While not full implemented, many of the elements the structures, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, called for in the original plan, are still standing and used. Today, the 16,500-acre South Mountain Park is the largest city park in the nation and part of Phoenix's Mountain Preserve System. Phoenix 1920 5.1 Sq. Miles, Population 29,033 Other significant preservation efforts include the acquisition of 1,100 acres of unique land forms known today as Papago Park. Recreation amenities within the picturesque desert setting include The Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden, urban fishing, picnicking, and one of the ten best municipal golf courses in the country.
Visitation exceeds two million annually.
In the late '60s civic leaders joined forces with U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and Lady Bird Johnson to acquire another regional landmark, Camelback Mountain. Three-hundred and fifty acres above the 1,800 feet elevation were acquired with an additional 76 acres below to provide the Echo Canyon trail head. This trail is the second most popular trail in the PRLD system with an average of 350,000 users per day. Valley horsemen realizing development was fast approaching the southern slopes of Squaw Peak, the northern limit of the city at that time, took the current Mayor and City Council on a morning ride to demonstrate the beauty and recreational potential of the Phoenix Mountains. After a detailed master plan was completed by Van Cleeve and Associates in 1972, the City Council established the Phoenix Mountain Preserves.