COMMUNITY
BIGGER SKYLINE Buckeye's wild land park is growing, with even more to enjoy BY DAVID KENNARD
PARK INFO
Entre fee: Free Trail hours: Sunrise to sunset Gates close: 10 p.m. More info: Call 623-349-6350
Key features of the proposed expansion include new trails that connect to Skyline’s existing 22-mile trail network, barrier-free accessible trails, additional parking areas, restrooms, shaded rest areas, and an entry monument. The North Parcel would also include a non-motorized bike skills area designed to attract local and regional mountain bikers. “The bike skills area is intended for riders ranging in skill level from beginner to advanced as well as spectators,” the plan states. “The adjacent community of Verrado has an active bike community, and it is anticipated that many mountain bikers will use the bike skills course.” The planned bike skills area would utilize the White Tank Mountains’ foothill terrain to offer a range of features for riders, including pump track-style courses, BMX challenge areas, flow trails, and mountain bike trails of varying difficulty, along with training sections for beginners. In April, the city unveiled more than 100 new parking spaces at the park. A statement from the city pointed to the 131 new spaces as a way “to better serve the growing number of visitors enjoying one of Buckeye’s most popular outdoor destinations.” Included in the expansion project are 93 new stalls at the North Trailhead and 38 new stalls at Discovery Point. The $4.2 million project was part of a larger plan designed to increase public access and recreational use at the 8,700 wildland park. The new 640 acres of public land will improve trail connectivity between the existing park and the neighboring Verrado community. “There is no charge to the city to lease the lands. State and local governments may lease BLM lands for recreational use at no charge,” Wonderly said. He said no additional BLM lands exist adjacent to the border of Skyline Regional
T HE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT HAS APPROVED A 25-YEAR LEASE TO THE CITY OF BUCKEYE TO expand Skyline Regional Park. The lease will increase the size of the wildland park by about 640 acres on public land through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act to enhance recreational experiences in the area, according to BLM officials. “This lease is under the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act which allows state and local governments and qualified nonprofit organizations to lease public lands for recreation or other public purposes,” said J. Chris Wonderly, with the Phoenix District Office of Bureau of Land Management. “Under an R&PP lease, all uses must conform to what is allowed in the Act. Proposed uses must be reviewed in a Plan of Development (POD).
“The BLM works closely with applicants/ lessees during POD review to ensure the identified development stays within the allowable scope and complies with the R&PP requirements,” Wonderly said. What the city plans to do with the new acreage has not been confirmed but it 2025, The city included such things as new trails, BMX-style bike areas, parking and outdoor amenities to meet the growing demand from the surrounding Buckeye community and West Valley residents, according to Bureau of Land Management records. As reported in 2025, the Environmental Assessment showed the city planned to lease two new parcels totaling about 640 acres that would create new trailhead facilities on both the North and South parcels, adding to the park’s existing 8,675 acres in the White Tank Mountains.
Top: The White Tank Mountains are alive with beauty, something Skyline Park visitors regularly enjoy. Left: Jim Palmer and the Astronomy Association of Arizona host regular stargazing programs at the park.
InBuckeye.com | May/June 2026
May/June 2026 | InBuckeye.com
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