Riparian Institute the Greatest Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gilbert Area

Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is a treasure in the middle of a busy city

My cousins and I were on a week holiday at our aunt’s home in New Mexico. We stayed there but eventually got bored within two days, and that’s when our uncle suggested about going on a road trip to Gilbert. We had heard about Gilbert before but never had been there, and so we agreed immediately and started seeking places to visit in Gilbert, and that’s when we came around Water Ranch. After driving for a day and a half, we were finally in Gilbert.

Knowing Riparian Preserve

Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is a lake located at 2757 E Guadalupe Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85234, east of Greenfield Rd and south of Guadalupe Dr.  We decided to drive to the Riparian Institute because it was a little far to walk. The preserve was created by the Town of Gilbert in 1999 to combine water resources, wildlife habitat, educational programs, and recreational opportunities.

The Riparian Preserve is a natural preserve, it has seven human made ponds, and the water in the pond is the recycled water from the town of Gilbert. The preserve gives residents more than 250 species of birds, plants, mammals, etc. Along with sightseeing, they also conduct educational programs for research and studies.

Beautiful Infrastructure

The infrastructure is do enduring and mesmerizing, perfect for Instagram pictures. They have finely designed walls, guest house, parking lot, and my favourite place which we named “friends circle”. There is a fishing lake where you can try fishing, a beautiful play area at the entry which will definitely catch your eyesight, bridge in between lake makes it more charming also a good place for perfect pictures with perfect lighting. The area expands almost 110 acres which are very massive…

There are places with sheds where you can sit and enjoy the view, a kid garden and most exciting a dinosaur bone pit, where kids can have to find dinosaur bones from that pit. Unfortunately, it is only for kids. A huge public is built exactly side the parking lot. They have designed a brilliant place to sit or even discover hundreds of birds, plant.

A perfect place for everything

Who knew we would land here from New Mexico and discover this beautiful place? When we visited, the weather was perfect, making our experience even more enduring. We spent almost 3-4 hours walking and experiencing the wildlife there and the rest of the time appreciating that place. Once we ventured this amazing place, we were hooked completely rather shocked that such a place did exist in such a busy town.

Address: 2757 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert.

Note: This is not the address for the office. This is the address for the Preserve itself.

Directions: Take US 60 to the Greenfield Road Exit. South on Greenfield and drive south to Guadalupe. The entrance to the parking lot is east of Greenfield on Guadalupe.

There is no charge for admission to Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve.

The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch Fishing Lake is open from dawn to 10 p.m. The Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, 365 days per year.

The Riparian Institute office is located in the Community Services Building at 90 E. Civic Center Drive in Gilbert. The Riparian Institute mailing address is 50 E Civic Center Drive, Gilbert, Arizona 85296

For more information, call the Riparian Institute at 480-503-6744 or visit them online.

Another fascinating place to learn about the area and beat the heat at the same time is at the Gilbert Historical Museum!