Crack down on illegal parking and stopping at Camelback Mountain trailhead

ECHO CANYON TRAILHEAD PARKING RESTRICTIONS TO BE ENFORCED
Camelback Mountain, Phoenix

Hike South Mountain trails instead

Just like the old adage ---"stuff expands or contracts to fill the space allocated for it"---the newly upgraded Echo Canyon trailhead parking lot at Camelback Mountain is once again bursting at the seams. Even with double the parking, traffic congestion continues to be a problem.  The extra spots fill up quickly and hikers have been ignoring posted regulations and illegally stopping and/or parking along McDonald Drive to wait for an open space. Well, according to a press release issued today, the party is over, folks. You can now expect to be towed and/or ticketed because the City of Phoenix in conjunction with the Town of Paradise Valley is stepping up enforcement effective immediately. Remember, if the parking lot is full, you must leave the area and return later---no idling or parking along the street. Additional suggestions to avoid traffic backups are available on the Echo Canyon/Camelback Mountain webpage at: http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/camelback/index.html

As a side note, I avoid this trail.  It's too crowded, has zero wilderness appeal and adds to my stress levels. Nope---city trails in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve and South Mountain Park deliver a much nicer hiking experience.