Litchfield Park

Litchfield Park is a small, leafy city carved out of the old Goodyear cotton operations and named for Paul Litchfield, the Goodyear executive who developed the area. Where most of the West Valley is wide and new, Litchfield Park is compact, shaded, and historic — a planned town wrapped around a resort whose roots date to 1918.

That resort, The Wigwam, is the centerpiece: a historic AAA Four-Diamond property with three golf courses, gardens, and a long roster of weddings and events. The walkable village center around it — Litchfield Road and the Wigwam — hosts art fairs, farmers markets, and the popular Litchfield Park festival weekends.

The whole town is unusually green for the desert, with mature trees, the Litchfield Park Recreation Center, and small parks that make it a favorite for strolling and stroller-pushing alike. It's surrounded by Goodyear and Avondale, so it makes a natural base for exploring the southwest Valley.

Litchfield Park is a half-day kind of place: brunch or golf at the Wigwam, a wander through the village, and a festival if the calendar lines up. The shade and the historic feel make it one of the more pleasant West Valley walks even on a warm day.