Description:​​

Christopher Columbus Regional Park is a unique urban water park that offers boating, birding, fishing, and much more in two large Tucson lakes.  The 13-acre Silverbell Lake is used for both recreational boating and community fishing.  The smaller Archer Lake is reserved exclusively for remote-controlled model boats.  The lakes are filled with reclaimed water from the nearby Sweetwater water treatment facility.  The cool clear water attracts a variety of birdlife, from wintering ducks to great blue herons.

The park entrance is marked with a large sign along the Santa Cruz riverbed, easily visible from Silverbell Road.  After driving into the park, the leftmost driveway leads to the main parking lot which includes restrooms, drinking fountains, and information signs.  This is also the location of the primary boat launch.  The parking lot, and many of the picnic tables, are shaded with large arrays of solar panels.

The main attraction of the 230-acre grassy park is the one-mile hiking trail around Silverbell Lake that is ideal for picnicking and birding under mature shade trees and spacious ramadas.  The trail begins with a paved sidewalk that merges smoothly into a flat packed-earth path that circles Silverbell Lake.  

Hikers can take a gentle stroll along the lake with up-close views of waterfowl and long-distance views of mountains in all directions.  Park flora offers a wide variety, ranging from native desert habitat to aquatic plants such as rushes and willows.  At one point, the Park trail links with Tucson’s Chuck Huckleberry Loop which is a popular cycling path along the Santa Cruz River.

Other Park attractions include a circular airfield for hobbyists using remote-controlled unmanned aircraft, and a 1-acre, lighted dog park with a fountain, a scrambling area, and a shade ramada.  These park assets have the drawback of noise associated with barking dogs and gas-powered motors.  

This park, formerly named Silverbell Park, was named after Christopher Columbus in 1990 to celebrate the 500-year anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World.  It is a busy outdoor adventure for visitors of all ages, interests, and abilities.