Camelback Mountain
Encyclopedia
Camelback Mountain is a mountain in Phoenix
, Arizona
, United States
. The name is derived from its shape, which resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel
. 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.
In January 1879, United States President Rutherford B. Hayes
included Camelback Mountain as part of a one million acre (4,000 km²) reservation for the Salt River Pima
and Maricopa American Indian
tribes. 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
.
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.
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
.
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 predominantly red sedimentary sandstone from the Tertiary
period (ca. 25 million years old).
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 (30 m) and the eastern face has several permanent anchor bolts for attaching a belay rope.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name is derived from its shape, which resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
. The mountain, a prominent landmark for the metropolitan Phoenix valley, is located in the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area between the Arcadia
Arcadia, Phoenix, Arizona
Arcadia is a neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona. It is bounded roughly by 44th Street to 68th Street and from Camelback Road to the Arizona Crosscut Canal. Arcadia contains well-kept homes on large lots; these homes command relatively high property values...
neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley is a small, affluent town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2005 Census Bureau, the population of the town was 14,558. Despite the town's relatively small area and population compared to other municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise...
. It is a popular recreation destination for hiking and rock climbing.
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 the 14th century.In January 1879, United States President Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
included Camelback Mountain as part of a one million acre (4,000 km²) reservation for the Salt River Pima
Pima
The Pima are a group of American Indians living in an area consisting of what is now central and southern Arizona. The long name, "Akimel O'odham", means "river people". They are closely related to the Tohono O'odham and the Hia C-ed O'odham...
and Maricopa American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes. 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
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
.
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
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
took up the cause and helped to secure the higher elevations against development. The area became a Phoenix city park in 1968.
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
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
suburbs of Goodyear
Goodyear, Arizona
Goodyear is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 65,275...
and Litchfield Park
Litchfield Park, Arizona
Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In 2010 it had a population of 5,476.-History:The town of Litchfield Park is named for its founder, Paul Weeks Litchfield...
. It starts again past the White Tanks
White Tank Mountains
The White Tank Mountains is a mountain range located in central Arizona. The mountains are on the western periphery of the Phoenix metropolitan area, primarily flanked by the suburban cities of Buckeye to the south and west, and Surprise to the north and east...
.
Camelback Mountain is designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride
Phoenix Points of Pride
The Phoenix Points of Pride are 33 landmarks and attractions within the Phoenix, Arizona, city limits that are claimed to represent the best features of the city for both residents and visitors...
.
Geology
The mountain is composed of a geologic unconformityUnconformity
An unconformity is a buried erosion surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages, indicating that sediment deposition was not continuous. In general, the older layer was exposed to erosion for an interval of time before deposition of the younger, but the term is used to describe...
between two separate rock formations. The higher part of the peak is Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
granite (ca. 1.5 billion years old). The head of the camel is predominantly red sedimentary sandstone from the Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
period (ca. 25 million years old).
Recreation
Two hiking trails ascend 1280 feet (390 m) to the peak of Camelback Mountain. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.2 miles (1900 m) and the Cholla Trail is 1.4 mi (2300 m). 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 ( Depending on how fit you are).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 (30 m) and the eastern face has several permanent anchor bolts for attaching a belay rope.
Further reading
- Gary Driggs, Camelback: Sacred Mountain of Phoenix , Arizona Historical Foundation (July 1998), 159pp, ISBN 0910152179
- Gary Driggs, Camelback Mountain, Arcadia Publishing, 2008, 128pp, ISBN 0738548405