Best Parks: Smucker, West Wetlands Parks

Smucker Park and West Wetlands top the lists of Yuma-area residents' favorite public parks and places to jog or walk, according to a poll of readers by the Yuma Sun.

But Becky Chavez, the city's parks and recreation director, says the city won't rest on its laurels. Improvements are continuing at both parks to make them even more popular.

In the newspaper's annual Yuma's Best survey of readers' favorite places to recreate, shop and eat, Smucker Park was named as Best Place to Jog and Run, while the West Wetlands Park won in the categories of Best Park, Best Picnic Spot and Best Place for a Bike Ride.

At Smucker Park, on Avenue A south of 24th Street, the concrete walking path begins and ends in a circle that is just inches short of a mile, Chavez said. Along the way, it dips and rises as it follows the park's rolling terrain, meaning walkers and joggers will put forth more effort than they would if they were covering level ground.

“The other nice thing is the exercise course,” Chavez added, referring to the chin-up bars and other pieces exercise equipment scattered at sites around the park.

Thanks to voter approval of an extension of Yuma's hospitality tax, the city will be expanding the Smucker Park to the west, Chavez said, and with that expansion will come an extension of the walking path.

“We hope to have a two-mile path, maybe even more,” she said. “There will be a pond to make it interesting visually.”

West Wetlands Park at 2200 W. Water St. covers a 110-acre site that includes the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Memorial Playground for children, a fishing pond, walking and equestrian trails, plus ramadas for picnics and other gatherings.

The area near the pond has served as picturesque spot popular for wedding, and a nearbygarden at the park is planted with flowers that attract hummingbirds. The park also has habitat for burrowing owls.