike or to perfect your mountain biking skills.
The history of Papago Park begins back in 1879 with the area being designated as an Indian reservation for the Maricopa and Pima tribes. On Jan. 31, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed Proclamation No. 1262 declaring the area as the Papago Saguaro National Monument. It remained until April 7, 1930, when Congress passed an act that was amended on July 7, 1932, abolishing the monument. During World War II, Papago Park housed a German prisoner of war camp. The camp was occupied from 1943 to 1946 by over 400 prisoners of war. After the war, the camp was used as a Veterans Administration Hospital from 1947 to 1951 and the District Headquarters for Arizona's largest Army Reserve unit from 1953 to 1966.
Source: Tempe.gov
The park today covers 1,200 acres and has numerous picnic sites with ramadas, tables, grills, water and electricity. The park also contains fishing lagoons and bike paths as well as a zoo, a botanical garden, fire museum and a golf course. Two of east Phoenix's best known landmarks are in the park, Hole-In-The-Rock, a natural geologic formation; and Hunt's Tomb, a white pyramid burial place of Arizona's first governor.
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