CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

This 1.2-mile trail up the Phoenix landmark is not for the faint of heart, but it is worth the effort. Just ask Camelback Jack, who's been running and hiking up and down it two or three (or sometimes more) times a day for the last 20 years.

By Lisa Jhung

PUBLISHED 11/18/2009

Trail Stats
Distance: The Summit Trail/Echo Canyon is 1.2 miles one-way.
Elevation: Camelback Mountain tops out at 2,704 feet. Elevation gain from the trailhead is 1,264 feet.

Summed Up
Camelback Mountain rises dramatically from the Sonoran Desert landscape of Phoenix, Ariz., tempting hikers and adventurous trail runners to summit its peak. The majority of the mountain is made up of layered sandstone, creating dusty, loose dirt and rocks, while the camel's hump is comprised of granite. Despite its relatively short distance (2.4 miles round-trip), the trail is steep and strenuous, but offers an outstanding view at the top. And while summer temps rise upwards of 115 scorching degrees, October to April brings 80-degree days—much better conditions for hiking and running the mountain.

Park Here
Parking is limited, but to get to the trailhead, take Tatum Boulevard off of McDonald Drive, and enter at Echo Canyon Parkway.

Local Knowledge
No one knows more about running Camelback Mountain than Phoenix resident and runner, Jack Dunn, known locally as "Camelback Jack." Dunn has been hiking and running the mountain for 20 years, usually doing two or three up-and-backs in a day. He's carried six injured hikers down on his back, and cleared hundreds of rattlesnakes from the trail with his bare hands. "I brought a thermometer up one time in the summer when it was 120 at the airport, and it read 143 degrees at the top—so, bring water," says Dunn. There is a fountain at the bottom of the trail. Another tip: If the parking lot is full, head to nearby Piestawa Peak.

Local Love
Dunn has created and done "24-hours of Camelback" missions 12 times, many of which he raised money for a cause. Friends and local runners/hikers have joined him for portions of his 24-hour outings.

Share the Trail
Thankfully, rattlesnakes are heading into hibernation season, but beware in summer months. Rabbits, lizards, squirrels and birds abound, as do desert flora like prickly pear cacti and mesquite trees. And of the human sort, Camelback Mountain is a favorite destination hike for visitors to Phoenix.

Why we Love It
"Truthfully, other than getting a great workout, it's the people," says Dunn, who will always stop to talk to others on the trail. "This one woman told me she remembered me from 15 years earlier. She was from out of town and always hikes Camelback when she visits. I'll talk to people for hours—It drives my girlfriend crazy, but it's a great social mountain."
—Jack Dunn, aka "Camelback Jack," Phoenix, Arizona

More Dirt
phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikecmlb.html
arizonaroadracers.com
phoenixrunning936thermal.blogspot.com

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