The view from the top was beautiful if you can make it up literally scrambling up rocks for hours straight. Views from the top were great and it was surprisingly shady for the majority of the trail. I thought going down was a bit more hairy than up. After … Views from the peak an unparalleled.My favorite trail of all time in the Phoenix area! If the parking lot is full you can park at the JW Marriott for a few hours which is a half hour walk to the trail head.
The best place in Phoenix to watch the sunrise! From this road, proceed to Holbert Trailhead to continue onto Holbert Trail. The Cholla trail is a nice gradual hike for first 30/45 minutes but second half of trail is downright dangerous for novice hikers. Make sure to get there early to avoid the crowds and guarantee yourself a parking spot. Parking is extremely limited. It is a climb. After the steps at the beginning of the trail, you will come across two sets of handrails. Wasn’t expecting it to be as hard as it was. Put a nice cut in my right leg. Camelback Mountain is one of the most popular hiking and rock climbing destinations in Phoenix, Arizona and offers spectacular views of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Mountains.
It was a great experience and I am glad I conquered this mountain.This hike is awesome but really challenging. The mountain is located in the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area northwest of Scottsdale and between the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley. The trail itself is very different. While doing a butt scoot on the way down I slipped and scraped a rock in front of me. On the weekends, I like to get there no later than 5AM. If the parking lot is full you can park at the JW Marriott for a few hours which is a half hour walk to the trail head. There's no parking up Cholla Lane, and it's quite limited on Invergordon. You need good balance and be prepared to go up and up on boulders.
My only complaint would be that this is a very busy trail - I encountered dozens of other people even very early in the morning. Take the first left on to Phoenix South Mountain Park.
Trailhead parking is limited and fills up quickly.Camelback Mountain via Echo Canyon Trail is a 4.0 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Scottsdale, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult.
It's just an easy stroll along the road in a decent neighborhood, though.To take the more challenging Echo Canyon trail, you will take N Echo Canyon Parkway south just east of the Tatum & McDonald intersection.
Lack of parking helps thin out the crowds.
The last half mile of the trail involves a rock scramble so proper footwear is key.Traffic is extremely heavy during the winter season on the Echo Canyon route so consider the Cholla Trail or other hiking trails in the Phoenix area. Echo Canyon Trailhead. Take plenty of water and/or liquid IV, such as Biolyte. Definitely a do again but at 5am.Lots of boulder scramble. Worth it at the top though.
Slowly, you’ll reach what feels the culmination of your Camelback Mountain hike – you’re about half-way but man oh man, is the remainder worth the view and feeling of accomplishment at the end!
Be prepared to add .35mi or so to your hike to get to the trailhead.
Visitors will enjoy terrific views across the metro area that include McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the 4 Peaks Wilderness and Superstition Mountains.There are no trip reports on this trail.The trail climbs 400’ in the half mile on the route’s most moderate section (.5 miles : 1,857’). Summit. Camelback Mountain (O'odham: Cew S-wegiom) is a mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.The English name is derived from its shape, which resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel. I went through my 3 liter bladder and tapped into my spare Nalgene before getting back down to the bottom. If full, they will have it blocked out and only let cars in once some leave, so come early!Well marked trail, which is good because you’ll be climbing up rocks the entire way and sometimes you might get off the trail- so look for the markers. Also, bring tons of water if you aren’t used to hiking in that level of heat! Camelback Mountain - 2.7 Miles Round-Trip Camelback Mountain is located northeast of Phoenix in the Lower Colorado River Valley, the most arid subdivision of the Sonoran Desert (7.5 – 9.5” of annual rain). Get there early to 1) avoid too much heat and 2) catch the sunrise.
(Two different days) Chola is a little more beginner friendly until the last half mile. Got there minutes after 5 a.m. on a Saturday and the upoer parking lot was full but we were lucky to snag a lower spot. Very fun but being water and go in the morning so they don’t have to use one of the two heli pads for your rescue.Do not underestimate how hard it is!! So much fun and such a good workout but SO HARD. Camelback is smoother with large boulders and less defined in some areas. We started at 6:30am and it was already crowded only to get worse on the way down.