Cholla Trailhead Camelback Mountain — Attraction in Phoenix

The Cholla Trail is a popular 1.47-mile out-and-back trail on the East side of Camelback Mountain, with an elevation gain of 1,350 feet. Despite being marked as an extremely difficult trail, it is a popular hiking spot. When we arrived at the trailhead, we struggled to find a parking spot even in the middle of the week. The first mile is a series of challenging switchbacks that offer short climbs and rough terrain. The trail runs parallel to a ditch and offers great views from a rescue Helicopter Pad on a ridgeline. Many people turn around at this point as the trail gets really challenging after this point. The rest of the trail is not paved and has no clear trail it is just mountain climbing and gets even more difficult. We had to rely on footprints and wear on the rocks to determine which way to go. There were times when I felt lost and scared, but my hiking partner encouraged me to keep going, and I pulled myself up using all possible body parts. The view was breathtaking at the summit, and it made all the effort worth it. The trail showcases a variety of cacti and desert plants, making for a beautiful desert landscape. The summit offers 360-degree views of the city, just like the Echo Canyon Trail. Descending the Cholla Trail was a bit easier, as we could see the way, but we had to use our butts to slide down some sections of the scramble. We took our time, had fun, and most importantly,...

Three stars because the views from the top were spectacular, and the overall trail was very pretty. I enjoyed the scenery. It is also a great workout, and I arrived at the top with a real sense of accomplishment. I live in Colorado and have climbed many a fourteener, so I was expecting this to be less technical than it was. It was surprisingly difficult. There are spots near the top where the trail is hard to find and you are using your hands to get up and over rocks. I enjoy this type of hiking, but it isn't for many hikers expecting a regular stroll up the trail.

Minus two stars - first, for the parking. We arrived very early on Saturday and still had to park over a mile away from the trailhead. It was quite tedious. The trail starts in a wealthy neighborhood that is policed and barricaded. I found it odd that you pretty much start off in someone's front yard. I wouldn't want to live anywhere near this trailhead. Second, for the crowds. The crowds are poorly managed, and walking to the top was essentially a death march. Elbow to elbow with many, many people, many of them unprepared and moving dangerously slow. This is not a trail for children, but I saw many kids, some of them crying because of the difficulty. It really ruined what was otherwise a very...

This place is a must for any hiker or runner. Apparently this is rated a difficult hike, though for any experienced hiker and/or healthy and active person, this trail will be more of an easy to moderate hike. There's a good amount of rock scrambling all the way up, and couple flats, and lots of switchbacks. It's a fantastic 360 view of the Phoenix Valley area. Expect to find NO parking on the weekends (unless it's summertime). I recommend coming during the week and for sunset! Just don't forget your headlamp! And if you're not familiar with the trail, I suggest you come down before you lose sunlight, even if you have a headlamp. It's easy to get off trail at night when you're not familiar with the trail. I highly recommend this trail/hike for anyone visiting or residing here!

Side note ... the crowd here is really friendly, mainly sociable people, and a younger crowd - as compared to other...