Are you bored with walking around the neighborhood or hiking the same crowded trail? Are you looking to break out of your regular routine and discover new places and experiences? If so, then heres some great news! A never ending world of outdoor enjoyment is just outside your front door. Let me tell you about one of the most under-appreciated, best kept secrets in Arizona. Drum roll please. Im talking about the vast network of trails found in our very own Maricopa County Regional Park System.

We live in the west valley and we find ourselves drawn to three of these wonderful county parks. They are the Estrella Mountain, Lake Pleasant and White Tanks Regional Parks. Heres what we love about them.

At the Estrella Mountain Regional Park, we absolutely love the Rainbow East hike. Weve done this hike alone and we have also done this hike with an interpretive park ranger. The plant life diversity and stunning views make this special. While the hike is about 7 miles or so, it is easy and well worth the three hours.

Next, we cannot spend enough time at Lake Pleasant. What a jewel in the desert! There are dozens of hikes and a seemingly unlimited amount of trails that range from easy to moderately difficult. There are too many great trails to pick a favorite. And of course theres the water and all the sporting opportunities that it offers. But our favorite thing to do at the lake is attend the Stargazing for Everyone event. Youll get expert guidance and advise as you look through a number of telescopes at an unbelievable evening sky. This is perfect for families with children.

Our favorite park of all is the White Tanks Regional Park and it is an unlikely favorite since there is very little water and much of the park is quite rugged. The reason we adore this park so much is because we rarely see anyone else when were hiking. Our favorite trail is the Goat Camp trail which quickly gains altitude and quickly separates us from all of our daily routines and stresses. If youre looking for a challenge, you might try hiking up to the antennae array. Its worth it.

The Maricopa County Regional Parks, are right outside your front door and theyre waiting for you! The entrance fee into each of these parks is $5. This fee helps to keep the parks in great shape and helps to keep many high-impact visitors away. Be sure to ALWAYS have enough water with you and ALWAYS tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

A tradition we have in our household is to visit each of the nine Maricopa County Regional Parks every year. These visits are some of the best times we share as a family. Make a point to get to one of our Regional Parks in the near future you wont regret it. Get Outdoors!

Chuck Fitzgerald, The Outdoor Guy, has written a beginners guide to bird watching called "Learning to Bird." Visit http://www.birdwatchingebook.com to see just how easy and how much fun Bird Watching really is. Chuck is the owner of Arizona based BackCountry Toys, an online store helping you to have fun in the great outdoors. To get maximum enjoyment out of your outdoor life, visit http://www.BackCountryToys.com where youll find great gear and the Tips & Tales e-newsletter, "FreshAir. (800) 316-9055.