Unless you’re a pro at exploring mountains solo, you’ll enjoy this Camelback Mountain Guided Hiking Adventure that takes you to the mountain’s peak with a guide who is either an EMT or wilderness first responder. A guide safely takes you through the strenuous trail that involves a bit of rock climbing, too, while showing you secrets of the mountain very few people know about.

Go to the top of Camelback Mountain under the safety of a guide
See 360-degree views of Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert
A strenuous hike with hands-on rock climbing for those craving adventure
Backpack use, bottled water, and snacks are provided for a stress-free hike

What's Included

Snacks
Bottled water
Backpacks
Sunscreen
Cold beverages following the hiking adventure
Professional, certified adventure guide

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Echo Canyon Trailhead
E McDonald Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85018, USA
Your Mad Desert Trekking guide will meet you outside the Echo Canyon Trailhead building off E. McDonald Drive. Please note that the parking lot is sometimes full and you may have to wait for a parking spot. Uber and Lyft will drop off at the trailhead.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems

Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

GLENN_I

This is and extreme double diamond climb but our guide, Matt, was amazing. This guy is the real deal. Has hiked and climbed most of the top peaks in America and the world.. Climbed part of Mount Everest. If you are visiting Phoenix and in shape, this climb is a must.

Reviews

5.0

115 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 115 reviews

Hiking

MaryZurbriggen_M, May 2023

Very fun climb. Matt our guide was very knowledgeable about the mountain and trail. It was very fun.

Checked this off of our bucket list.

GLENN_I, Apr 2023

Wonderful hike to great views in every direction

Jeff_M, Apr 2023

Ryan was a wonderful guide. He was informative and attentive to our needs in terms of pace, breaks, water, snacks and everything we needed for this hike. This hike is strenuous and he carefully picked a route through boulder fields and steeper inclines. We were rewarded with fantastic views and a real sense of accomplishment. He shared interesting stories about his adventure sports and really made this hike special for us.

Must do challenging hike!

Kristen_P, Apr 2023

Liz was fantastic and gave me such confidence as this was my first ever hike! Talk about a challenge for an averagely fit 52 year old. So rewarding and fun. A must do when you visit the area! Go early to avoid the heat.

Going to the Top

Lel_H, Apr 2023

My guided tour with Matt was wonderful. He kept me motivated the entire day. His knowledge of the plants and animal life were very impressive; I learned quite a lot from him. But above all else, I love that he is a protector of Camelback Rock!

Feeling accomplished!

Amy_R, Apr 2023

This was a challenging but rewarding experience. Michael our guide was wonderful, he kept us going, he encouraged us all the way. I’m so glad my daughter and I got to have this adventure together.

Beautiful sights and freindly guide, perfect!

Nicole_A, Mar 2023

I had a great time. The whole hike had amazing scenery the entire time. My guide, Liz, was very freindly and informative. I felt like I hired a freind! I woyld definitely recommend!

Beautiful hike

Jennifer_S, Feb 2023

Beautiful hike! So glad we had Michael there to show us the best way up and down - very personable and made it fun.

Great venture even if you don’t goto top.

Alex_F, Jan 2023

Great experience with Liz. I underestimated the difficulty of the hike when researching (my fault) so the wife and I didn’t make it all the way to the top. Liz was kind and patient with us stopping for breaks and filling time with stories and interesting facts. Made it almost to the top ridge so was I felt accomplished in that. Hopefully we will get a chance to come back and try again. Highly recommend Liz if you decide to take this venture. 👍👍

Jennifer our guide was...

Jeffrey_C, Jan 2023

Jennifer our guide was great. Beautiful views and good times. Was very accommodating to our pace., as we were beginners and went slowly!

Echo Canyon Camelback Mountain Hike

Jason_C, Dec 2022

Hiked with Jennifer and it was awesome! Beautiful scenery and a workout all in one. It was great to have her as a guide showing us the way and teaching us about our surroundings - highly recommended!

Amazing!

SarahMae_I, Dec 2022

Amazing time! Thanks so much for a wonderful adventure! Matt was a wonderful guide and great company p

DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!

Brittany_P, May 2022

Hiking Camelback Mountain with Matt was an unforgettable experience! His positive attitude and facts about the area made the hike so much fun! Plus, he took awesome photos!! :) If you're thinking about booking, DO IT!

Highlight of our trip!

David_F, May 2022

Matt made our experience amazing! We learned so much as first-time hikers and this was the highlight of our trip.

HIking

Keith_H, Mar 2022

Jennifer was a fun, knowledgeable and supportive guide. We decided to turn around at the 1/2 way marker and she was supportive and caring. We will return.

I made it!

Jill_H, Mar 2022

My son and I were visiting Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe from Ohio and decided to take this guided hike up Camelback. Matt texted us detailed instructions prior to our arrival. We took an Uber from Tempe to the Echo Canyon Trailhead, so we didn't have to worry about parking (the Uber was about $45 on the way there and $20 on the way back). Matt provided backpacks, water and gloves. He gave a quick overview of what to expect, and we were off! I'm 48 and my son is 17. He didn't have any trouble with the hike, but it was very strenuous for me. Early in the hike, I didn't think I would make it to the top. Matt continued up the mountain with another family and the other guide, Jennifer stayed with me and my son. She was so positive, patient and encouraging. She told me what to expect next and how much further we had until we reached the top. There are parts of the hike where you have to climb up big boulders using your hands. I'd say I'm in average shape - slightly overweight, but I frequently walk on flat terrain. This was very challenging for me, but I did it with the help of Jennifer (and my son, who was also very patient). It was a rewarding experience and I'm glad we used a guide - otherwise it would have been too easy for me to turn around.

Amazing Experience

LaTasha_M, Dec 2021

Matt was Awesome. As a first timer this can be an overwhelming experience but Matt was so patient and did a great job encouraging and assisting along the way. Definitely could not have completed this hike/climb without him.

Great adventure and you don’t have to be fit

Amanda_M, Dec 2021

I was hesitant to book this . I tore my ACL 4 years ago and broke my ankle 4 months ago . I am not in the best shape , but I love adventures and doing new things . I booked this and almost cancelled it because I was scared of getting an injury . I decided we should keep the reservation and experience it . We were only in town for 2 days and wanted to do the hike right at 7:00 am . That way we still had the whole afternoon ahead of us . Starting out we met our tour guide Matt . He was so laid back and very knowledgeable. We started the hike with him explaining it will be difficult but we can do it . He knew which part of the hike we should be at for the best pictures of the sunrise . When we turned that corner he told us we would have 5 obstacles . That helped me know what to expect ahead . It wasn’t easy , but it was fun and worth it . I have never had a tour guide but I would highly recommend it to everyone . When we got to the top he had us pound the final post with our fist and had some healthy snacks and cold drinks at the top . We took our time at the top and took it all on . He didn’t rush us and took great pictures of us . On the way down I went slower . I was still nervous about an injury . It was challenging but worth it . He explained the area , plants , wildlife and really made us feel so comfortable. I highly recommend him to everyone . Honestly… I will remember it for the rest of my life ! Thank you Matt for being so kind and letting us take our time without us feeling bad about it !

Epic Adventure ❤️

Stella_R, Nov 2021

Matt is incredible considerate and knowledgeable and always makes a point to make you feel safe and present and takes you to the secret spots on the mountain and so helpful with photos capturing!!! Please consider going with him and 11am hike was incredible timing!!!!

Best Hiking Experience

AmandaBlaszak, Oct 2021

My husband and I don’t do much hiking so when I found this guided hike I was excited. Matt was an awesome guide and allowed us to take breaks as we made our way up. We got to watch the sunrise and took a ton of great pictures. It was such an enjoyable time and I’m so glad I chose to do this!

Awesome Experience

Marybeth_B, Aug 2021

Matt was an awesome guide, very encouraging and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend him for tours.

Another Adventure in the books!!

laura_s, May 2021

Our sunrise Hot Air balloon tour was cancelled the morning we decided to hike camelback mountain. So at 5 am that morning i scheduled the hike/tour and we were at the meeting place by 8am. 8:10am i called the tour operator (Matt) and explained that i booked this am and he was shocked and surprised he was unaware. He immediately said if you can wait just a bit i will be right there. We waited and so glad we did. Matt guided and helped along the way bringing all the items needed for a great hike including encouraging words. We made it to the summit learning and taking in all the beautiful views along the way. Matt took his time let us rest as needed and we needed a lot lol. There was a lot of people on the trail as it was surprisingly cool but made the day fun and challenging. Matt towards the end of our hike apologized again about not being there at 8am and promised to not allow that to happen again. He will come up with something so that never happens again. Just one last tid bit about Matt, We had collected a couple of small rocks along our hike and i left them in the backpack Matt had provided. I realized this after we had departed from Matt so i text and told him to take them out of the backpack so someone else didn't have to care those dang things around lol. Matt mailed those rocks to us the same day and they met us at home in our mailbox. Thank you again Matt for a great day. As Matt says Happy Trails and as we say enjoy all your adventures because you never know. Life is short enjoy the ride. Laura and Gil

Response from Host, May 2021

Right on! So fun to hike the tallest mountain in Phoenix with you two. Call us the next time you visit Arizona for you next adventure!

Great hike, great guide

Nicole_J, Apr 2021

Very nice hike. Beautiful views and moderate in intensity. Ryan was a great guide. Very attentive and prepared with snacks and drinks. Showed me cool places and great photo spots. Def recommend when visiting AZ

Response from Host, May 2021

So glad you dig Camelback Mountain as much as we do. Stay cool and keep on trekking! 🦎☀️🌵