★★★★★ Difficult / Phoenix
Hike to the breathtaking Camelback Summit on this challenging trail on the eastern slope of the mountain. The Cholla Hiking Trail differs greatly from the western Camelback Trail. Echo Canyon Trail to go up. An additional 0.3 miles makes this popular hike in central Phoenix easier to begin. But the Cholla Trail eventually turns into a dizzying rock scramble along a narrow ridgeline..
START OF THE TRAIL: 5150 North Invergordon Road, Paradise Valley (Opens at sunrise. Closes at sunset) • DIFFICULTY: Difficult • DISTANCE: 1.5 miles (3.0 miles round trip) • APPROXIMATELY. TIME: 1.5-2.5 RT HOURS • Starting altitude: 1,469 • ELEVATION GAIN: 1,420 (100 stories) • APPROXIMATELY. CALORIES BURNED: 510-570 • BEST TIME OF YEAR: September-May • PETS: No • SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN: No • FACILITIES: Yes • COSTS: None
Camelback Mountain’s Cholla Hiking Trail reopened in fall 2022 after a 2.5-year renovation. THE much improved town trailhead sports access to N. Invergordon Road, seventy roadside parking spaces, Carpool drop-off points, plumbed toilets, and a number of stone stairs in the lower portions of the trail. The hike begins a paved access trail, then dirt road, which winds behind the posh homes of Paradise Valley. Stone steps then mark the start of the climb to the lower Camelback foothills.
The first mile of the Cholla hiking trail is still a moderate climb. The trail alternates between dirt and rock and large sections of stone. Tree cover is not an issue on this hike. SO come prepared for exposure to full sun – which means lots of water and sunscreen.
As the path rises, wide views spread across the Phoenician Resortwith the southern valley mountains in the distance.
About 0.75 miles into the hike, the trail turns around the north side of Camelback Mountain. Here it hugs the hillside, providing intermittent shade during parts of the day.
After passing an open saddle offering long north-south views, the The Cholla Hiking Trail shifts gears. A steep 50° rock scramble kicks off the final half-mile climb to the summit. From now on, the the trail clings to the top of a narrow rocky ridge.
The path goes back and forth across the ridgeline. Sometimes on naturally worn “steps”, and always with steep drops on either side. Even for those not typically prone to vertigo, the upper portion of the trail can feel a little precarious.
Stick with it and you’ll soon reach the top. THE The views from the top of Camelback are fantastic. They extend in all directions, with huge valley houses appearing in miniature more than 1,400 feet below. Go back the way you came. Or, head to the Echo Canyon Hiking Trail and take a taxi back to the Cholla trailhead. For an extreme challenge, hike down the Echo Canyon hiking trail and then back up the mountain again.
Totally cheesy At 2,704 feet above sea level, Camelback is the highest mountain in the Phoenix Valley. It owes its name to its silhouette, which resembles a sitting camel when viewed from the north or south.
Resources Click here to download a trail map.
Instructions From the intersection of Camelback and North Invergordon Roads (in Phoenix), turn north on North Invergordon Road. Continue 0.65 miles until you see signs for the trailhead and roadside parking spaces. Parking is on the west side of the road.