About the Camelback hike on the Echo Canyon Trail
I had heard about Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. Mostly things like “it’s hard” and “it’s hot” or “people die”. So of course I had to hike it while I was in the area.
I had just spent two days in Saguaro National Park and had a free day before I started a backpacking trip in the Superstition Mountains. A difficult hike like this was a bad idea on the day before a backpacking trip – if I twist an ankle I don’t get to go backpacking – so I needed to be careful.
There are two different trails that lead to the top – the Cholla Trail and the Echo Canyon Trail. The Cholla was closed while I was there, which left the more difficult Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Trail. I read all the warnings about heat and taking plenty of water and I took them to heart. This was December so it wasn’t blazing hot summer weather, but I still decided to get there around sunrise. I had no problem getting a parking spot, so that was a good start.
Camelback Mountain hike data
Camelback Mountain hike length: 1.14 miles on way (1.83 km), 2.28 miles round trip
Camelback Mountain hike time (for me): 2 hours 4 minutes round trip
Camelback Mountain elevation gain: 1,264 feet (385.3 meters)
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What do I need to know to hike Camelback Mountain?
People have a lot of questions about what it takes to walk up Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. Here are answers to a few common questions.
How long is the Camelback Mountain hike on the Echo Canyon Trail?
The distance of the Camelback Mountain hike isn’t that long. The trail is only 1.14 miles – which isn’t far at all. However it takes longer than you may expect. Which brings us to the next question…
How long does it take to hike Camelback Mountain?
It took me 1 hour and 25 minutes to go up, and 1 hour 15 minutes to go down. That’s 2 hours 4 minutes to go 2.2 miles, a speed of .8 miles an hour. I’m not a fast hiker really, but that’s incredibly slow, even for me. Your pace will certainly be different, but that gives you an idea of how long it can take to climb Camelback Mountain in Phoenix on the Echo Canyon Trail. I saw people running the trail, so it’s certainly possible to do it a lot faster!
Is Camelback Mountain hard?
Yes, at least it was for me. I was winded pretty regularly, and my knees were sore and my legs were like Jello by the time I was done. But it wasn’t impossibly hard for me – I did it and was glad I did. BUT if you have issues with your knees, back, or hips – or anything that makes walking up or down steep, rocky terrain difficult – Camelback Mountain may be hard to hike. Also, if you have issues with heights, this may not be for you.
When I was hiking Camelback Mountain, I saw a couple of different people decide to turn around. If you get partway up and decide you don’t want to finish, you can turn around and go back down. There’s no shame in that. If it’s not for you, you don’t have to do it. Sometimes it’s nice to go outside our comfort zones, and sometimes it’s terrible. Learn to recognize the difference for yourself and choose accordingly. Life’s too short to do things you hate.
Other things to do in and around Phoenix
There are other hikes and outdoor activities close to Phoenix. Check out these tours:
Getting started on the Camelback Mountain hike
One of the first things I noticed was the helipad safety zone. It’s the area where they land the helicopter when they need to rescue someone off the mountain.
The next thing I noticed was the trail rating sign: Two black diamonds. “This trail rated extremely difficult.” I didn’t even know trails could have difficulty ratings – I’d never seen that before. The sign pointed out that while the Echo Canyon Trail was only 1.14 miles long (1.83 km), the elevation gain was 1,264 feet (385.3 m). That’s a lot of elevation gain in a short amount of time – which means the trail is very steep. For comparison, the Empire State Building is 1,250′, 14 feet lower than the elevation gain of Camelback Mountain.
The start of the Echo Canyon Trail
The trail starts out easy, wide and not too steep. There are interesting houses, interesting rocks, and a view of Phoenix.
The trailhead starts at 1,440′ of elevation, so you don’t have to go far to get good views from Camelback Mountain. The photo below was taken near the start of the trail.
Before long you come to some stairs. They’re steep, but it’s not terrible. There’s a fence on the left – the side with the drop-off – for a little extra protection.
Check out these fun tours in the area
Just when you start to think you can totally handle the stairs, they are gone. Instead you get a very steep rocky trail. But hey, at least there’s a railing, right?
Before you know, the rail is gone, too. Now there’s just a steep, rocky trail.
Want to plan your own trip to the Phoenix area and Camelback Mountain? The 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles book for Phoenix covers not only Phoenix, but also Scottsdale, Glendale, and Mesa. It has information on both the Echo Canyon Trail and the Cholla Trail up Camelback Mountain. Make the most of your time in the Phoenix area!
1/2 mile up
And that was all in the first 1/2 mile! The trail continues up even more steeply, with more rocks. But the rail is back! Is that the top I see?
Stopping to enjoy these amazing views is a great way to catch your breath!
7/8 mile up Camelback Mountain (.25 left)
When I reached the “top” I had seen earlier, it was definitely not the top. There was a short turn, then the trail got even more steep. The rocky trail become boulders and it was very slow going as you had to pick your way through them.
The trail became so steep and was covered with boulders so large I scrambled up using my hands and feet, almost climbing instead of walking. Could that be the top?
The sun was getting higher in the sky, lighting up the way. Is that the top?
At the top of Camelback Mountain
Yes – this was finally the top! I don’t know how many times I saw what looked like the top to find out it definitely was not. But I made it! I was slow enough that most of the sunrise crowd had beat me to the top. They headed back down and I was the only person on top of Camelback Mountain for a while. I enjoyed the breeze and the views.
Climbing down Camelback Mountain
Of course there’s still the route down to consider. I went slowly, picking my way across the rocks. I overextended one of my knees at this point which made me worried for my upcoming backpacking trip, but was otherwise fine. And the knee didn’t end up bothering me on the backpacking trip. I had been cautious in my planning, leaving at sunrise and taking much more water than I needed (adding extra weight) but was happy to have had no issues, and glad I was prepared for them. Hiking Camelback Mountain was both fun and challenging, and the views are definitely worth it!