Great hike. Views from the top are great. You can see the whole valley from up there. Be careful near the summit, lots of scrambling read more

Camelback Mountain - Camelback summit - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Iconic. Steep. Rocky. Crowded. Terrible parking. But you must go. There is a comraderie of humanity climbing this beast. Nobody cares if you are a democrat or a republican. You are united for climbing this beast. Enjoy the view at the top and help people take their pictures. Its awesome. read more

A new way of looking at Phoenix: from above! Camelback Mountain was a fantastic morning hike--so glad I squeezed it in before heading out of town. We arrived a little before 8 am and there was plenty of parking at the trail head. The parking lots and trails themselves are maintained really well. The only thing I would say to be careful of on the trails is loose rocks on the way down (I almost slipped a couple times) and the occasional cactus that's died and fallen onto the trail. Didn't see any snakes or scorpions, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious of them. Bring water as well! We broke a sweat despite the cooler temps, and the dryness will get ya if you're not from 'round these parts. We were with locals who knew their way around the trails, so I didn't pay as much attention to the route signs as I probably should have. The terrain is pretty similar throughout and it would be pretty easy for me to get lost if I were out on my own. I can't remember any of the different trails we did, but the views were fabulous and there were plenty of spots for catching your breath and taking it all in. Moral of the story here? Keep your eyes and ears open, hydrate like a responsible adult, and enjoy the views! read more

Camelback Mountain - Views for days - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is my hometown and climbing Camelback Mountain has never been an easy task nor was it my "usual" hike. I remember coming here a million years ago when I use to run the trails...uhemm, not any more but walking it brought back wonderful memories. If you start from Echo Mountain you'll be greeted with newly paved additional parking and warning signs to ensure that novice climbers follow the trails and have plenty of drinking water. It was super fun to climb the mountain with my family. The incredible panoramic views of the valley and selfie ops are endless. We made it about half way up to see the castle and views from the South. No paved trails. Steep rocky climbs, some handrails along the stairs but if you're not a strong climber I would stop at the stairs. Keep your eyes open for critters and beware of killer bee hives which are on the mountain but far from the trails! Rattlers hibernate in the winter which is the best time to climb. Stay away during summer months. Way to hot and easy to get dehydrated and disoriented. Don't be a dummy and stray off to do your own thing, firefighters are almost always having to rescue someone who injured themselves or worse. Don't hike in flip flops or bring your furry friend-no doggies allowed. (They were getting severely dehydrated and folks were having to carry them down-at least that's what "I heard". If you're lucky enough to visit Phoenix don't miss this hike, its hard to miss since Camelback Mountain is literally in the middle of the city! I miss you Phoenix!! read more

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Challenging hike for sure...not too long, you just have to climb up and down the rocks and so it's more of a rock climb, truly. I highly advise a good pair of shoes as mine suck and I did slip a few times. Maybe gloves too since you are grabbing onto rocks a lot. A lot of the older people had walking sticks and those seem to be handy as it gives you some stability. Really beautiful scenery...the only semi-annoying thing is that it's a popular place so people are sometimes right behind you or in front of you, impatient, and it's not the place to be super fast. The view at the top is definitely worth it as you can see Scottsdale and downtown Phoenix and ut is very rewarding to make it to the top. read more

Camelback Mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

After hiking nearly every trail in the metro Phoenix valley, I can say without a doubt Camelback is the best when it comes to a challenging, accessible, and beautiful hike! You have two trails to choose from: Echo Canyon on the north (parking lot, restrooms, steeper but shorter) and Cholla (street parking, no restroom, longer but a more gradual climb with switchbacks). Expect to take between 2.5-3 hours to complete this hike. I personally enjoy the challenge of Echo better, but Cholla is awesome too as long as you can find good parking nearby. Keep in mind there are streets that do not allow parking for hikers--look for the signs, you can't miss them. When you finally get to the top, you get an awe-inspiring 360 view of the valley! You can get a similar view atop Piestewa Peak but honestly it's not the same. Note: For tourists/those who haven't hiked Camelback before, be warned it is pretty excruciating, especially in the heat of summer. Don't risk it unless you know you can handle it. There are rescues nearly every day in the summer because of dehydration/heat exhaustion. Know your limits and bring plenty of water! read more

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I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. - The Original JT Personally, I've never seen fire on this trail, but I have seen rain... and boy, does that make it slippery. This is a fabulous trail, and is what I used to train for Flatiron, for a good 6 months. i can ascend to the peak on this trail in about 40 minutes. It took over two hours to hit the peak at Flatiron. My buddy Nick, and I, hiked this trail today... http://youtu.be/l-aMaDoDRVE. Let me explain the journey in words, and then you can watch the movie. The start of the trail is a winding path, with a steep grade. If I had to guess, it would probably be 15% for most of it, exceeding 20% in some parts. This section culminates in a easterly view of the valley, complete with sunrise if you get out early enough. it is followed by a brief reprieve, which then leads to the StairMaster portion, which is two distinct flights of railroad ties, some spaced a little too far apart. This brings you to the first beast you'll face. It's a smooth, almost vertical, incline, with two sets of handrails, which are critical for descending. You should be out of breath by the time you clear this one. However, I've seen people faint, and go down near the top. Dont do that, because no one wants to see you "rag doll" it all the way down, and they sure dont want to baby sit you until rescue shows up. Next is a short break until you hit the first of the rock piles. Thankfully, this one does have a handrail, but it is the last handrail of the ascent. Once past this, you'll be able to catch your breath, until you hit the next of the rock piles. That one isnt bad, and I'm saying this because the next rock pile is bad... like really bad... like 5 or 6 of this one. Between this one, and the next, is another break, and a short incline, where you wind around the side of the hill, take a big step up, and wind around a little more. Now you're face to face with the "big boy", but you dont know that, because you cant see all of it yet... so wipe that smile off of your face... or better yet, eat a banana, because you're going to need some fuel for this next part. Like a crock pot, just take it low and slow. You'll climb and climb and then climb some more, and you will clear this part... but you'll never forget how relentless it was, because you'll have to go back down it. From here, the summit is like five minutes away, as you scramble over more rocks, and up one slippery incline. Before you know it, you hear voices and laughter. You're mere seconds away now... and then you're there. Enjoy the view my friend, and rest up, because you've got to go back down... unless you want to do an up-and-over to the Cholla side, and then come back over again. It's like hiking the mountain twice. read more

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I never would have thought I would have hiked this mountain. But, perhaps it's more fun that way! My boyfriend and I were at the tail end of our spontaneous December trip and though knew Phoenix had some beautiful hikes I didn't know how far from where we were visiting these hikes were. On our last day visiting family we decided to hike Camelback mountain. It was only about a 20 minute drive and we went without researching very much about it. It was a beautiful morning around 60 degrees and having just hiked Angel's landing in Zion, we knew we could handle it. The hike was much shorter but didn't fall short of its own challenges. When we got to the parking lot you could tell this trail is well taken care of. We started on the echo trail side of Camelback. The bathrooms are clean and there are recycle bins and bike racks here as well. We started off the hike well enough, then it gets a bit rocky. I would say the majority of the 1.28 mile hike up was a gradual climb up boulders. It's definitely a hike you have watch your footing. I loved that we were doing this hike on a beautiful clear blue sky day with great weather! I couldn't imagine doing it in the heat of the summer in Phoenix. Once we got to the top we were greeted by a Christmas tree with bird seed ornaments and candy canes!! That was one of my favorite parts of this hike! And one of the many reasons why I love the community of those who like outdoors and community runs and events. People who spread positivity with others and animals create a loving enviroment. If I had known that I could bring up a bird seed ornament I would have!! I look forward to another opportunity for me to do so in the future. The top of this mountain was beautiful . It was such a calming feeling to look out into the city and still be apart of nature. Something I miss living in the midwest. I'm so glad we decided to do this hike on our last day and experience Phoenix in this way. I know we'll be back in the future and hopfully I'll have an ornament to add to the tree! read more

So pretty. So relaxing. I took the easy hike up - not the crazy hike on the other side which I hear is a straight vertical climb up. I rec embarking on your hike super early in the AM so you can watch the beautiful Phoenix sunrise. Enjoy! read more

Camelback Mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I've heard nothing but good things about this hike. Definitely worth the hype!! Got there at 6:35am, only waited five minutes for the gate to the parking lot to open and there was a line of cars already. One poor guy waited since 5:30am. I think opening time varies to the time the sun rises. There's two lots, upper and lower, so if you're an early bird...drive up to the top to get a prime time parking spot. Don't let the 1.2 mile (one way) distance fool you. Sure, the first third of the trail is pretty benign-boring typical hiking trails and a set of wooden stairs. Then you approach what looks like a wall of boulders and a rail in the middle of it. The first two intense sections has rails for you to grab on, but the last and most intense third of the hike doesn't. Even though it may be intimidating, this hike is quite doable. Just use your hands and feet and be smart about where you're stepping. It's a popular hike so there's definitely rocks that have crevices and flat rocks that almost make it seem more like a stadium/stairs workout. Things I would suggest: -Bring water. Preferably one you can put in a backpack or fanny pack. I think it'd be better and safer to be hands free. Water fountains and restrooms are only available at beginning of hike. -Follow and look for the signs. This hike is well labeled with arrows for the journey up and down. Be aware of closed area signs. -Some people brought hiking sticks. All I came across mentioned them to be more of a nuisance. -Wear comfortable clothes and shoes with good gripping. You're literally climbing rocks! -Don't bring a fancy schmancy camera. Saw someone almost bump it into a rock as it was around his neck. If you bring it, safer to put in a backpack of some sort. -Don't get intimidated by the look of the hike. There were a lot of older people doing the hike and doing it quickly too! If they can, you can. Took 50 minutes going up and 52 min going down. Take your time and look for safe footing while climbing down. I opted for the morning hike, but for sunset hikes I would bring a flashlight as going down that mountain would be dangerous in the dark. Definitely worth doing at least once and I'd totally go back again!! read more

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What a butt kicker! The following day after the hike, I walked like a really old lady for a few days. Everywhere hurt. Even my armpits! Haha. Probably because I was crawling on all fours at some points. Thanks to Yelper Yuko and her suggestion of carrying rubberized gloves, I was able to save my hands. Aside from all my grumbling, this was a wonderful hike! The views were definitely breath taking. The summit boasts 360 views all around. I liked this hike a little better than the squaw peak one because there aren't that many runners flying all around you. People take their time accordingly at a leisurely pace. More my style. Rumor has it, there's a shuttle that takes you to the entrance of this hike which originates from a church but I wasn't able to verify. Will update once I get the details. It'll save the hassle of getting a coveted parking spot. :) happy hiking everyone! read more

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What fun! First part of the hike was from where the car could legally be parked to the trailhead. That was mile #1. My party of four started at 7 a.m. in an attempt to stay cool. You'd think that we'd be able to get a decent parking spot, but it was Easter morning, so the short answer, no. There were a lot of people on the trail, and we were instructed that the people going up had the right-of-way. I was also told that people die on this trail every year. Why? Unprepared. There is a helicopter pad at about three-fourths of the way up, which is where a bee stung John B. I used the credit card trick to remove the stinger. I saw several super fit hikers, who were running up the trail, and a few who were bouncing down. Yes, we were on the summit trail. I would definitely do this hike again, preferably in the winter months with the goal of getting to the top, past the helipad. read more

Camelback Mountain - Near the helipad - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

My trip to Phoenix is never complete without getting in a morning hike. And Camelback's Echo Trail was conveniently located just 10 minutes (walking distance) from the beautiful Montelucia Resort. The hubby and I laced up our sneakers, grabbed a few bottles of water (a must when hiking in Phoenix) and got ready for some huffing and puffing. 15 minutes into the hike my husband stopped a few peeps on their way back to ask how much longer we had. They giggled a bit, which I took to mean that we were just getting started...and then they let us know we still had 2 straight vertical trails to climb ahead! Husband did not look happy! We attempted one of the verticals and then my other half told me he was done. I still had a bit of steam left in me and considered going up a bit higher when I looked around the corner and discovered a vertical climb that did NOT look fun. Um yeah, time to turn around!! Going down is always more difficult for me cause descending stairs makes me nervous (thanks to a fall down a stairwell years ago that resulted in a concussion). However, my husband seemed to enjoy going down much more than going up...go figure. Echo turned out to be a bit more difficult than the Cholla trail, but my burning calves will tell ya that it's a good workout. Perhaps next time I'll make it to the top, although I'll probably have to leave the husband back at the hotel. read more

From 1-10, this hike is a level 9 difficult. It probably wasn't the best idea to hike at 2pm on a Sunday.. Maybe that's why there were so many vacant parking spaces. I might of been having an off day, but that day, I felt like Camelback was one of the hardest hikes I had ever been on. This is in comparison to the ones I've been on across Southern California and at multiple National Parks (Desert Valley, Zion, Bryce, etc). The hike is not just a paved nor dirt path that you follow through to the top-- it's mainly a bunch of steep piles of rocks you need to overcome one at a time. As soon as you overcome one hill, you come across another. It was a ton of fun, but I finished three bottles of water and was still parched. Beautiful scenery all around and would definitely come back earlier in the day (and with more water). read more

Camelback Mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Hiked together with my coworkers during a work trip recently. It was so hot during the day so we decided to do it in the morning. It was so fun. read more

Great place to catch the sun rising! The view is incredible. You definitely have to go check this place out! read more

Camelback Mountain - Camel Back mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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What a lovely outing for the family! Very long and difficult climb, definitely not for inexperienced hikers. Hard work that pays off! So much fun!! I would recommend! Hike is about 3 hours there and back. read more

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Talk about an amazing hike with some challenge involved. This it definitely it! I came here with two of my friends early in the morning. It is better to come in the earlier hours, because it gets extremely hot out here. This hike is only about a mile, but it is much more rigorous and intense than other hikes due to the fact that is is mostly uphill and very rocky and steep at allot of parts. Lots of hydration before and during your hike is key! I saw people throwing up and the EMS had also arrived for someone who was having heart problems while hiking. So make sure you're hydrated and have some food in your tummy! I did pretty well and paced myself throughout most of this hike. I took breaks whenever it was necessary and I met some pretty cool folks along the way. What striked me the most during this hike was a part towards the beginning where you had to essentially climb straight up a flat mass of rock. It felt like you were walking into the sky! Thankfully there was a fence and railings to help you support yourself. I made it to the top/end after all I endured, and I couldn't have been happier! Cheers to smooth hiking! read more

Camelback Mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Let's take this hike one step at a time... First, the only parking there is will be found at the Echo Canyon trailhead start. Considering the popularity of the hike there is no where near enough parking to accommodate everyone who wants to go on the trail and as everyone seems to note in the reviews there is ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING AVAILABLE in the surrounding area -- AS IN ZERO. The secret, however, seems to be patient. Yes, patient. If you hit the round about at the entrance and the lot is closed find a place to make a 5 minute tour of and circle back. What they do is open up the lot after a certain number of people leave and on our second attempt around the circle we got in. Since we seemed to be on the tail end of the allotment that entered we actually did not find an empty slot waiting for us. Rather we had to wait for someone else to leave and given the number of people active on the trail this only took around 5 minutes. From the start I was surprised with how little support there is to be found. Bathrooms, yes, just about anything else, no. If there was a trail guide outside of the one post we found along the trail I did not see it. Nor did I see anyone on the trail itself. This is a far cry from a rather extensive support system in place at the, say, Pinnacle Peak hike in Scottsdale. The first part of the trail is like pretty much any hike you would imagine but from there the climb starts. At first you have the steep trek with the hand rail and that soon turns into what seems like a never ending pile of large rocks. This is a full range of movement hike. There is no way you are going to get very far if you have anything close to what could be called a knee problem. Unless you have a wondrous mountain goat like capability yourself part of the fun of this hike is seeing the people wiz by you who do. There was one part in our ascent where I was just starting to feel a little bit accomplished as I completed one of hand rail segments only to have a woman with an infant strapped to her front gracefully blow past us. Wow... Making it to the top is an amazing experience. Though we took the time to enjoy the feat of making it that far that emotion quickly turned into the realization that now we had to make it down -- and guess what? -- not that we needed it but there is ZERO cell service at the peak! Since I knew Uber was in the area we made the call to keep going and thus started our decent down the Cholla Trail which seemed like a joke just getting off the peak. As in if I did not see people coming up from that trail I would have no idea how to get down that way. It was a completely different experience on the Cholla side with a number of areas being very difficult to descend. I thought about which way would be better to go up vs. down and I still do not know what the best answer is. Getting to the trail end was a joy. It is literally in a residential neighborhood where we walked to the nearest intersection and then called an Uber car to pick us up. 7 minutes later we were taking the 7 minute drive back to our car to celebrate the end of a great day of hiking. I guess on a final note -- I laugh at the Yelp question of "Good for Kids?" Well, it depends. There were some amazingly young kids on this trek. Some who looked like they are being pushed way to far and others who might need to rescue their parents. So, to answer this question it is going to depend 100% on the extreme ability of your kids to face this kind of challenge. read more

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Idk if I'd call this hiking but moreso rock/mountain climbing. Once you get to the top you'll feel relived. This one is very difficult but you get to really see the views of the city. Make sure you wear the right shoes I slid coming down on the rocks. Have plenty of water with you. Overall I enjoyed camelback. About 2 hrs in total. read more

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If you're looking for an invigorating workout outside, this is the place to do it. There are various trails you can take and different levels of intensity. The walk here from the Phoenician is a bit of a hike but just be sure to bring water. We didn't reach the top but we had quite a nice hike and it's even more interesting trying to get down (especially if you're short and realize how tall the rocks are the you climbed up to begin with). Beware of rattlesnakes... I'm about 90% sure I heard one in a bush under a rock and totally freaked. But the hike up is totally worth it for the beautiful pictures. Give it a whirl. And go in the morning before it's too warm! :) read more

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This is not for the weak of heart but it is one of the most beautiful views on top of a mountain. We started at 8:30am and it was already 90 degrees, of course it's in August. It's a free park that open at sunrise and closes at sunset, so the time will vary just check your sunrise and sunset times. I would recommend to of course bring water for hydration, we purchased a water backpack for like $15 and it held 2L of fluid. Please apply sunscreen as well and if you feel that you are getting dizzy and nauseous stop and turn around. You'll need to keep your eyes out for scorpions, rattle snakes and aggressive bees but there are many along the hiking path. Don't ever deviate from the path that is designated for the trek. I don't make it to the top but I enjoyed the efforts. I would recommend but please watch videos on YouTube of others experiences and practice the Do's and Don'ts. read more

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Absolutely stunning, and definitely an intense hike! Like the other reviews said, you need to park down the street, but the walk is enjoyable and a good warm up. I started the Cholla Trail around 7am, and it took me a little over 2 hours to get to the top. I would say I am active, and do a good bit of hiking, but hiking in GA is different than out West! This was the first time I've really experience rock climbing type hiking, and although there were about 4 times when I thought "How in the heck am I going to get up there?" I kept pushing on, and the end result was well worth it! This is definitely a hike worth completing! read more

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Easy hike for the novice hiker. Beautiful views of the entire valley, backside of Phoenician Resort. Came from California for a bachelorette, we hiked Camelback on Saturday morning after a fun night out. If we could do it with the pony...anyone can do it. Instagram-able moments galore! read more

Camelback Mountain - Cholla Trail....view of Phoenician resort - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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In A Nutshell: -Camelback Mountain is a great hike! -Please start early, my brother and I started at 5:30am and finished in a couple hours. -If you don't start early, you'll end up having to pass or walk behind a good number of hikers, so start early! -I did the Cholla Trail, which offers a great challenge, but not extremely tough. -Expect to hike vertically for 1.5 miles, then downhill the same route back. -The trail gets a little tough to find, but just follow the various signs and blue spray paint. Overall, once you make it to the top you'll be rewarded w/ a 360° view of the greater Phoenix area. Drink water!! read more

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Well let's start with the positive, I'm alive and made it up the trail. My co-workers and I decided to hike up this morning and I didn't know what to anticipate. Honestly, I didn't think it would be this and I'm so glad I went. Let me say this, make sure you: Drink water before Bring water Eat something light Wear sun screen Bring sun glasses Wear a hat if you want Good sneakers, hiking boots better Towel We had a really good time and started out around 7am and was done around 9am. I met a really nice man name Gary who has climbed the trail thousands of times. He said he used to take his son when he was a baby on his back and now his son beats him up the trail. I saw a lot of families which was pretty cool. Yes the trail is challenging but it's really beautiful at the top to see the different views of the city. It's a great workout too! For my Fitbit people I hit 10K steps plus. read more

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Did the Cholla trail on a Sunday. The hike it-self was fun/dangerous and very intense. There were several spots where I had to use my hands to crawl up a steap wall/hill. The trail sometimes lead by the edge of the mountains and you better pay very close attention to where you are stepping! Parking however was HORRIBLE. We first tried to go from the Echo Canyon trail but the small parking lot was packed and there were about 10 more cars doing loops around the lot looking for spots. Then we drove to the other side to do Cholla trail where there is no designated parking spot. We had to park about a mile away from the start point of the trail. Very busy on the weekends so plan ahead! Overall though a very fun hike with great views, and very good cardio. Enjoy and be safe! read more

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Things you will need for this hike: - strong legs - strong arms - strong will - strong lungs - strong joints - shoes with good grip - probably gloves too This climb is no joke. It's a "short" hike but don't get fooled; it's a workout. I'm an active person, fairly in shape. It didn't kill me, but it challenged me, which I loved it. Honestly, more than the level of difficulty, what scared me the most was the actual fear of falling. Some parts are literally lose rocks over lose rocks and the climb is so steep that if you slip and fall, you die. Parking as everyone mentions is small. I went there at 9am on a Tuesday and had many options but it's easy to see how on weekends that could turn into hell. Do yourself a favor and catch a Uber. Well, as the saying goes, great things require work and this climb is as amazingly beautiful as it's hard. And yes, you read it right, this is NOT a hike. This is a CLIMB. You will use your hands almost as often as you will use your feet, I promise you. This is NOT a climb for kids or dogs. You WILL do bear crawling several times and you will feel muscles you didn't even know it existed in your body the next day. But man, what a view! Great views all along the way, not just at the top. I'm so happy I did it and I'll keep doing it on a weekly basis because this is better than any gym. I finished the round trip in 1 hour and 45 minutes. But I didn't stop much along the way. Going down can be just as challenging as going up, again, it's steep, and it's all lose rocks. Worth it tho. So worth it. read more

What a hike!!! Are 3 words I would use to discrib this hike. We took the echo canyon trail to the top and back. Its a 2.5 mile difficult out and back trail near Scottsdale Arizona with a 1,420 ft elevation gain. It took 2:40 minutes round trip and we had snacks and pictures at the top. I would highly recommend getting to the top if you can and have good supporting shoe's and plenty of water with you. This is a very difficult trail and you are worned at the beginning of the trail before you start hiking by sines. The views are breathtaking and the trail has a variety of obstacles with climbing up big rocks being the main obstacle. We arrived around 10:00 am on Friday and there was plenty of parking and had no issues. The parking lot is limited and was full when we where leaving later in the day. This is a very popular trail in the area and some even rated it top trail in Phoenix Arizona. So try to arrive erlay and be safe. This is an awesome hike don't miss out. read more

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Wow! Incredible views at the top of Camelback Mountain. Definitely go earlier in the day as it gets crowded, bring lots of water, some snacks and wear proper hiking shoes! I wore worn out gym shoes not knowing and it was a bit slick coming down. This hike will challenge you, but the view from the top is absolutely worth it. A must do when you visit the Phoenix/Scottsdale area! read more

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Took the echo canyon trail. Got there at 0600 on a Monday and there was already about 40 vehicles in the lot! The crazy part is you're going up in the dark thinking "wth am I doing" then you see 30 people coming down! Think you're an early bird, think again. You will need a light of some sort trying to get up there before sunrise and I suggest showing up at least an hour before sunrise. It took me 30 mins to do the first mile whereas normally I can hike at a pace of 15 to 20 mins per mile. IT'S STEEP. Trail etiquette is out the window here as people won't pull over on the one lane areas for faster paced hikers, and with multiple routes mostly all over the upper part, people will still walk within two feet of your face so if you are COVID concerned bring a mask. Worth the early bird start you won't regret it... unless you miss the sunrise lol. Felt bad for the 30 or so people that missed the sunrise, they were 5 to 10 mins too late! Crazy views at top. Very cool trail. I'll do it every time I'm back in AZ. read more

BEFORE YOU GO: --Know the address and where to park: If you type in Camelback Mountain on Google Maps, it will take you to a residential neighborhood and you'll never get to a trail. Instead, type "Cholla trailhead camelback mountain - parking" which will take you to a long street that has street parking on both sides. The address is 5121 N Invergordon Rd, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. Parking will be tough on the weekends so go early! --Bring gloves: you will be touching a lot of rocks and it will hurt. I got lucky and fortunately had a bandana in my camelbak that I forgot about. I ended up wrapping it around my hands when touching rocks. --Bring a camelbak/drawstring/bag because water (duh) but also because you want to keep your hands as free as possible when you reach the rocks. --Bring a hat and sunglasses --Bring sunscreen TIPS/SUGGESTIONS: --Go early: parking gets tougher later but also you don't want to go up when the sun is out and in full force. --Take your time: it gets more difficult as you get closer to the top; don't feel the need to go all the way up if you can't or don't want to. Some people told us they didn't go all the way so no pressure. --Let people pass if they are right behind you because you don't want to feel rushed. Everyone goes at their own pace and the trails can get narrow at certain points. Stay to the side for a bit until they pass. This was probably the toughest hike that I've ever done but I loved every minute of it. I loved climbing the rocks and feeling tired but wanted to keep going. Overall it took us three hours to go up and down but we took a decent amount of breaks along the way. It was a bit scary at times because my shoes would slip while on gravel and there were other times where there was a steep drop but overall it was fun. The view at the top is good but not great but I think the hike itself is awesome. read more

I took advantage of cooler weather last weekend and hiked Echo Canyon Summit Trail. It was more like climbing than hiking. I went in the late afternoon and it was absolutely beautiful. It has been more than 10 years since I made this hike last, and wanted to give up so many times. View from the summit was stunning, worth the effort to go up there. I took three bottles of waters with me and am glad I did. I needed all of them. I dressed in layers. Wind was a bit stronger after I climbed up 1200 feet. I came prepared and am glad I did. read more

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Such an amazing, challenging hike. I did the more difficult side because I didn't realize there were two different parking lot areas I thought both routes would be on the same side. This is pretty much a boulder climb so be prepared. I was wearing my nikes but wished I would have picked my hiking boots for the stability. Bring lots of water and try to go when it's not too hot, definitely an endurance climb. read more

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Not for amateurs! Camelback mountain is the best hike in Phoenix. It has 2 trails cholla (hard) and echo (harder). Cholla trail is a steady incline and is difficult aerobically. Echo is steep and requires upper extremities. Bring water!! At least 40oz. The view from the top is worth the struggle read more

Only had to take 10 breaks and about suffered from heatstroke but made it to the top incredible hike and stunning views at the top. read more

Camelback Mountain - Parks Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

There are two trails to top....Cholla Trail and Echo Canyon Trail. Echo Canyon has parking and restrooms. This is a Double Black Diamond in difficulty hike. Bring plenty of water, appropriate shoes, and sunscreen. I like very early in the morning. No dogs allowed since 2016. Trail guides estimate the round trip at 1.5 to 3.0 hours. I took 2.5 this week, and really took my time to enjoy the scenery and chat with fellow hikers David. 704-441-2010 read more

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My fav mountain to climb for sure !!! You just have to park by ajs or a bit further than the actual mountain parking. It's usually always packed!! But if you park about half a mile away and get an Uber or Lyft you will enjoy it better vs driving an hour looking for parking. I hope this helps!! Hacks lol read more

Bring water!! You will be pushed to your limit but Keep an eye out for the locals who run up and down the mountain! Amazing views!! Parking is limited, get there really early or when it's "warmer"! Get a lazy friend who doesn't hike to drop you off. read more

Awesome hike! There are 2 paths on either side of the mountain. We did Cholla which was about 1.5 miles up and we came back down the same side. It was a well-maintained trail. It wasn't too hard of a hike until the last 15 minutes or so towards the top which involved a little more scrambling, but it still wasn't too bad. Amazing views at the top of the mountain! Definitely bring water because it was very hot. There is no parking at the very bottom of the mountain but you can street park about a mile away from the hike. Also there weren't bathrooms. read more

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