El Rio Preserve

Alma Alvarado

A picnic table under a Ramada, a nice walking path and a porta potty. It's nice for photographing landscapes of the mountains, but there isn't a whole lot to do for the kids. Maybe you could fly a kite but this park is utilized by walkers, runners, and bicyclists because of the loop. There is a small playground with some basic equipment at the East of parking but you will need to stay on the pathway to get there. Bring water, a hat, sunscreen and a snack if you like. It's not a good spot to watch fireworks because they are all so far away. One more thing, please keep your dog leashed.

Kenneth Mitchell

Great Marana area park. Nice to see water being added to appropriate area, with some visiting waterfowl also liking it. Frequent visits all times of the year. Thanks town of Marana!

Melissa Moreno

Love, love the sunsets here. Great spot for birdwatching and an evening walk. So peaceful quiet and idyllic.

K7MAP

TL:DR, It is more of a local spot for residents of Continental Ranch to look at as they walk or bike along The Loop, vs. a destination for other folks. This came up in my feed to review I was like, what place is that? O yea, the man made "lake" by my house. I think it is about 1 or 2 feet deep and the lake evaporates quickly if there are no recent storms in the area. There is a sign that tells you what you CAN NOT do there. It is pretty exhaustive. Just look. That is the extent of any allowed recreational activities. The area use to be a Frisbee Park. Not sure if much of it still exists for use anymore. The runoff from the Ina Rd sewage treatment plant that makes the Santa Cruz river run near Ina/Cortero/Twin Peaks, does not feed the lake. It needs rain runoff to fill up. Most of the water is on the far West side of the property. It seems to have some water in it maybe 5 or 6 months out of the year. When there is water in it, it is very cool. Lots of birds. Good Wetlands photography opportunities if you are into that. It is at the base of the northern most part of the Tucson mountains. There is nothing to do there but look. There is a small ramada on the west end of the lake with a couple of tables and a couple of benches where you can watch the lake. If you have a 12 gage shotgun and a Lab, you could probably bag a couple of ducks before the Marana Police show up.