Climbing Camelback Mountain

If you are in Phoenix or Scottsdale you must climb Camelback Mountain, a prominent landmark in the  Phoenix area because it stands above the surrounding desert and looks likes its name; the shape of the head and the hump of a kneeling camel. The mountain is located in the Camelback  Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area between Arcadia and Paradise Valley. There are two hiking trails to the peak and one is less difficult than the other but you need to be fit for both. The Echo Canyon Trail is a little over 1.1 miles and the Cholla Trail is 1.4 miles and less arduous and both trails are considered  strenuous and steep grade. Wear good shoes and be prepared to scramble over rocks .The paths are gravel and boulders and there are occasional hand rails. Parking is limited particularly at Echo Canyon and you need to get there early in the morning as both parking areas fill rapidly. Expect to take two to three hours for the round trip but up on top the view which is 360 degrees is great. You go up 2700  feet so take some water. The view below is from Mummy Mountain at the back of the J W Marriott Camelback Inn on Lincoln.