Freestone's Lakes Are Drained This Fall, and Gilbert Regional Park's New Front Door Opens in November

On a Thursday in early October, volunteers in protective gear walked into the south lake at Freestone Park after a safety briefing. They were looking for turtles. According to ABC15, Crystal's Critter Haven and East Valley Wildlife had already taken more than 50 animals out of the park, including at least eight turtles, as the Town lowered the water for construction. Work on the north lake was further along, so only construction crews could go there.

For many north Gilbert households, Freestone at 1045 E Juniper Road has been the default park. This fall it is a phased work site, and the Town's posted schedule keeps the lakes closed until May 2027. Across town, Gilbert Regional Park gets its biggest upgrade since it opened. The new Ocotillo Bridge has its grand opening with a festival on November 21. Until spring, the town's lake-park routine moves south, and the Town's own project list explains why.

The Freestone closures, in order

The closures at Freestone come in stages, so the park you find depends on the week you go. Here is the Town's current schedule:

1. June 2026 through May 2027. Both lakes are closed.
2. September 14 through November 20, 2026. The Lower Basin Fields and the Tot Lot Playground are closed.
3. November 23, 2026 through January 9, 2027. The Middle Playground and the restrooms next to it close.

The ballfields and skate park are also getting repairs, which the Town listed as 75% complete and scheduled through fall 2026. Freestone's park page still lists the Freestone Railroad, the antique carousel, the mini Ferris wheel and three ramadas you can reserve. The current closure notice doesn't say which of these are running during construction. Before planning a birthday around the train, call the park line at (480) 503-6200. The Town has also said the dates may shift with weather, construction progress and operating needs.

The Freestone Recreation Center at 1141 E. Guadalupe Road keeps its regular weekly hours on its Town page. That page says nothing about construction affecting access.

Why the water had to come out

The drained lakes are part of a town-wide program. A 2024 assessment study led Gilbert to renovate several urban lakes. At Freestone, the work includes dredging, new lake liners, testing for sediment and seepage, upgraded pumps and aeration, reconditioned pump stations, and removing some turf to cut down on runoff. The Town also says it will restore habitat and bring back native species once the work is finished.

Gilbert told ABC15 it wrote a wildlife relocation plan with its contractor before construction began. After residents raised concerns, the Town started working more closely with local rescue groups. Crystal White, who runs Crystal's Critter Haven, described the effort to ABC15 this way:

"I think it's a learning experience for everybody. That's what we need more of and having a clear plan to start with, that would be ideal for me."

The published plans cover the lake's infrastructure and habitat. They don't list any new visitor features on the water or name a reopening day in May.

The lake on the south side stays full

Gilbert Regional Park, at 3005 E. Queen Creek Road near Higley, is open 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. It has a 7-acre lake with a fishing pier and a half-mile path. A separate one-mile walking path loops around the lake and the event area, which includes an amphitheater, a 10-acre event lawn and the Friendship Garden.

For Freestone regulars who fish, here are the rules at the Regional Park lake. It is a catch-and-keep community fishing lake with these daily limits per person:

• Two trout
• Two channel catfish
• One largemouth bass, at least 13 inches
• Five sunfish
• One white amur, at least 30 inches

Anglers age 10 and older need a fishing license. Swimming, wading and boating are not allowed.

Families who used Freestone's playgrounds have two options here. The Mountain has a 17-foot play structure, slides and a zip-line. The Creek is built for toddlers. The Falls splash pad covers 4,000 square feet with 57 water features, and its posted hours run 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. through November 30. There are also basketball courts, first-come, first-served pickleball, six lit sand volleyball courts and six tennis courts.

Freestone's own plans make the comparison clear. Its biggest planned additions are a new pickleball complex and a splash pad, which the Town says will widen recreation choices for north Gilbert. That project is still in design, listed at 60% complete. The Regional Park already has both.

The bridge changes how you get there

Until now, you reached Gilbert Regional Park from its corner at Higley and Queen Creek. The Ocotillo Road extension adds an east-west route. It is a 0.85-mile corridor from Greenfield Road to Higley Road that gives the park a direct connection. It includes three vehicle bridges, a box culvert and dedicated pedestrian bridges over the Roosevelt Water Conservation District Canal, the East Maricopa Floodway, the Chandler Heights Regional Basin and Queen Creek Wash.

More than 6,000 residents gave input on the bridge design. The Town calls it the signature gateway to the 272-acre park. The Town Council approved the $112 million project in June 2024. The design residents picked is called "Palo Verde," and the Town's construction photos show arches going up and shaded lookout decks on the pedestrian bridge. In its update dated August 27, 2026, the Town listed the project at 75% complete, with crews installing lighting, shade structures and handrails.

The opening is on Saturday, November 21, from 4 to 9 p.m. This year the Gilbert Days Festival is combined with the Ocotillo Bridge Grand Opening. There will be live music, food and drinks, and a family area with inflatables and backyard games. All activities inside the event are free, and it goes on rain or shine. East Valley rock band Double Deuce is on the lineup. The Town hasn't said when Ocotillo Road opens to car traffic, so the November date is for the bridge celebration, not the commute.

Future trail connections off the corridor are still possibilities that depend on access agreements.

A fall calendar that works around both parks

A busy event calendar comes with being the open park. Gilbert Regional Park closes completely for one weekend in October. The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, at 2757 E Guadalupe Road in north Gilbert, has its own seasonal programs on 1.5 miles of trails.

November 21 is the busiest day on the list. You could take the morning survival class at the Riparian Preserve and still reach the bridge opening by late afternoon. The Smoke Show closure is the one to plan around. Anyone who walks the Regional Park lake loop on weekends will need another spot from midday Friday, October 23, until early Sunday.

What Freestone gets back, and when the south side grows again

Recovery at Freestone runs on overlapping schedules. The lake and irrigation work is set for summer 2026 through spring 2027. The pickleball and splash pad complex is still being designed. Paying for the projects to fix what is already there, the Town lists the General Fund and replacement funds.

The south side is set to grow further. On September 15, the council approved more than $99 million in construction packages for Gilbert Regional Park and Desert Sky Park by a 5–2 vote, according to ABC15 and the Arizona Republic. The Regional Park package covers a six-field youth softball complex, with parking, shade, restrooms, a playground and infrastructure. Phase 2 construction runs from summer 2026 to summer 2028, and the Town lists it at 10% complete. Plans also include bike and skate parks, a dog park and disc golf, with the public opening expected by summer 2028.

Freestone's lakes are scheduled to reopen in May 2027, about a year before the Regional Park's next phase opens.

If you live near either park and want to talk about how projects like these fit into your own plans in Gilbert, Camille Kennard can walk you through it with care and discretion. When you're ready, start with a free home valuation.