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Park of Fountain and Waterfowl by azdesertfather  Overview Fountain Park is a 32-acre park with a few key features: a hundred million-gallon lake, hundreds of ducks, and a fountain with two pumps reaching a height of 330 feet. It is illuminated at night by lights in the fountain base as well as beacons from the south bank of the lake. On special occasions such as St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, and Dec. 5 (the anniversary of the town’s incorporation), the fountain reaches 560 feet with all three pumps. Also on special occasions, installed LED lights turn the fountain into six different colors, including emerald green on St. Patrick’s Day. The plume rises from a concrete water lily sculpture in the center of the man-made lake. The fountain operates from 9 am-9 pm, weather permitting (it does not run when winds pass 10 mph), and sprays up to 7,000 gallons of water per minute. It can be seen as far away as the Superstition Mountains or Carefree. The park’s lake is surrounded by a grassy area, containing an 18-hole championship disc golf course, a children’s playground and musical instrument playground, and a splash pad that is open in the warmer months. There are also rentable ramadas that can be reserved online from the town. History The fountain was built in 1970 by Robert McCulloch, who later assembled London Bridge in Lake Havasu. Fountain Hills acquired the fountain site in 1997. At the time of construction, it was the largest fountain in the world (though now the fourth largest — the King Fahad fountain in Saudi Arabia reaches 853 feet). It remains the tallest fountain in daily operation throughout the year in the United States. At one time, towers with large speakers played musical scores as the fountain raised and lowered, but the towers were taken down years ago due to vandalism. Walk The walk is pretty obvious, a concrete path circling the lake. While walking around the lake one will see 36 different metal sculptures, part of the town’s public art collection. The best spot along the loop for a photo op is at the northwest corner, which offers a fountain view with Red Mountain in the background. Along the southwestern part of the loop, there are a few shops, including a restaurant and an ice cream/coffee shop. In this area is also access to a 3.2-mile Civic Center Trail around town, for those wanting to get in a little extra mileage. Along the south side of the loop is a veteran memorial. On the northeast side, there is access to a 2-mile Lake Overlook Trail. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your walk/tour to support this local community. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
