How to Play Safe in Mesa’s Parks

Your experience will be enhanced if you plan ahead and use common sense. Travel within your equipment and fitness’s capabilities to manage changing weather conditions. Only go to parks, trails, and routes that you know are open legally and are dry enough to travel and use. You may avoid crowds in high-use areas by visiting parks and other public places early in the morning or during the weekdays.

Common decency will go a long way toward ensuring that others, as well as yourself, have a great experience. Good trail and camp habits protect the ecosystem and the opportunity to enjoy these places in the future.

Please respect the rights of others and follow all park rules while you enjoy Mesa’s numerous and varied parks. 

Park Rangers in Mesa have the authority to issue parking citations, verbal warnings, written warnings, or criminal citations for city code violations in Mesa, including but not limited to: parks, retention basins, sports complexes (baseball, soccer, softball, etc.), tennis centers, pools, libraries, developed and undeveloped city property, bike or multi-use paths, recreation centers, and more.

Mesa Park Rangers also have the same power in places where special events are held, such as city-sponsored events. Park Rangers also participate in educational programs with Mesa Public Schools and Gilbert Public Schools, such as completing clinics with Arizona Game and Fish, creative programming such as scorpion hunts, nature and wildlife education, and special events.

Here are some of the things to keep in mind to make sure you’ll be able to play safe in Mesa’s parks. Any of the following activities are prohibited in any of the City of Mesa Parks & Recreation facilities:  

Access to the Park Facilities

• Enter or remain in parks, retention basins, or recreation facilities after their official operational hours have passed, unless the department has obtained a special permit.
• After being ejected, you may enter, remain in, or refuse to leave any park, retention basin, or recreational area.
• Without permission or permit, enter or remain in any location that is closed, whether permanently, temporarily, or due to event permit use. 
• Possessing or drinking alcoholic beverages, beer, or wine, without a valid beer or wine permit has been obtained from the City. 

Animals in the Park

• Animals are not permitted in any Mesa playground, including playground equipment, sand, or wood chips, for hygiene reasons.
• Animals or wildlife should not be harmed, released, or removed. 
• Riding horses or bringing equestrian animals into park, recreation, or commercial facility premises other than approved bridal pathways, trails, or other equestrian zones is prohibited. At present moment, Red Mountain Park’s east side is the only park having designated bridal trails or equestrian usage. 
• Without permission or a permit, animals other than dogs are not permitted in any park retention basin or leisure area. 

Littering 

• Disposing of garbage or litter in a city park that does not have an appropriate garbage or recycling collection container. 
• Remove, gather, or disrupt solid waste or garbage that has been placed in a solid waste receptacle for collection, recycling, or disposal by the City.
• Remove, gather, or disrupt recyclable items that have been placed in a designated recycling receptacle for collection for recycling or disposal by the City.
• Throwing or throwing any material or material into or near any park, retention basin, or recreational facility’s fountain, pond, splash pad, lake, stream, swimming pool, or other body of water.
• Having any glass containers on hand.

Use of Metal Detectors in the Parks

• In open sports fields, such as baseball or softball outfields, no digging or detecting is permitted. 
• In planted areas with crushed granite ground cover, no digging or detecting is permitted. 
• On or near footpaths, trails, bike routes, and other similar areas, no digging or detecting is permitted.
• Only hand tools are used.
• Any displaced material should be covered and compacted down to grade level as soon as possible.