Phoenix adds tech to keep hikers off of closed trailheads
(Courtesy city of Phoenix)
A new surveillance camera at the Piestewa Peak Trailhead shows the electronic gate both open and closed, as well as the new electronic message board at the trailhead.
The Phoenix Parks Department is rolling out new technology to make sure people stay off hiking trails that are closed due to extreme heat.
The city now has electronic signs Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak to inform the public about current and upcoming trail closures and cameras to monitor trailheads 24/7 at Piestewa Peak and the Holbert Trailhead at South Mountain. Cameras will also soon be coming to the Echo Canyon Trailhead at Camelback Mountain, Deputy Parks Director Jarod Rogers told the Phoenix Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Another recent technological tool are electronic gates at some trailheads that allow for scheduled closures “which increases park ranger availability at other areas that are not affected by trail closures,” Rogers told the subcommittee.
The Parks Board first started closing trails at Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak in summer 2021 on days when the National Weather Service issues an Extreme Heat Warning. It added South Mountain to the list in 2024.
The city has more than 100 miles of trails not affected by closures. These trails were chosen because they tend to require the most mountain rescues and are the most difficult for Phoenix Fire rescue crews to access.
Rogers did not directly comment on whether or how many people are going on trails that are closed, but city officials showed some mountain rescue data that is pointed in the wrong direction.
A Phoenix firefighter holds up a sign that says "Stop Hiking in the Heat."
(Courtesy Phoenix Fire Department)
The number of mountain rescues dropped in the first few years the trail closures were in place.
“Unfortunately, last year we saw an increase of 75% at Camelback Mountain,” Phoenix Assistant Fire Chief Mark Gonzales told the subcommittee.
Mark Gonzales
South Mountain saw just a slight uptick of 5% of rescues last year and Piestewa Peak had a decrease of 38%.
Another bad sign as the city heads into the hottest months of the year is that mountain rescues were up 50% in January-May compared to last year.
In the last year, Phoenix has also put some technology at the trailheads to help with rescues: ice machines. This is part of Phoenix Fire’s “rapid cooling technique” it has started using in recent years that involves having the patient lay down in a large bag filled with ice water.
“This is an aggressive, low-tech thermal approach to cool patients 3-5 times faster than traditional ice packs, allowing to safely lower internal temperatures with a critical transport window, drastically improving neurologic recovery and neurological survival,” Gonzales said.
Phoenix Fire Capt. John Prato in 2024 demonstrates a new protocol called “rapid cooling technique” it has started using in recent years that involves having the patient experiencing heat-related illness lay down in a large bag filled with ice water.
(The Associated Press/Anita Snow)
In summer 2025, ice machines were installed at Piestewa Peak and the Echo Canyon Trailhead at Camelback Mountain.
South Mountain’s Holbert Trailhead reopened in April 2026 after the renovation of the South Mountain Activity Complex and it now also has an ice machine.
The Parks Department is working with the Fire Department to assess which additional sites should receive ice machines. Rogers previewed that the Pima Canyon Trailhead on the east side of South Mountain will be among the trailheads to have one installed.
Visit here to learn more about Phoenix’s Trail Heat Safety Program.
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Mark Carlisle joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, covering Glendale. He has since moved to the Daily Independent team, primarily covering the city of Phoenix along with other topics affecting the Valley at-large.
Community: Mark enjoys taking his two young sons to parks, the Phoenix Zoo, the Phoenix Public Library and other fun events around the Valley. He also participates in a local book club.
Education: Chapman University with a BA in English Journalism and one in Screenwriting.
Random Fact: Mark worked at a tuxedo shop in college. Just don’t ask him to tie a bowtie.
Hobbies: Spending time with his wife, sons and dog, watching sports and TV shows, listening to audiobooks and occasionally writing fiction or designing a board game.
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