To ensure public safety, waiting for parking spaces is not permitted at the Echo Canyon trailhead parking lot. There is one private operator offering shuttle service to the trailhead from locations outside of the city of Phoenix: Park n' Hike (phone: 602-696-2883). This operator is not affiliated with the City of Phoenix and the City does not endorse or make a guarantee of any kind related to the quality or reliability of the service provided. You also can help alleviate vehicle backups at Echo Canyon by carpooling to the trailhead or considering a hike on one of the city's other great trails.
City staff currently is seeking public input on ways to reduce parking congestion at the Echo Canyon trailhead. Please review our Camelback parking webpage for proposed parking concepts and details on the public process.
Camelback Mountain
Sheer red sandstone cliffs and its telltale hump draw thousands of hikers to Camelback Mountain each year. Hiking to the top is not for beginning hikers -- the two summit trails are strenuous climbs over sometimes-tricky trails. Some easier trails allow close-up exploration around Camelback's base. Camelback is one of the busiest area's in the city's trail system and parking is very limited. If you're hiking with friends, plan on meeting elsewhere and carpooling to the trailhead.
NOTE: No reliable source of water at the trailhead. Please bring adequate water for your hike.
Highest Point
The summit of Camelback Mountain is at 2,704 feet above sea level. The mountain's two summit trails gain approximately 1,200 feet in elevation.
History
During the late 1800s, the federal government reserved Camelback Mountain for an Indian reservation. By the 1940s, however, almost the entire mountain fell into private hands and remained so for most of the next two decades. Efforts on the county, state and federal level to restrict development above the 1,600-feet level largely were unsuccessful, including failed efforts in 1963-64 in the state Legislature to arrange land exchanges.
In 1965, the Preservation of Camelback Mountain Foundation led by Barry Goldwater, spearheaded community efforts to save as much of the summit as possible. This effort ultimately succeeded and was capped of by a ceremony in 1968 marking a land exchange that President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall attended.
Geology, flora and fauna
The “head” of Camelback Mountain, which comprises the area of Echo Canyon Recreation Area, is made up of layered sandstone. The hump primarily is composed of granite that, in geologic terms, is much older than the sedimentary rock that makes up the head section of the mountain. Because it's surrounded by residential development, large mammals are not normally found in the park. Smaller animals typical of the Sonoran Desert populate the park including cottontail rabbits, snakes, lizards, Harris antelope squirrels as well as a variety of birds. Rattlesnakes are common on the trail. If you see one, allow it space and time to escape. Plant species are typical of those found in the lower Sonoran Desert and include saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, pincushion, jumping cholla, christmas, staghorn, cholla and prickly pear cacti. Tree species include palo verde, mesquite and ironwood, along with the ocotillo plant.
Hours
Trailheads and trails are open from sunrise to sunset or 7 p.m., whichever comes first.
General Information:
602 261-8318