Why so many delinquents around Dreamy Draw? (Phoenix, Parks: apartments, high school)

[BIG CATS]

Is there anyone who frequents the Dreamy Draw Recreational area? Last year I went there to hike, and was shocked to see so many kids there. Im talking teenagers just hanging out in the picnic area at the trailhead there. They were smoking, being loud and obnoxious, etc. Not a big deal, but rather annoying, especially when Im going there to enjoy peace and quiet. I swore Id never go there again, but this weekend I ended up back there again, just to give it another shot. This time it was even worse! Cars in the parking lot bumping music, a couple basically dry humping in the picnic area, a group of Mexican gangster-types (wife beaters, face tattoos) playing music on the trail from their portable speakers, a tweaked-out homeless guy screaming at everyone on the trail from halfway up a hillside.

Needless to say I wont be going to there anymore. If youre looking for a nice, quiet hike, youll need to look elsewhere. Oddly enough, the other side of the park (off of Shea and 40th St) is exceptionally quiet for the most part. Im guessing Dreamy Draw attracts the trouble from the apartments off of Northern Ave? Regardless, Ive had nothing but bad experiences there. Any one else had that problem over there?

[FloppyRunner]

Darn, that's too bad to hear. I never witnessed anything myself (I only ran there from different trailheads and back), but I know back in my high school days rumor was that it was a homosexual...ahem...meetup site.

[locolobo13]

I go there every few weeks. Never seen it that bad. There are a lot of teens hanging out there. Unlike the parking lot off of 40th St there are picnic tables, a volleyball court, a well paved multi-user path and perhaps a little more parking. I guess that attracts the let's go to the park crowd.

They used to let more people park around the corner from the parking lot in the gravel. But I guess they started enforcing the No Parking signs. Too bad in my opinion.

If you're looking to avoid the crowd go in the mornings. There are very few people there in the mornings. Weekends afternoon and evening are definitely crowded. Sunday evenings there are usually some youngsters practicing on the bongo drums over by the horse trailer parking.

BTW: Side note. Used to think all those abandoned mines were old time prospect holes for gold. Somebody told me they were mining mercury in that area.

[ajonesaz]

The problem with public spaces is that...um... they are public.

I have fond memories of the salt river when I was a kid, now I won't even go near it on the weekend. As a matter of fact, any public place on Sunday is a bad idea. It's so sad because these places get trashed!

Wake up and go early, trashy types were up partying the night before and they don't get out until later

[BIG CATS]

The first time I went was pretty early in the morning, around 10AM. They have signs posted everywhere that smoking isnt permitted outside of a vehicle, but people there disregard it, as its seemingly never enforced. The ranger station is never occupied, its anarchy in there it seems.

Plus, there seems to be a bee problem in the park as well. I climbed two of the taller peaks there, and my progress was halted both times by what appeared to be giant beehives. Thats quite frustrating to spend a good 20 minutes climbing a mountain just to have to turn around and head back down for fear of being stung. Who knows if those bees are Africanized or not? Im not sticking around long enough to find out. hahahaha

[observer53]

Have you reported any of this (the people issues or the bees) to Phoenix Parks and Recreation? I'd give that a try. The bees are probably easier for them to deal with than the people, but it's worth a try.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by observer53

Have you reported any of this (the people issues or the bees) to Phoenix Parks and Recreation? I'd give that a try. The bees are probably easier for them to deal with than the people, but it's worth a try.

I walked to the ranger station right near the entrance (marked with a cheesy piece of wood and a unprofessional "ranger station" stenciled on it with spray paint), but of course it was empty. They need to boot out the loitering crowd, and take care of the bees. And get people to turn off those stupid portable speakers. Those should be outlawed in parks to begin with! Sorry, but I dont wanna hear your stupid rap "music" when Im trying to enjoy the solitude of the desert.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by locolobo13

BTW: Side note. Used to think all those abandoned mines were old time prospect holes for gold. Somebody told me they were mining mercury in that area.

Yep, that's where "Dreamy Draw" got its name. The exposure to mercury the miners in the draw suffered caused dementia (and thus made them "dreamy" in cowboy slang). Hat-makers in Victorian England used mercury to block and shape felt hats and suffered the same mental deterioration, which led to the phrase "mad as a hatter" and thus Lewis Carroll's creation of the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland."

At nighttime, there was (at least fairly recently) a lot of gay meet-ups in around the parking lot, which was apparently considered a gay cruising spot - a couple of years ago, my kids and I went there to look for fluorescent rocks and minerals with a black light on a very dark night and almost tripped over a couple of men doing things to each other in the dark out in the underbrush, and almost tripped over a couple more groupings when we realized what was going on and were trying to get out of there quick-like.

[Arizona Mike]

There's all sort of craziness that's been associated with Dreamy Draw. Some UFO buffs claim a crashed UFO is buried under the dam: Is there a UFO under Dreamy Draw dam? - Openminds.tv

[grmi66]

The northwest corner of Dreamy Draw's parking lot is the "George Michael" section. Parked over there a few years ago and couldn't figure out why all these guys were just sitting in their cars shooting me hopeful looks.

Personally there is nothing more annoying than people playing music on their smart phones while out on the local trails. Usually do not say anything if I am on one of the urban trails like Squaw Peak or North Mountain. But if I am out in the Superstitions and in the designated wilderness part of the trail system I will tell people to turn their music off. People seemed shocked that no one wants to hear their music up and down the trail.