TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The 100 Acre Wood, a longtime recreation area in midtown Tucson, is scheduled to reopen next month after undergoing construction to add new BMX bike runs and paths.
The park borders the Roberts neighborhood, where residents have mixed feelings about its reopening and what it could mean for the surrounding area.
A representative for the city of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department told KGUN9 the 100 Acre Wood is scheduled to reopen Oct. 19.
For longtime Roberts neighborhood resident TJ Franco, the reopening means easier access to a place he remembers enjoying as a child.
“I like it, I don’t have to go out of my way — to the outskirts of town, to ride my mountain bike,” Franco said.
Franco grew up in the neighborhood and remembers when the 100 Acre Wood had bike paths, ramps and other features that attracted children from the surrounding area.
“All the ramps and all the development over there, it was just a fun place to be kids and ride around,” Franco said.
The park was closed by the city at the end of 2025 as construction began on the new BMX bike runs and paths. Before the closure, however, the area had also become home to Tucson’s largest unsheltered homeless encampment.
The encampment brought additional foot traffic through the Roberts neighborhood, according to residents.
Roy Salcido, another longtime Roberts resident, said people staying in the area would sometimes walk through neighborhood streets looking for water.
“People would walk through the streets, looking for water and they would leave the faucets open, running, not caring about anything,” Salcido said.
Salcido said he is glad the city is reopening the 100 Acre Wood but hopes there will be a regular, visible police presence in the area.
“Maybe there will be a time limit not to go through there because it’s going to get dark,” Salcido said.
Franco said he plans to use the new park to ride his bike and does not necessarily see occasional camping as a problem.
“It’s one of those things where, you stay in your lane and they’re not gonna bother you, and if you’re not looking to bother them, then they’re just there,” Franco said.
The city’s reopening comes as Tucson continues to address issues surrounding homelessness, public space and recreational access. The new BMX infrastructure is expected to provide additional opportunities for cycling in the midtown area.
For Roberts residents, the reopening will bring back a familiar neighborhood recreation space while also raising questions about how the area will be managed after dark and how nearby residents and park users will share the space.
The 100 Acre Wood is scheduled to reopen to the public Oct. 19.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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