Parks

Centennial Park is located from Montezuma Avenue to Empire Street and from Park Street to Mildred Road. Centennial Park is one of Cortez’s most requested parks for picnics and small gatherings, as it has two park shelters available for reservation. The park has a wonderful playground for children, a pond with ducks and geese, two and a half miles of paths for walkers and joggers, a disc golf course and restroom facilities.

Veterans Park is located from Main Street to Montezuma Avenue and from Park Street to Mildred Road. Originally City Park, renamed Veterans Park in 2020, it is the oldest of Cortez’s parks with large, mature trees offering ample shade for a relaxing picnic, a playground for younger children, a sand volleyball court, four park shelters for public gatherings, a stage available for performances and restroom facilities.

Parque de Vida is located from Montezuma Avenue to Empire Street and east of Mildred Road to Roger Smith Avenue. Parque de Vida is the newest of the City of Cortez’s parks and offers a wide variety of activities with its three multi-purpose fields, one baseball field, softball field, six basketball nets, four tennis courts, skateboard park, two park shelters available for reservation, playground, sand volleyball court, fishing pond, two miles of paths for walkers and joggers, an amphitheater for community performances and gatherings and restroom facilities.

Denny Lake Park is located off Highway 160 on the east end of Cortez on Denny Street. Denny Lake Park has a playground, park shelters for open use, fishing area with a dock, a mile long walking and jogging path and restroom facilities.

Montezuma Park is located at the corner of Market Street and Montezuma Avenue. Montezuma Park has a restroom facility and plenty of shade from its large, mature trees in making it an excellent spot for a picnic and hosting some community summer events.  One such event has become a staple for the City of Cortez, the Third Thursday event is a free community event held from June through September on the Third Thursday of each month.  There is live music, local food and local artisans and a wide variety of family friendly activities.

Rotary Park is on the east side of Roger Smith Ave. and has 3 younger age and Little League baseball fields.  The Rotary complex also includes two parking lots and a well-maintained BMX track.

Pocket Parks are located around the community in various neighborhoods to offer park space in neighborhoods that had been developed with limited green space available. These neighborhoods are generally located farther away from the major parks.

The City of Cortez Softball Complex is located at 24301 County Road G.2. The complex is used for City League softball games and practices, as well as games and practices for local high schools. It is a three-field lighted complex consisting of two 300 foot fenced fields and one 275 foot fenced field with playground, concession area and restroom facilities.

Carpenter Natural Area can be accessed from two locations. On one end, the Carpenter Trail begins as the sidewalk on the northwest corner of Mildred Road and Empire Street and heads north. At the west end, the trail may be accessed on Lebanon Road north of Highway 491. The open space offers opportunities for hiking, biking, rollerblading, nature watching and native plant identification. The main trail is paved and measures 1.5 miles one way. There are many dirt paths that veer off into the hills. These are perfect for the more adventurous soul who prefers off road hiking and biking.

The Mesa Trail is located at the end of South Cedar Street on one end and at the Mesa Elementary School west parking lot on the other end. The main trail is paved and measures 1 mile one way and passes through the north end of the Hawkins Preserve.