Parks & Recreation
Tempe Beach Park
The crown jewel of the park areas at Tempe Town Lake is Beach Park, originally built in 1931 and completely renovated in 1999 as part of the construction of the lake. The 25-acre park has been the historical central park for Tempe since the 1920's. Nearly every weekend park visitors can participate in a 10K run, watch a concert or take part in a community festival.
Located in Tempe Beach Park, Cox Splash Playground is a FREE water park that lets kids safely get wet in the warmer months of the year.
For information about reserving picnic tables in Tempe Beach Park go to picnic table reservations or call (480) 350-8625.
6th Street Park
In a second phase of development, Sixth Street Park was expanded to 3 acres in 2009 as part of the construction of a 400-space parking structure next to City Hall. Tempe transformed the left-behind street level parking lot into the second part of Sixth Street Park, a green oasis in the middle of busy downtown. The expansion brings more grass, plazas, trees and art to Mill Avenue. It also features a curvilinear great walk with patterned brickwork, a shade trellis which doubles as a band shell and an artistic sundial.
Hayden Butte or ‘A’ Mountain
The view of downtown Tempe and the Town Lake merits, at the very least, a one-time pilgrimage up Hayden Butte's flanks, especially for Valley newcomers and ASU students. Try it at night, when the summer heat's cooled off and you can see the lights strung over the Mill Avenue Bridge reflected in the lake. Two words describe this hike perfectly: Short and sweet.
The Tempe Normal School class of 1918 was responsible for installing the first letter on Tempe Butte. When the school changed its name to Tempe State Teachers College in 1925, students retained one side of the "N" to form the stem of the "T."
The school changed its name to Arizona State Teachers College, and in 1938, the letter "A" was installed on the butte. In 1952, a bomb blast destroyed the letter. The present "A" stands 60 feet tall and was built of reinforced steel and concrete in 1955.
Guarding the "A"
Each year, during the week leading up to the ASU vs. UofA football game, the Student Alumni Association coordinates the guarding of our beloved gold "A" from being painted by UofA students.
Linear Park Path
Both a packed earth and paved sidewalk line both sides of Tempe Town Lake. These twin pathways, connected by the Mill Avenue, Rural Road and Priest Road bridges, enable pedestrians and cyclists to make their way around Town Lake.
Giuliano Park
From Rural Road to the Mill Avenue Bridge, this stretch of the south shore of Tempe Town Lake is dedicated to former Mayor Neil Giuliano. It features a small amphitheater, picnic areas and a boat dock designed to enable those with physical challenges.
SRP Town Lake Marina
The 13-acre SRP Town Lake Marina is located on the north side of Tempe Town Lake south of Loop 202 at College Avenue. The marina offers a 5-lane boat launch ramp, a safe harbor for City boats, a large grassy amphitheater for picnics, and quiet times.
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