Camelback Mountain — Attraction in Phoenix

(PLS READ FOR HONEST REVIEW)

This was my first hike in a while and I have to say it was the HARDEST. Here are some Do's, Dont's, and WARNINGS of this hike.

DO!! -Bring WATER( I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH) I bought 6 bottles and otw down I ran out and almost died of dehydration if it wasn't for some AMAZING people who gave me water and got some Rangers, I know will full certainty, I wouldn't have lived.

-Take as many breaks as you need and do not push yourself. I did not believe I could make it to the top, but with motivation and perseverance, I did. But it could not have been done without some much needed breaks. Think about the way back down(it's even harder than going up)

-Phone HOMMEE. Make sure your family and friends know where you're at.

-Becareful and watch your STEP. Majority of the hike is making your way up, down, and around rocks. Don't lose yourself and STAY ON TRACK

-Bring sunscreen, check the weather, and GO EARLY.

DONT!!

-DONT GO ALONE (Unless you're experienced) DO NOT GO ALONE. The hike is complicated at some points and a hand to help you down and someone to keep you going is a MUST. And if case of an accident you have someone there to help!

-DONT be disruptful to other hikers. I was lucky most of the people I encountered were extremely kind and respectful. But if you are crossing someone's path and you're going the same direction, think about who NEEDS TO GO FIRST.

-Dont play music out loud, it's low-key annoying. Unless it's good go ahead

-Ik I said this in the DOS. BUT DONT GO UP THERE WITHOUT WATER. Jesus, some people were hiking up there with no water and unless you are fit AF. IT IS A STRUGGLEEE. BE SAFE PLS

WARNINGS -This was my first hike in a long time and it was HARRDDDD. THIS HIKE IS HARD. Unless youve done it before or are super fit. Even then, it's very strenuous and at times dangerous.

-If I'm remembering correctly, after you stop seeing the gates to the side of you, it is rock climbing from there. So be prepared, wear the RIGHT SHOES OR U RISK FALLING

-The bars on the side next to the gate get very hot in the afternoon

-The way down is harder than up and you have to be much more careful

-If you know the top will be crowded, WAIT, there isn't a lot of space up there

-Beware of lizards, snacks, and other insects. I was lucky enough to see only small lizards from time to time but I've heard otherwise

You might be thinking (why did they give 5 stars). I would've given it a 4 if it wasn't for the Rangers who saved my life otw down. The only reason it would get a 4 is just cuz some parts of the trail are scary.

And that's it folks. Be careful, stay hydrated, and watch your step. In the end it was so worth it even though I have a fear of heights, it was so nice to get up there and just feel so good about...

Was It Worth It?

We had no idea what was ahead of us. We saw online that the hike was just 2+ miles and embarrassed to say, no glance at the difficulty. When we got there the ranger mentioned that it was an extremely treacherous hike. I thought, ok...it’s steep but we’ll just take our time. At first I thought, this isn’t so bad. Well...when we came upon the first set of rocks my thought was...There is no way in hell we could do this. The fact that my husbands shoes had little tread left on them and he was slipping on gravel was our first out. But, we decided to go for it. Everyone else was. And we were told, “its worth it” Just keep looking down...😳🙄 We live in Seattle and we’ve hiked all over WA. We’ve done Mt Townsend twice, which is very difficult, for me anyway, but once again everyone told us...”It’s worth it.” After the first one I said I’d never do that again. But, as in child birth you forget the pain and do it all over again. Lol. The altitude reaches over 6000+ feet. Dark chocolate is a must as it helps with altitude sickness. Anyway, moving on. I NOT believe how difficult Camelback hike was 1/4 hike, 3/4 rock climbing with no belay. Yikes!! After a few hours as we were on our way home I thought...That was actually fun and the feeling of having completed it was none like any other. As I sit here the day after, I’m feeling the after effects of the climb. EVERY muscle in my body aches but as they say, “It...

A challenging hike with beautiful sights along the way. The view from the top is also nice.

There are two trails that go from opposite sides of the mountain to the same spot at the summit:

Echo trail starts from the NW of the mountain, it is just over a mile long and it is quite steep.

Cholla trail starts from the east side of the mountain and it is about 2.5 miles long. Since it takes about twice as long to reach the same spot at the top, you can guess that it is not as steep.

They are both challenging in their own way, and the most helpful advice for this hike is to wear appropriate shoes and bring more than enough water. Even soft running shoes will make this hike harder than it should be.

I have a friend who is a firefighter, assigned to this area, and he says that during summer they get called for a rescue up the mountain about once a day, usually from dehidration or getting lost. Bring plenty of water and follow the...