Since that raging fire at Agua Caliente Park on the far eastside of Tucson two years ago, I haven’t been back to that palm-tree encircled hot springs. I keep the memory of walking the trails and around the lake, a “Before” image, in my mind’s eye and in photos on this website. I’m avoiding doing an “After” post. But thinking of finding a similar park, I drove north to Christopher Columbus Park with the idea that it would be not too different. Both have lakes, palms, and trails, and both are being updated, but in very different ways.
There are two lakes at Christopher Columbus park, both stocked with fish by AZ Game and Fish Department. Fishing is currently banned in the smaller Archer Lake. However, little girls can still feed the mallards, coots and domesticated ducks that scoot along the Archer lakeshore.
The fisherman were stationed at widely separated points along the shoreline of the much larger Silverbell Lake. But two men were casting their lines from a small boat/raft. No one seemed to be having much luck even though one fisherman told me the AZGF had supposedly re-stocked the lake a week ago.
Two things impressed me the most about this park: 1) the serenity and 2) the scenic beauty. While I don’t usually do “scenic” posts on this blog here are some photos that speak to the serenity and scenic beauty on a chilly Saturday morning in January.
Now about the birds whose chirping and singing could be heard throughout the park. One eucalyptus tree seemed to be home to the noisiest flock. Here it is and, below, is a photo looking up into the tree trying to spy the little black birds. (Not crows!)
About the upgrades/updates at Agua Caliente and Christopher Columbus Parks. Out on the eastside Pima County is restoring Agua Caliente to what it was before and adding a desert garden near the entrance. At the Christopher Columbus Park the City of Tucson is adding baseball diamonds, soccer fields and nighttime lighting, so it will become noisier than it is now.
One other item of note: the PACC shelter is adjacent to the southern edge of the Park and volunteer pet walkers are roaming around with dogs on leashes. And there is a very large dog park where big dogs can run free.
I’m happy I found this park.
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