SURPRISE, AZ — As triple-digit temperatures persist across the Valley, many West Valley families say they're looking for more places to cool off, with one of the region's newest attractions drawing visitors from well beyond Surprise city limits.
At Rescue Oasis Park in Surprise, children sprint through fountains and splash features while parents seek relief from the summer heat.
“We love going to the pool, obviously, coming to the splash pad,” said Surprise resident Amanda Cattolica. “We have our own pool, but it's still nice to come out to the splash pad.”
Families say water attractions remain one of the few reliable ways to spend time outdoors during Arizona's hottest months.
“We either stay at home and have like a kiddie pool or splash pad for them there, or we go to the Buckeye one,” said Buckeye resident Elena Duarte.
Rescue Oasis Park, located near Cactus Road, opened about a year ago and has quickly become a destination for residents throughout the West Valley. The city built the park in an area expected to see significant future growth, but visitors say its appeal extends far beyond Surprise.
“We had to drive 30 minutes to come to this because we didn't feel like there's any other really neat water parks for the kids to do more in our area,” said Lauri West, a West Valley resident.
The demand comes as summer recreation options become more limited with the return of the school year.
Surprise's three public pools are now operating only on weekends through the end of September, a schedule city officials say is driven largely by staffing. Many lifeguards are high school and college students who return to classes in August.
“It gets quite busy. We are really popular over here on the west side,” said Paris Johnson, the city's aquatics supervisor. “People from all over the Valley come in and enjoy the pools. We do have a resident and non-resident rate.”
The popularity of the city's aquatic facilities highlights a broader challenge facing the fast-growing West Valley. While communities continue adding housing and residents, some families believe recreational amenities have not always kept pace.
For now, residents are making use of existing parks, pools and splash pads. City officials say no additional public pools are currently planned.
Still, many parents hope future growth will bring more year-round recreation options, particularly facilities that can operate during the hottest parts of the summer.
“Maybe more indoor options, especially for the summer, would be great,” Cattolica said. “Maybe more splash pads would be good, splash pads like this.”
Others say future investments should focus on amenities designed specifically for younger children and families.
“We don't have to have the big deep-end pool stuff open, but more things geared toward the younger families,” West said.
