Jan. 8, 2013

Work on a major project to improve the parking area and popular summit trail at Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon will kick off in late January. The parking area and the entire Echo Canyon summit trail will close on Jan. 28, 2013 and work will begin soon after. The project is tentatively scheduled for completion in the fall.

The project will increase vehicle, pedestrian and hiker safety; improve the trail by making it more resistant to erosion and better able to withstand heavy foot traffic; and ease traffic and parking congestion. 
The improvement project will:

• Improve pedestrian safety through the addition of walkways throughout the parking area, providing a safety buffer for hikers approaching the area on foot, who now have to use the roadway to approach the trail.
• Improve vehicle and pedestrian safety at the park entrance through the addition of a roundabout at the park entrance. The roundabout will control vehicle speeds at the park entrance, making it safer for hikers and vehicles entering the recreation area lot.
• Renovate, reroute and rebuild the popular summit trail to eliminate erosion-prone areas, improve footing and increase long-term sustainability for the mountain.
• Increase the size of the parking area to 132 spaces from 68 currently.
• Improve traffic flow and reduce backups through the creation of separate entrances for the trailhead and the neighboring residential area.
• Add a permanent restroom at the trailhead.

The trail and parking area improvements will cost approximately $3 million, funded through the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative. The Cholla Trail will remain open, however, hikers will not be able to continue down the Echo Canyon trail from the summit, as that entire trail will be closed for renovation.

Visitors can keep tabs on the improvement project on the Parks and Recreation Department website at phoenix.gov/parks.

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