Camelback Neighborhoods and Tourist Spots

Phoenix is composed of 15 urban villages, including Camelback East. The famous Camelback Road runs east to west about midway through this neighborhood.

The Phoenix Mountains Recreation Area sits at the northeast border. Piestewa Peak is second to Camelback Mountain, but it still achieves an elevation of 2,608 feet. The hike is considered challenging. It’s open until 11 p.m. due to the popularity of night hikes with the light colored stone and city lights for encouragement.

Papago Park forms part of its southeast border. It is home to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, Papago Golf Club and the Hole in the Rock hiking areas.

Adjacent to Camelback East, the Arcadia neighborhood is a large area of private homes on large lots. Before it was developed, citrus farms dominated the area from 1919 to 1950s.

The Arizona Canal cuts through the area, and it takes a big natural drop at Arizona Falls. The falls are free to visit at G.R. Herberger Park on East Indian School Road.

Camelback Road

Running east to west through much of Phoenix, Camelback Road is known to many drivers who live or commute in the area. It starts in Scottsdale and continues until it passes through Glendale, Goodyear and Litchfield Park.

A recent, significant change for this major thoroughfare is the completion of a new practice facility at 44th Street and Camelback Road. It’s a home for the Phoenix Suns when they aren’t playing at the Footprint Arena.

Named a Phoenix point of pride, the Shemer Art Center and Museum is a cultural presence at 5005 Camelback Road. USA Today named it One of the 10 Best Museums in Phoenix. It certainly has an exciting location with Camelback Mountain as its backdrop.

Encanto Village is just beneath Camelroad between Highway 51 and I-10. This area is home to the famous Heard Museum. Honoring Native American art and culture, it has 12 galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden.

Businesses on this stretch of Camelback Road often serve Glendale and Scottsdale drivers due to the easy access. That’s how the Camelback Automall became a hub for so many different auto dealers. It’s easy to find from almost anywhere in the Phoenix metro area.

Camelback Mountain

The camel’s head is a 25-million-year-old red sedimentary sandstone. The humps are composed of 1.5-billion-year-old granite. This color difference adds to the feeling that this is a giant sleeping camel on the horizon. The tallest peak is 2,706 feet above sea level.

A mountain cave has revealed that it was a sacred site for the prehistoric Hohokam Culture. It certainly had significance to Native Americans of the region. The mountain was originally intended to be part of the Salt River Pima and Maricopa American Indian reservation.

However, a dispute over water rights in 1879 kept it from being protected. Area citizens recognized in the 1910s that development threatened the unique mountain. However, it took until 1968 to get Camelback Mountain designated a city park.

Now it’s a major destination for hikers and rock climbers. If you decide to visit, it is important to note that the trails are considered extremely difficult. Furthermore, parking is very limited at both the Cholla and Echo Canyon Trailheads.