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Really good workout for the quads. There are two levels to the parking lot, but the parking is a bit limited. There was adequate availability at 0630 on a Sunday morning. It took me 1' 45" on the way up and 45 minutes on the way down. I had tee time to make so I couldn't dilly, but was not rushed.. The way up is as bit challenging on a couple sections where I was scrambling over the rocks on all four more than hiking. Those sections were not that long. The railing was not that necessary on the ascent, but was a real comfort on the descent. Be careful of loose gravel on the 4x4 steps on the descent as the traction can be marginal. Wear good shoes with a good ability to grab the rocks. (The Cholla trail was closed in early November 2020.)…
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Date of experience: November 2020
1 Helpful vote
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Wonderful challenge. It’s not sooooo hard like some have said. I’m in shape and was with a group of women with varying fitness levels. The first day we went half way and then turned around with the group because everyone felt accomplished without pushing too hard. The next day I went solo (completely safe with ALL the people around) and finished it. Know your limits and be willing to turn around at any point. Take a big bottle of water (32 Oz was great for early morning in June) and wear sunscreen. I wore worn down tennis shoes and certainly wished I had hiking boots a couple of times for the traction, but was totally fine. You will enjoy it!…
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Date of experience: June 2020
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Not a great deal of parking so go early - this also helps with the heat! Take more water than you think you'll need; this is an intense hike but the views are amazing.
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Date of experience: December 2019
2 Helpful votes
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Overall this was an amazing climb that I would recommend to most, with several caveats that I will mention below. Got started at 7am and took 45 minutes to reach the top (for context, I'm in my 20s and hike regularly). Weather was as good as you can get for June, with temps in the 70s. Shade is available throughout the trail in the morning, and the final stretch is basically all in the shade. The downhill took 50 minutes. I would budget at least 2-2.5 hours for the hike regardless of what shape you're in; you don't want to be in a hurry coming down. It's really easy to get hurt. The statistics of the trail (2.3 miles round trip. 1300 ft gain) vastly understate the challenge. As many others have said, this is a climb, not a "hike". After the first portion of the trail, you are pretty much grappling on boulders to get to the top. If you have bad knees, or have never done any rock climbing, bouldering, or off-piste hiking, this might not be the one for you. From what I know, the Cholla Trail requires far less bouldering, but it is temporarily closed now. Here would be my tips: - Get started early, especially in summer (the sun rises at like 5am in AZ in June). You'll have better weather, more shade, easier parking, and prettier views. Quadruple win. - Wear hiking boots. I wore Nikes and made it, but life would've been far better in proper shoes. - Bring a backpack. You'll be using your hands. I saw a handful of people going with a water bottle in hand which is a terrible idea - Bring enough water (minimum 1L per person), but if you're going in the morning on a mild day, don't go insane. I used ~0.5L personally and brought like 3 liters which was overkill. If you choose to go in afternoon/eve, DISREGARD and bring as much water as you want. Be careful, and don't hesitate to turn around if you feel unsafe!…
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Date of experience: June 2020
3 Helpful votes
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Echo Canyon Trail is one of the two popular trails that will get you on the Camelback Mountain. We hiked here on the last weekend of February, when the weather got up to 27C (80F) which meant we needed way more time than anticipated to complete this trail. The trailhead is well marked, there’s facilities incl. water fountains (there are plenty of bees in this area!), and free parking. The trail goes steeply up and up, the terrain is rocky; there are a couple of spots where you may have to be on all fours or hold on to fencing/ railing or whatever you can find to hoist yourself up there. It was quite fun actually, however, with the beaming sun and hot weather, it turned out to be difficult for hubby (bigger guy, we also lacked in form after winter). We ended up taking many breaks and all in all it took us 90 mins to get to the top. Plenty of people on the trail, but it was a Saturday morning and a beautiful day. Saw plenty of beautiful plants including cacti, and many big lizards. The views are very rewarding throughout the trail. The way down from the mountain took us another hour, mainly because we were taking our time to ensure we don’t fall on the big boulders. Total time 2.5 hours, and a challenging but very doable beautiful trail. Highly recommended! Take more water than you think you’ll need, and good hiking boots.…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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