Story and photos by Cheryl Hartz
For a wonder-filled holiday experience, Tempe’s Papago Park by day and Zoolights right across the street by night, more than delivers.
In December 2019, my husband and I parked our small camper – decorated outside with a wreath and light string and inside with holiday linens, rugs, mugs, and a miniature poinsettia – at a nearby RV park for a couple of nights so we wouldn’t have to drive the two hours home late at night after each outing. We visited snowbird relatives in Mesa, hit up the local REI store, and spent some time in the hot tub.
The short trip’s highlight was an afternoon at Papago Park and the evening at the Phoenix Zoo’s Zoolights. It was a no-brainer to hike the park, because we wouldn’t have to face Phoenix rush hour traffic to drive across to the Zoo’s parking lot for the 5 p.m. opening. Also, because the Zoo closed early and you needed a separate admission to Zoolights anyway, it made sense to hike rather than spend the afternoon with the animals. But you can opt to wait in the parking lot an hour (it might be two this year) if you’d rather see the animals first. Most are not on display in the dark.
We parked at the west side of Papago Park and hiked the Butte Loop Trail. It’s a moderate 2.3 miles, with some ups and downs and begins by skirting the Phoenix Municipal Golf Course. It circles the Big Butte and passes an off-shoot around Little Butte. The Phoenix skyline is visible at many points, and the Eliot Ramada offered a rest area, along with a loop of the same name, around the far side of the golf course. (Ramadas are closed temporarily, due to the pandemic.)
Hiking around on the buttes, we had to watch our step, but the sandstone rock formations were interesting and worth a closer look.
Bicyclists and runners took full advantage of the paved sections and mild temperatures the afternoon we spent at Papago Park.
The park has no entrance fee, but also no restrooms, and possibly no water this year.
The east side of Papago Park, on the opposite side of Galvin Parkway and next to the Desert Botanical Garden, features Hole-in-the-Rock. That might be this year’s trip for us, along with another visit to Zoolights. I genuinely was surprised at how much I enjoyed that and really want to share it with my adult offspring.
A call in September to the Phoenix Zoo confirmed that the organization will once again offer the magnificent, magical Zoolights display, with tickets going on sale Oct.1. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, expect some restrictions, and call the zoo or go online to double check how they’re handling it when you get ready to go. At the time of this writing, Phoenix required face coverings, with some exemptions. Go online to check and make reservations. You also may call 602-914-4333 for information on reservations.
Even having heard about the annual Zoolights holiday tradition, the millions of rainbow-colored lights and animal sculpture displays were dazzling when I saw them for the first time. With a light tunnel as you enter, and net lighting around many shrubs and towering trees, the magic is everywhere you cast your eyes. For the ears, familiar secular holiday music plays.
The Wildlife Lantern Safari features 66 larger-than-life-size creatures aglow from within. They run the gamut from birds and reptiles to hippos, lions and tigers and bears. Even a woolly mammoth stands guard.
Music-in-Motion happens around the lake every half hour and you’ll want to watch it more than once to take in the dancing lights synchronized to lively music. We actually circled the whole zoo twice, with a break for dinner at the café.
It takes a four-person crew about 20 weeks to install the massive display, beginning in June and wrapping at the end of October. They use only LED lights on all of these amazing 2-D and 3-D features.
For more information on Papago Park, call the Ranger office at 602-495-5458. Or visit online at: phoenix.gov/parks/trails.
Happy holiday hiking!
