Before the city could post a single photo of its new bike park, word had already gotten out. In its Rec Report on Signal Butte Park Phase II, the city says construction crews found trespassers trying to get some riding in before opening. It also says city staff were told not to post anything official on social media until the announcement went out on October 7. The author of that post was handed a BMX bike by a rider at the track and started in the intermediate section. After a few runs, she wrote, her confidence was up.
The park opens officially this Saturday, November 7, and from then on Signal Butte Park runs two separate winter days. South of the wash, the original park's splash pad closes at 4 p.m. North of it, the new bike park stays lit until 10 p.m.
North of the wash: what opens Saturday
Phase II covers about 43 acres at 3355 S. Signal Butte Road. The entrance is next to Fire Station 219. The city calls it the largest asphalt pump track in Arizona and puts the cost at $5 million. The money came from Mesa's 2018 general obligation bonds, and Valley Rain Construction was the contractor, according to the city's project page. The Arizona Republic reported that construction started in early February 2026. That's about nine months from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting.
The riding areas are split by skill level:
| Section | Who it's built for | What the city says about it |
|---|---|---|
| Tot track | Beginners and young kids | Described as the beginner track |
| Intermediate pump track | Riders past the basics | Multiple transfer opportunities |
| Advanced flow trails | Experienced riders | Listed among the main attractions |
| 1.25-mile walking loop | Anyone not on a bike | Circles the tracks |
There's also a BBQ zone, ramadas, restrooms and a new parking lot. The project page lists one large ramada and two small ones, pathway lighting on the paved sections, and 1.6 miles of asphalt and stabilized native-soil paths. The lighting is the feature that changes how the park gets used. The city says LED lights will keep the bike park open until 10 p.m. every day, with minimal light spill past the park boundaries.
South of the wash: the park that opened in 2020
A new pedestrian bridge over the wash connects the bike park to the original Signal Butte Park, which opened in 2020. The city's facility page for Signal Butte Park lists 76.7 acres, a 1.5-mile walking loop, a playground, a splash pad, restrooms, picnic tables and a reservable ramada.
The two sides split here. The facility snapshot gives two splash pad schedules: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through October, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November through February. The bike park opens just as the splash pad moves to its short winter hours. So in November, the water side of the park closes at 4 p.m. and the riding side stays open six more hours. The general park hours are "Sunrise - 10 PM or as posted," which matches the bike park's 10 p.m. close.
In practice, a family can do the splash pad and playground in the afternoon, eat at a ramada, then cross the bridge for an evening on the pump track, without moving the car. The author of the city's Rec Report put it plainly: "night riding, in cooler weather, is the better way to go."
The facility page also says the east construction area is closed until December 2026, and that the closure doesn't affect park amenities.
How it lines up with the tracks riders already drive to
Until now, East Valley riders had a few options, each with its own hours and rules. The new track is asphalt and lit, which sets it apart from all of them on at least one count.
| Bike park | Address | Surface and size | Posted hours | Weather note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Butte Park Phase II, Mesa | 3355 S. Signal Butte Rd. | Asphalt pump track, about 43 acres total | Lit until 10 p.m. daily | None posted for the track yet |
| Desert Trails Park, Mesa | 2955 N. Recker Rd. | Dirt trails, pump track and kids' skills track in a 37.09-acre park | Sunrise to 10 p.m. | Closed when raining or muddy |
| Mansel Carter Oasis Park, Queen Creek | 19535 E. Appleby Rd. | About 150 by 120 feet, mostly asphalt and rubber | Track 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Closed in inclement weather |
| Espee Park bike park, Chandler | 450 E. Knox Rd. | 25,000 square feet, BMX only | Winter 8 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. | Closed until 2:30 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month for maintenance |
Desert Trails is the closest comparison inside Mesa, and it's on the opposite side of the city in northeast Mesa. It opened in 2014. The city's Desert Trails Park page tells riders to stay off the bike trails, pump track and skills track "when the ground is wet enough to allow the dirt to stick to your shoes or wheels." The Signal Butte track is paved, so that dirt rule doesn't fit it. The city hasn't published a wet-weather policy for the new track, though, so check posted signs after a storm.
Mansel Carter's track is the smallest on the list. It opened in March 2024 and cost $700,000, according to the Queen Creek Independent. Queen Creek's facility regulations require a helmet, pads and wrist guards on its pump track and ban electric bikes and other motorized devices in town parks. Mesa's rules work differently, so if you ride both tracks, the gear and e-bike rules change at the town line.
Mesa's park rules, in the city's own words
Mesa updated its park rules this year. The rules page says, "Effective Feb. 11, 2026, Class 1 and Class 2 E-Bikes, electric standup scooters, and electric miniature scooters may be ridden within a Mesa park on park sidewalks. Maximum speed within a park is no more than 5 mph." The same page also lists bicycles and e-bikes on multi-use paths and trails among prohibited uses. Elsewhere it tells bicyclists on multi-use paths to yield to pedestrians. The posted signs at Signal Butte are the best guide to how those two rules apply on site.
For helmets, the city's e-bike page says riders under 18 must wear one when riding an e-bike or e-scooter on public rights-of-way, under Arizona law. Helmet use is strongly recommended for everyone else. This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, go by the city's published rules and the signs at the park.
Saturday morning, step by step
The city calendar lists the grand opening for Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. It's free, with speeches, a ribbon cutting, snacks and refreshments.
- Plan for limited parking. The city has warned that parking is limited. The new lot is small for an event this size, so arrive early or have someone drop you off.
- Use the entrance next to Fire Station 219 on Signal Butte Road for the new section.
- Start small if you're new. The tot track is the beginner area. The intermediate pump track is where the city's own writer found her footing.
- Walk the bridge south afterward. The original park's playground and splash pad are on the other side of the wash, and the splash pad runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on its November schedule.
- Come back after dark if you want to see the park on its other schedule. The lights stay on until 10 p.m.
Mesa Parks and Recreation staff call Phase II the city's biggest project completion since last year's Reed Park revamp. The new section has its own parking lot, its own lighting and its own 10 p.m. close, which makes Signal Butte Park a different place at 7 p.m. in December than it was a year ago.
New parks change how people spend their time in a neighborhood, and that's part of what we track for southeast Mesa clients at Inspired Real Estate Life. If you want to know how places like Signal Butte Park fit into a move within Mesa or across the East Valley, ask us for a Personalized Market Plan and we'll put one together for you.
