Daisy Mountain Railroad
Rating
Family of 4
Around $20 to $50 for a family of four, which makes this one of the cheaper outings in the north Valley.
Duration
The train ride itself is about ten minutes, so nobody drives to Anthem for the railroad alone. Plan on 2 to 3 hours to make the trip worth it, which is enough for two or three laps on the train plus real time at the Adventure Playground, the splash pad in season, and a picnic. Families who add catch and release fishing at the park lakes or a stretch at the skate park easily push that to a half day. Note that the address reads Phoenix but Anthem sits roughly 25 miles north of downtown, so add 35 to 45 minutes of driving each way up I-17 from central Phoenix and more from the East Valley.
Best Ages
Roughly 1 through 8, with the sweet spot from about 2 to 6. This is a 24 inch gauge miniature railroad that loops through Anthem Community Park on a 2,800 foot track, and the ride runs about ten minutes at a gentle pace, so the appeal is the novelty of a real little train rather than any thrill. Babies can ride on a lap, and the railroad's own pricing page says children under 1 ride free with a paying adult. Toddlers and preschoolers are the target audience, and little kids who are into trains stay delighted through several laps. Big kids will do a lap happily and then want the three story Adventure Playground and the splash pad next door, which is fine because those are free. Tweens and teens will be bored by the train itself, though the park's skate park and fishing lakes can carry them for an hour or two while younger siblings ride.
About
Daisy Mountain Railroad is a 24 inch gauge miniature railroad that runs a 2,800 foot loop through Anthem Community Park, about 25 miles north of downtown Phoenix. The ride lasts roughly ten minutes and covers two things kids remember: a trestle across a small lake and a tunnel cut through a faux rock outcropping. It is small, it is slow, and for the preschool crowd it is close to perfect.
The first practical thing to know is geography. The listing address reads Phoenix, but you are driving to Anthem, which is a 35 to 45 minute run up I-17 from central Phoenix and longer from Tempe, Mesa or Chandler. Nobody makes that drive for a ten minute train ride, and you should not either.
The reason this works as a family outing is the park around the tracks. Anthem Community Park has a three story Adventure Playground with tube slides and a giant climbing net, a splash pad that typically runs March through October, catch and release fishing lakes with a barbless hook rule, a skate park, courts and walking paths. All of that is free.
You pay only for the train.
Pricing on the railroad's own site is refreshingly plain: $4. 50 per ride for Anthem residents, $5 for non-residents, a book of 14 tickets for $49, and children under 1 ride free with a paying adult. Group and birthday rates in the $3.
50 to $7 per person range are listed for parties of 20 or more with advance reservations. Confirm all of that on daisymountainrailroad. com before you go, because posted rates and schedules change.
The schedule is the thing that catches families out. Published hours have varied between a Friday through Sunday morning window and midweek afternoon hours depending on the season and the source, and the railroad closes when rain is forecast. Check the site or call (623) 551-5880 the morning of your visit. A wasted 45 minute drive with kids in the car is a bad afternoon.
For age fit, this leans young. Babies ride on a lap, toddlers and preschoolers are the core audience, and kids up to about 8 enjoy a lap or two before heading for the playground. Tweens and teens will not care about the train, though the skate park and the fishing lakes give them something to do while a younger sibling rides.
Practically, plan 2 to 3 hours, arrive in the morning during the warm months, pack a cooler because on-site food is not guaranteed, and bring swimsuits and towels in splash pad season. Restroom and changing table details are not published, so ask park staff when you arrive. With a 4.
7 rating across nearly 300 reviews, expectations here are set correctly: a genuinely charming little train attached to one of the better free playgrounds in the north Valley.
Age Suitability
Parent Logistics
Stroller-Friendly
Yes
Nursing / Changing
Unknown
Kid Meals
N/A
Setting
Outdoor
Rainy Day
Not ideal
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
October through April is the comfortable window, and mornings are better than afternoons in every month. The railroad's own site has listed a Friday through Sunday morning schedule while other local guides list midweek afternoon hours, which tells you the operating days shift by season, so check the website or call (623) 551-5880 the morning you plan to go rather than trusting a schedule you read weeks ago. The railroad also closes when rain is in the forecast, which matters during summer monsoon afternoons. If you are coming in the warm months, arrive when the park opens and combine the train with the splash pad, which typically runs March through October.
Wait Times
Short by any theme park standard. The train seats a full group at once and turns around every ten minutes or so, which usually means a wait of one or two departures. On a pleasant cool season weekend morning, expect roughly 10 to 20 minutes at the boarding area, and closer to five minutes on a quiet weekday. Buy tickets before you get in line so you are not sorting out payment with a toddler on your hip.
Nearby Food
There is no confirmed concession stand at the railroad, so treat the park as picnic territory and use the tables and ramadas. If you want a sit down meal or a quick stop, the Anthem shopping corridor along Anthem Way and Gavilan Peak Parkway is only a few minutes from the park and has the usual mix of fast food, chain casual restaurants and a grocery store where you can grab picnic supplies on the way in. Coming from the south on I-17, it is easy to pick up food before you exit rather than backtracking after the kids are already hungry.
Why Kids Love It
It is a real train, not a playground prop, and that distinction is everything to a four year old. The 2,800 foot loop crosses a trestle over a small lake and ducks through a tunnel cut into a faux rock outcropping, so there are two genuine wow moments in a ten minute ride. Kids wave at everyone in the park from the open cars, and the second the loop ends most of them ask to go again.
Pro Tips from Parents
- Check the schedule the same morning you go. The railroad's posted days and hours shift seasonally, and it closes when rain is forecast, so a 45 minute drive can end at a locked gate.
- The address says Phoenix, but you are driving to Anthem, about 25 miles north of downtown up I-17. Budget 35 to 45 minutes each way from central Phoenix and plan the trip around that, not around a ten minute ride.
- Buy tickets before you queue, and consider the 14 ticket book at $49 rather than single rides at $5 if you have two or more kids.
- Stack the visit: train first while everyone is fresh, then the three story Adventure Playground, then the splash pad if it is running. Bring a swimsuit and a towel even if you are not sure, because kids will get into the water.
- Confirm restroom and changing table locations with park staff when you arrive. The railroad site does not publish facility details, and the park is large enough that you do not want to be searching with a toddler.
- If you plan to fish the park lakes, they are catch and release with barbless hooks only, so rig accordingly before you leave home.
What to Bring
- Cash or card for tickets, plus a decision on whether the 14 ticket book makes sense for your group
- Water bottles for everyone, since this is open desert park land with limited shade
- Sunscreen and hats, and a stroller sunshade for babies
- Swimsuits, towels and a change of clothes for the splash pad in season
- A picnic lunch or cooler, because on-site food is not guaranteed
- Diapers and a changing pad, since changing table availability is not published
- Barbless hooks and a rod if you want to fish the catch and release lakes
Cost Info
Partially free — some areas or times are free
Estimated Cost (Family of 4)
Around $20 to $50 for a family of four, which makes this one of the cheaper outings in the north Valley.
The railroad's site lists rides at $4.
50 for Anthem residents and $5 for non-residents, so one lap for two adults and two kids works out to $20 at the non-resident rate, and most families end up doing two laps for about $40.
A book of 14 tickets is listed at $49, which is $3.
50 a ride.
Everything else at Anthem Community Park is free: the playground, the splash pad, the skate park, the walking paths and the parking.
There is no confirmed concession stand at the railroad, so budget for a packed lunch instead of on-site food.
Confirm current pricing on daisymountainrailroad.
com before you go, since posted rates change.
Tips to Save
- Buy the 14 ticket book if you have more than one kid or expect repeat visits, since it drops the per ride cost to $3.
- 50 from the $5 walk up rate for non-residents.
- Split a ticket book with a second family and you both come out ahead.
- Ride once or twice rather than chasing endless laps, then let the free Adventure Playground and splash pad carry the rest of the visit.
- Pack a cooler and eat at a park table instead of stopping at the restaurants off Anthem Way.
- If you are planning a birthday, the site lists group rates in the $3.
- 50 to $7 per person range for parties of 20 or more with advance reservations, which beats paying single ride prices for a crowd.
- Under 1 rides free with a paying adult, so do not buy a ticket for the baby.
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