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Occasional Spicy Twist by joebartels Amenities
Drinking fountain, restrooms, and a bike rack. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset. 1997-2020 "Ever hike the backside of Camelback?" - this was the famous question for years when Cholla was closed in the 90s. Veteran hikers babbled on about how great it used to be. Cholla re-opened spring of 1997. The catch was a walk from outside the neighborhood to gain access to the trailhead. Cholla was the closest trail to my home for decades, I hesitated to share this jewel of a trail.
Both Camelback trails received a major boost in visitors over the years. While Echo had a dedicated trailhead, Cholla was barely surviving on a small access path near the long-gone trailhead of yesteryear. No facilities and up to ten thousand hikers walking along, few on, the neighborhood path per week was a recipe for disaster, the trail closed. A New Beginning The trail reopened on 2022-09-30 with a new alignment directly from Invergordon Rd. Regardless if you drive, walk or bike to the trail, please respect the nearby neighborhoods. Hike Cholla, like Echo Canyon to the summit, is a strenuous hike for such a short distance but Cholla begins like a dancing butterfly. From the gate on Invergordon, it is 0.2 miles with a gentle fifty-foot ascent before it gets gnarly. The restroom and other amenities are just under a tenth of a mile, in the former golf course building. Sure-footed mortar stone steps begin the ascent in earnest. At 0.3-mi you merge into the former trail. This old trail switchbacks up the back of the mountain. Hiking the sloping desert meadow of cacti with the resort below gives you a southern California feel on cool breeze days. Be careful hiking along the steep sections as loose footing might give way. Trail signs and lots of blue retroreflective raised pavement markers lead you up the trail, keeping you headed in the right direction. The trail crosses over to the south side as you approach pole 14. Standing near 14, the resort spreads out below. The trail heads back to the north side as it will, back and forth, several times before reaching the summit. The upper furlong is a little sporty. Most will be using their hands in a spot or two, balance-challenged like myself will be more in the dozen range. You will be hiking the ridgeline with views of both sides on sections to the summit. Area closed signs, keep you from wandering too far off-trail. Huge jagged boulders must be negotiated along the way. Personally, I don't recommend bringing children on this trail as you will be on the edge in several areas. Nearing the summit, one false summit is passed before making the final ascent. First-timers may be a bit slower finding the way, but this is not a terribly difficult trail. If you feel like you've lost the trail, backtrack a ways and look it over again. Once on the summit, all that hard work up now pays off. Views of the valley and surrounding mountains can be seen in all directions. On the return trip, be careful on the rocks and steep slopes going down. Over and back to Echo TH is a popular option( 5.2-mi / 2,750-ft). Runners enjoy a loop of the two trails, running along McDonald & Invergordon. Avid runners throw in Tatum, Trail #100, & Piestewa Peak. 82-Second Video Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
