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Camelback Mountain photos

Camelback Mountain hike: an adventure of mythic proportions

Luxury travel blog » Soft adventure » Camelback Mountain hike: an adventure of mythic proportions
April 17, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff

This post may contain affiliate links.

A Camelback Mountain hike is a unique way to experience Scottsdale, Arizona. Combine it with a stay at the nearby Sanctuary Resort for the perfect desert adventure. Here’s my experience.

Camelback Mountain hike view of Paradise Valley

 

I padded out to the patio of our cool white casita at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa just outside Scottsdale, Arizona. The birds sounded delirious with happiness, cacti were bursting with red and white blossoms and the Praying Monk, a rock formation on Camelback Mountain knelt in his perpetual frozen pose, whispering in my ear: ‘If you don’t do a Camelback Mountain hike, you’ll regret it.’

Praying Monk, Camelback Mountain hike
Spot the Praying Monk

 

Mark, my husband, stumbled out in his robe. He stretched happily, clearly looking forward to  a relaxed morning by the pool.

“Let’s go for a Camelback Mountain hike!” I said.

Several expressions crossed his face: none of them cheerful.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort pool
He would rather be here

One of the most popular activities in Scottsdale and Phoenix

“It’s a famous mountain to hike!” I said. “Everyone does it. And our resort is close to the Echo Canyon Trailhead. It will only take a minute to drive there. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

I ran inside, popped a coffee pod in the machine and it exploded. Barista I am not. I wiped the grounds off the cup handle with my sleeve and took the coffee outside.

As Mark took a sip, I sat across from him with an expectant look on my face. “Can I get you another cup of exploding coffee? Maybe to go?”

Sanctuary Resort Scottsdale Arizona
The living room in our casita

Staying at Sanctuary and hiking Camelback, a dynamic duo

Here’s the issue. Last time I visited Scottsdale, Arizona, there were two things I didn’t do and always regretted. One was to stay at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort, where Beyonce and Jay-Z honeymooned.

Sanctuary Casita at Camelback Mountain
Good place for a honeymoon

 

The other thing I didn’t do was go on a Camelback Mountain hike. And because I missed out, both the resort and the hike have reached mythic proportions in my mind.

Camelback Mountain hike Echo Canyon Trailhead

An oasis in the desert

Now that I was actually staying at Sanctuary, a tranquil desert retreat in Paradise Valley with a divine spa and a sleepy seductive pool, and which is terraced up the foot of Camelback Mountain itself, I figured that if I could also do the Camelback Mountain hike I’d combine my two big Scottsdale ambitions into one fabulous Arizona vacation.

And, lucky man that my husband is, he would be forced able to share my Scottsdale desert dreams.

Art at Sanctuary resort Scottsdale AZ
‘Been through the desert on a horse with no name’  (Artwork by Siri Hollander at Sanctuary)

Let the Camelback Mountain hike begin. Or not.

Although possibly Mark wasn’t feeling quite as lucky as he should have been when we drove up to the entrance of the parking lot at the Echo Canyon Recreational Area on Camelback but had to keep going because a sign saying ‘Lot Full’ was blocking the gate.

Hiking in Scottsdale, cactus in bloom
Stop and smell the cactus

Parking at Echo Canyon Recreational Area

To put it bluntly, parking at Echo Canyon is a nightmare. There are two trails up to the Camelback Mountain summit, the Cholla Trail on Cholla Drive and the Echo Canyon Trail in Echo Canyon Recreational Area.

Both of them are as popular as mojitos on a Saturday night, with some 300,000 people hiking up Camelback Mountain each year.

Camelback Mountain hike WanderingCarol
Flintstones!

 

After we’d driven by a few times, I hopped out of our rented Mazda and talked to the park ranger while Mark kept driving around.

“He says they’re going to open the parking lot soon,” I told Mark on my cell. “Maybe you could just keep going around the roundabout.”

Yes, I could hear him thinking. This is how I want to spend my weekend getaway in Scottsdale. Driving around a roundabout all day.

“The ranger has opened the lot!” I shrieked, waving at Mark as he circled around. Suddenly cars from all over descended on the lot. “He’s not going to get in!” I cried to the park ranger, panicking because my Camelback Mountain hike ambitions were about to be thwarted.

Camelback Mountain hike to the summit
It’ll be dark by the time we get a parking spot

 

“He’ll get in,” the ranger said, who kindly waited until Mark had nudged his way in before closing the lot again.

Once we were in we couldn’t find a parking spot. All the other cars had zipped into the available spots before us.

“You go ahead,” Mark finally said. “I’ll catch up when I get a spot.”

Just me and the camel

“Only if you’re sure,” I replied. After all, for me this was a mythic adventure. For him, it was a shut-my-wife-up adventure.

So while he enjoyed some relaxation time in the rental car, which of course is almost as good as relaxing by the pool at Sanctuary, I started up the trail. And as I did, I thought about the mountain.

Camelback Mountain got its name because it’s said to resemble a kneeling camel (although if you ask me you have to use your imagination quite a lot to see it – especially if you’re up close, but I’m assuming I was always at the wrong angle).

Camelback Mountain hiking Phoenix
One hump or two?

 

Camelback, a sacred mountain

For the Hohokum people who lived in the Salt River Valley, the mountain was a sacred site. The Ceremonial Grotto just south of the Echo Canyon Trail is a 50-foot high natural shrine, where offerings set in hollow reeds were left to the gods.

As old as the hills … and the canyons

As I started up the camel, I thought about walking over Precambrian granite a billion and a half years old, which is as old as the rock at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Although technically it’s the camel hump that’s so ancient, and I was on the camel head, which is a mere 25 million years old, and which in rock years is nothing more than a newborn double-humped camel calf.

Hiking Camelback Mountain
Let the hike begin

Camelback is for sporty people

Echo Canyon Trail is quite steep, a 1.23-mile hike to the summit that rises up 1,280 feet. So when Mark called to say he was on his way, I was secretly glad of a chance to get my breath back and by the time he caught up, I was able to pretend I wasn’t tired at all.

He arrived just as I was digging into the white plastic bag I was carrying, searching for my camera.

Hiking Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale Arizona, USA
On his way

 

“Do you want me to carry that?” he asked, not even questioning why I was hiking with a white plastic bag (and for which I didn’t have a good reason except that it was lighter than my backpack), and I could tell that getting out into some Arizona nature was having a good effect on him already.

Camelback Mountain hike WanderingCarol
Let me just push this pesky boulder out of the way

The plot thickens, I mean the trail steepens

After the first saddle the trail up Camelback got steeper, with a metal rail that ran up the middle, so that you could use your arms to help hoist yourself up. There are two sections like this on the Echo Canyon Trail and if you ask me they’re the most fun part of all.

Camelback Mountain hike rails

 

“This is great,” Mark said, from behind me as we came to a smooth stretch.

I turned around to agree. “Watch your head!” I yelled just as he looked up and cracked his skull on an overhanging rock.

“I’m okay,” he said, rubbing his forehead. I wanted to do something to make it better, but other than kissing the top of his head and telling him that if you’re 6’3″ you should really be looking overhead when you hike, I was right out of options. Although in retrospect, I suppose I could have offered to carry the plastic bag.

Camelback Mountain photos
A hike with a view

Desert beauty

We were at the last stretch when we stopped to look out over the valley. In the distance, the hills faded into blue waves. A saguaro cactus raised its arms like a cowboy in the desert.

“I love this,” Mark said, as I allowed myself a discreet self-satisfied smile because I’d known all along he would.

Camelback Mountain hike photos
I knew he’d like it

 

“I bet the view is incredible from the top,” he said, totally into it now as he aimed for the summit.

“I’m sure it is, only, er, we have to go back to Sanctuary now,” I called out after him. “I have a facial booked at the spa.”

Once again, several expressions crossed Mark’s face: disbelief, disappointment, an attempt to be gracious and finally, resignation.

Camelback Mountain hike to the summit
The summit, so close yet so far away

 

“I didn’t know it would take so long to park,” I said.

And while I’m sure he was disappointed not to make it to the top, at least he could now get his pool time and, best of all, we’d shared an (almost entire) Camelback Mountain adventure of mythic proportions.

 

Travel guide for a Camelback Mountain hike

Of the two trails up to the Camelback summit, Cholla and Echo Canyon, the Echo Canyon Trail is steeper. If you’re in good shape it should take about 45 minutes to hike up to the summit, and the same time to come down. Just don’t forget to add in extra time for parking. If you’re staying at a nearby resort consider asking if there is any kind of shuttle.

Early afternoon during weekdays is the least crowded time to hike (and park).

Echo Canyon Trailhead is at located at 4925  East McDonald Drive and is open sunrise to sunset. Dogs aren’t allowed, though they are on the Cholla Trail.

Bring water. And don’t, like me, finish it before you’re halfway up (unless you have a husband who hasn’t finished his.)

No matter how fast you hike you’ll feel useless because people will jog past you. Trail running is evidently a thing here.

For more information on parking etc, visit the Phoenix Parks and Recreation website.

About Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa

Sanctuary Resort & Spa is a AAA Four Diamond luxury Scottsdale resort overlooking Paradise Valley with great sunset views. And yes, Beyonce and Jay-Z really did stay here on their honeymoon.

Ranked the Top Resort in Arizona by Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2014, Sanctuary Resort & Spa is an art-filled spa-loving boutique resort set over 53 acres, with a variety of casitas, suites and private estates.

Dining is also top notch and comes with sunset views of the valley. A variety of packages can be booked, from wellness retreats to B&Bs. Visit the resort’s website for more info and check their Special Offers page for deals.

Location: Sanctuary Resort & Spa is 8 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and a 5-minute drive from downtown Scottsdale at 5700 East McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253.

As it’s just down the road from the Echo Canyon Recreational Area, it’s a great place to stay if you’re interested in combining some upscale relaxation with a Camelback Mountain hike.

Disclosure: My Camelback Mountain adventure of mythic proportions was made possible with the help of the Scottsdale CVB and Sanctuary on Camelback. All cajoling-husband-into-hiking enthusiasm and opinions are my own.

Read more: For an urban desert combo, add a couple of days in downtown Scottsdale at the Hotel Valley Ho.

Category: Arizona, Soft adventure, USA Travel

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 30 writing awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she’s written for top travel publications around the globe.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebecca Minton

    Yes, nice photos. I always imagined Scottsdale was flat. Who knew!

  2. A Taste for Travel (@atastefortravel)

    What a perfect combination at Camelback Mountain…outdoor adventure and then pool time! That Echo Canyon Trail looks very rigorous – I’d need a week in the spa after that!

  3. Cris Hazzard

    Wow, great post! You really do a good job of painting the picture. If anyone wants to try the Cholla trail (parking is a little easier, not as steep, and you can bring dogs), I have directions on my blog here:

    hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/phoenix-hiking/camelback-mountain-hike-cholla-trail/

  4. Luxury Columnist (@LuxuryColumnist)

    This post really made me chuckle! Mr Luxe is a bit like Mark in that he’d probably rather be by the pool but when he gets going on a walk he really enjoys it

  5. Carol Perehudoff

    Yes, Becca, we loved Arizona and seeing Camelback. The scenery is incredible.

  6. Becca Wilson

    This looks like it was a great time. My family and I love to get outdoors and when the landscape is beautiful too that is awesome.

  7. Lisa @bitesforbabies

    Your pictures are stunning, and it looks absolutely beautiful there! My friend just moved out to Arizona because she literally fell in love with it after visiting family over the years. I can’t wait to go and visit her there.

  8. rochkirstin

    It’s been a long time since my last hike. I think it’s great to try hiking even if it’s for the sporty people so you can have something to be proud of once accomplished. I can’t imagine myself going through those steep routes.

  9. Carol Perehudoff

    It’s my usual MO, too, Katie. I surprised the heck out of him.

  10. Amanda

    I have only been to Arizona once and it was like a totally different world. Different landscape, terrain….but oh so lovely. I remember having such a great time hiking with family and friends and then enjoying a dip in the pool without dealing with the awful Chicago humidity. Thanks for the travel inspiration.

  11. Katie

    What beautiful scenery! However, I can sympathize with your husband wishing to remain by the pool. That’s my usual MO as well. I have never been to a desert and would love to see one some day.

  12. Jennifer Tammy

    Your pictures are so beautiful! I’m going to be in Santa Fe for July, maybe I’ll see about taking a bit of a detour to Arizona. And poor Mark, hopefully another exploding coffee will make it better!

  13. Jenn

    Looks and sounds amazing. I’ve never been to that area. Your photos and write up make me want to look into a visit. We are scoping out ideas for next year’s spring break already.

  14. Kristy (@Momhatescooking)

    Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! The cactus, the view, the mountains..ah, I want to make a trip to see them in person. The hike looks fun, but like a lot of work with a family.

  15. Carol Perehudoff

    There’s a lot to do for families there, Nickida.

  16. Nickida

    This just looks like an amazing place to visit. I love looking at all the mountain views and the rock formations they have in this part of the country. I would love to take the family on a vacation in this area the US.

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