Camelback Mountain Hike

Camelback Mountain rises 2,704 feet above sea level in the centre of the Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area, and its two hiking trails are the most popular outdoor activity in the region. The mountain is visible from most of the golf courses in Scottsdale, and climbing it provides a perspective on the desert landscape that the courses themselves cannot.

Two trails reach the summit. Echo Canyon, on the mountain's west side, is the more established route: 1.2 miles with 1,280 feet of elevation gain, steep enough in places to require handrails bolted into the rock. The trail is well-maintained and clearly marked, but the grade is sustained, and sections near the summit involve scrambling over exposed rock. It is not a casual walk. The Cholla Trail, on the east side, is slightly longer at 1.5 miles with a similar elevation gain. It starts more gradually before steepening significantly in the final quarter-mile. Both trails converge near the summit.

The summit views extend across the entire Valley of the Sun, from the Superstition Mountains to the east to the White Tank Mountains to the west. On clear winter mornings, the visibility is remarkable. The best time to hike is early morning, both for the light and for the temperature. By mid-morning in season, the trails are crowded and the sun is direct.

For golfers, the hike is a useful complement to a morning without a tee time. The physical effort is real but contained, and the descent is complete in time for a late breakfast. The trails are within 10 minutes of most central Scottsdale hotels.