After Phoenix’s hottest summer on record, the city’s parks board has adopted broader restrictions for hiking trails during excessive heat warnings.
The city says heading out on trails in extreme heat is not only risky for hikers, but it puts rescue workers in harm's way. So, any time the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning, Phoenix has been closing Echo Canyon and Cholla Trails at Camelback Mountain, and the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and associated trails at the Phoenix Mountains Preserve starting at 9 a.m.
Those closures will now begin at 8 a.m. and will also apply to all trails on South Mountain.
"Our Board’s decision to expand the Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program to South Mountain Park/Preserve, along with earlier trail closures during excessive heat warnings, is a proactive measure to reduce heat-related incidents," Kelly Dalton, chair of the city of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board said in a press release. "The safety of our residents and visitors is always our top priority."
The Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program launched in 2021. The city reports it has been effective. The year the program started, there were 57 heat-related rescues on trails. That dropped to 35 rescues this year.
The Parks Board is set to consider additional changes to the program in January. Proposed changes include pushing the closure time back to 7 a.m. and putting closures into effect anytime temperatures are forecast to pass 105 degrees, rather than closing trails only during excessive heat warnings.