Help us celebrate America’s 250th birthday in style! Wear your craziest family friendly red, white, and blue or American flag clothes for a special night hike through the park with colored flashlights! Bring your own light and we’ll provide the colored film! UV lights to look for scorpions are welcome too! Not only will we be looking for nocturnal critters that call the park home, we’ll be discussing some of the many ways in which Arizona has contributed to the richness of American history.
We’ll start with a sunset hike on the Noso and Blevins trails – 2 miles on easy-rated trails with only slight and gradual (100 feet) elevation change. Terrain is gravelly with small rocks underfoot. Then we’ll go on the Vista trail (rocky and narrower, somewhat steep 162 ft elevation gain) to a hilltop vantage point to admire the sweeping views and watch the horizon for fireworks!
Bring sturdy close-toed shoes, water, sun protection, and flashlights (please refrain from using headlamps). Please have $10 cash per vehicle or your annual Maricopa County Parks pass for the entry fee and plan to arrive a few minutes early to stop at the entry gate, find the trailhead, and check in with the ranger. No pets please.
MEETING LOCATION: Trailhead staging area, in front of the restroom building
Limit 50 participants. To register, please call the Nature Center at (602) 506-2930 ext. 4 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Nature Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on 07/02/2026.
PLEASE NOTE: Outdoor summer programs may be canceled on short notice due to severe weather, including extreme heat events. The Maricopa County Parks website (www.maricopa.gov/parks) is the most accurate resource for verifying the program’s current status. Please check the program listing online before coming to the park.