'Family-friendly oasis' 12-acre adventure park Pecan Lake opens in Queen Creek

Maritza Dominguez, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read

The 12-acre adventure park and dining spot Pecan Lake Entertainment opened its doors in Queen Creek on Wednesday.

The venue is up against Pecan Lake, along Ellsworth and Riggs roads, and has indoor and outdoor attractions, including a rope course and escape rooms, with more to come.

The owners have dubbed it a "family-friendly oasis."

Tim Campbell and Jason Check have been working on this idea since 2017. They dreamed of building an entertainment spot to get families outdoors and create a community gathering location.

"It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have a movie theater out here, and the fact that now we have a lot of amenities people enjoy is awesome. We feel like this project is a one-of-a-kind project," Campbell said.

It will cost more than $20 million to build Pecan Lake, Campbell said.

It's a destination spot the town has been missing, Councilmember Jeff Brown said.

"For years, the public and constituents have been wanting family-friendly entertainment, and this is that," he said. He hopes this center fills a void the town has been missing with a place where teenagers can hang out, or families can take their young kids.

What to do at Pecan Lake

The center opened its doors with multiple attractions, including its Sky Time Ropes course, which is three stories high and the length of a football field fitted with ladders, a zipline, and bridges. An 18-hole mini-golf course called the Pecan National Putting Course is also open for guests.

Jim Tasker, a third partner on the project, said he hopes Pecan Lake can forge community and be the place where kids and teenagers can get off screens and go outside to do physical activities.

Other attractions open at the center include:

  • Ax-throwing

  • Escape Rooms

  • Karaoke Booth

  • Jumbotron stage area

  • Botanical Gardens

  • Fishing Lake

In a future phase of the project, the owners plan to install an electric go-kart course and wave pool.

Dubbed Surf City, it will have a viewing deck and themed burger restaurant.

What to eat at Pecan Lake

Pecan Lake also added dining options at the venue along with its entertainment options.

Caldwell Country BBQ opened its third location in the East Valley, expanding to Queen Creek. It's a Texas-brisket-inspired restaurant that was previously only located in Gilbert.

The menu has brisket sandwiches, mac and cheese, and BBQ salads among other options to purchase meat cuts by weight.

Beverage shop SodaRush is another local to open a spot at Pecan Lake.

A roughly 15,000-square-foot building called the Pit House will house Your Pie, a pizzeria, and a large gaming area and restrooms, according to current plans.

Sky Time Creamery is expected to open in the next week, Campbell said. The ice cream shop is a rebranded Utah-based BYU Creamery.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 12-acre adventure park Pecan Lake opens in Queen Creek. What we know