Phoenix Parks Board votes to ease heat-related trail closures at South Mountain Park

Amid pushback from hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board voted March 27 to ease heat-related restrictions that had been imposed last year for all trails at South Mountain Park.

The new plan would limit the heat closures to only Holbert Trail (2.56 miles), Mormon Trail (1.35 miles), Hau’pal Loop Trail (2.8 miles) and access to the National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead — leaving the vast majority of the park’s more than 128 miles of trails accessible throughout the mornings and afternoons of even the hottest days.

In 2021, the city adopted the Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety program, restricting access to Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak trails from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on days when the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning — a term that the weather service revised this year to “extreme heat warning.”

In October 2024, the Parks Board voted to expand those heat restrictions to all trails at South Mountain Park, while starting the closures an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. The expanded restrictions were supported by the Phoenix Fire Department, citing the difficult-to-access areas, which can put first responders at risk, especially in extreme heat when hiking to the rescue points with heavy gear.

But hikers, mountain bikers and other park users have complained to the board about the closures.

Several members of the public spoke at the March 27 meeting in support of either eliminating or easing the trail restrictions at South Mountain. And some urged the city to abandon all restrictions, including at Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak.

“I think we should leave everything alone, let the parks do what they do, let these individuals have fun hiking, and not control their lives. It’s their life, not yours,” Tim Sierakowski told board members. “If you don’t want to hike on the mountain at a certain time, don’t do it. But don’t start telling all these people what they should or shouldn’t be doing.”

Geri Koeppel said she hikes the South Mountain trails regularly and is aware of the dangers posed by the heat, saying she often witnesses the summer rescues.

“It seems like having a plan where the most at-risk people and most at-risk places are targeted, that sounds reasonable to me,” she said, supporting the plan to maintain restrictions in the four targeted areas.

She thanked the board “for taking a scalpel, rather than a chainsaw, to the issue.”

The board’s vote makes no changes to the restrictions in place at Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Park.

Ali Pardi, deputy communications director for the Phoenix Fire Department, said the department appreciated the board’s decision to maintain the restrictions on South Mountain’s most strenuous trails, citing the challenges to hikers and rescuers alike.

She said the fire department supports the board’s decision to reopen the rest of the park, viewing it as a fair compromise after hearing from all stakeholders.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify that although the Phoenix Fire Department supported the October 2024 decision to close all South Mountain trails on days of extreme heat, the department supports the board’s vote to reopen the vast majority of the park’s trails and views it as a fair compromise. A previous version of this story also incorrectly stated that the board’s decision needs to be approved by the City Council. The board’s decision does not need council approval and took effect immediately.