| Camelback Mountain | |
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| Elevation | 2,706 feet (825 m) NAVD 88 [1] |
| Location | Maricopa County, Arizona, USA |
| Prominence | 1,334 feet (407 m) [2] |
| Coordinates | 33°30′53.0″N 111°57′41.8″W / 33.514722°N 111.961611°WCoordinates: 33°30′53.0″N 111°57′41.8″W / 33.514722°N 111.961611°W [1] |
| Topo map | USGS Paradise Valley |
Camelback Mountain is a mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The name is derived from its shape, which resembles the two humps and head of a bactrian camel lying prone. The mountain, a prominent landmark for the metropolitan Phoenix valley, is located in the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area between the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley. It is a popular recreation destination for hiking and rock climbing.
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History
A cave discovered on the north side of Camelback mountain indicates that it was used as a sacred site by the prehistoric Hohokam Culture before they abandoned the area in 14th century.[3]
In January 1879, United States President Rutherford B. Hayes included Camelback Mountain as part of a one million acre reservation for the Salt River Pima and Maricopa American Indian tribes.[4] Six months later, at the behest of Charles Poston, the Arizona Territorial Legislature reversed the decision in order to protect the 5000 area residents as well as the water resources of the Salt River.[5]
Efforts to protect Camelback Mountain as a natural preserve began in the early 1910s. However, by the 1960s, nearly all of the area had been sold to private interests. Federal and state authorities attempted to stop development above the one thousand and six hundred feet level. They failed to halt development and in 1963 efforts to arrange a land exchange failed in the Arizona State legislature. In 1965, United States Senator Barry Goldwater took up the cause and helped to secure the higher elevations against development. The area became a Phoenix city park in 1968.[6]
The peak lends its name to a major east-west street in the Phoenix area called Camelback Road that starts in Scottsdale and goes about 34 miles (55 km) west past the West Valley suburbs of Goodyear and Litchfield Park. It starts again past the White Tanks.
Camelback Mountain is designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride.[7]
Geology
The mountain is composed of a geologic unconformity between two separate rock formations. The higher part of the peak is Precambrian granite (ca. 1.5 billion years old). The head of the camel is predominently red sedimentary sandstone from the Tertiary period (ca. 25 million years old).[8]
Recreation
Two hiking trails ascend 1,280 ft. to the peak of Camelback Mountain. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.2 miles and the Cholla Trail is 1.4 miles. Both trails are considered strenuous with steep grades. The hiking path has dirt, gravel, boulders, and some handrail-assisted sections. The average hike requires a round trip time of 1.5 to 3 hours.[9]
The Praying Monk is a red sandstone rock formation which is used for rock climbing. Located on the northern slope, the formation resembles the silhouette of a man kneeling in prayer. It rises approximately 100 feet and the eastern face has several permanent anchor bolts for attaching a belay rope.
Gallery
 Aerial view |
 Camelback Mountain trail |
 View along the trail |
 As viewed from Camelback Road. |
 As viewed from a Sky Harbor Airport hotel. |
References
- ^ a b "Camels Back 2". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=DU2216. Retrieved on 2008-11-25
- ^ "Camelback Mountain, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4057. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ^ Gary Driggs, Camelback Mountain, Arcadia Publishing, 2008, p.23
- ^ (Diggs 2008, p. 27)
- ^ (Diggs 2009, p. 27)
- ^ Matthew J. Lindstrom, & Hugh Bartling, Suburban sprawl: culture, theory, and politics, Chapter 8: "The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back", Rowman & Littlefield, 2003
- ^ "Phoenix Points of Pride". http://phoenix.gov/ARTS/pridepts.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ^ (Diggs 2008, p. 9)
- ^ Charles Liu, "Summit (Echo Canyon) Trail", 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Phoenix, Menasha Ridge Press, 2006, p.10
Further reading
- Gary Driggs, Camelback Mountain, Arcadia Publishing, 2008, 128pp, ISBN 0738548405
External links
Media related to Camelback Mountain at Wikimedia Commons- ClimbCamelback.com - Camelback Mountain hiking information
- Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department Website
- Phoenix Parks
- Camelback Hiking Pictures and Reviews
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