Phoenix adding South Mountain to trails closed during times of excessive heat
Oct 28, 2024, 6:45 PM
The city of Phoenix Parks Board added all trails at South Mountain Park and Preserve to the Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program. (city of Phoenix photo)
(city of Phoenix photo)
PHOENIX – The city of Phoenix Parks Board added all trails at South Mountain Park and Preserve to the Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program after a vote last Thursday.
In addition, all trail closures now begin at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., according to a release from the city of Phoenix.
Before last week’s addition, the Echo Canyon and Cholla Trails at Camelback Mountain, the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and trails at the Phoenix Mountains Preserve were part of the Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Program.
When an Excessive Heat Warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), all of the aforementioned trails are closed.
Why is the city of Phoenix expanding the program to South Mountain?
The city wants to protect both trail users and first responders from the adverse effects of extreme heat.
There have been 45 days of trail closures due to extreme heat between May 1 and Oct. 13 of this year.
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While 121 days saw temperatures of 105 degrees or greater, 69 of those days saw temperatures rise above 110 degrees.
“I am proud of the decision we made this evening after careful consideration of key data from our Parks and Fire Departments, as well as valuable input from the public,” Chair of the City of Phoenix Parks Board Kenny Dalton said in a release.
“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.
The safety of our residents and visitors is always our top priority, and this decision underscores our commitment to ensuring Phoenix’s trails remain safe and accessible. We will continue to assess and strengthen these measures as needed to protect our community.”
By way of closing trails during excessive heat, there has been a sharp decrease in the number of rescues on closed trails from 2021 to 2024:
“We are committed to proactively collaborating with the parks department to ensure the safety of our residents and firefighters during extreme heat events,” Executive Assistant Phoenix Fire Chief Tim Kreis said in a release. “By expanding this program with data driven decisions, the City of Phoenix can enhance trail safety and reduce risks for everyone enjoying our beautiful parks.”
Officials also said there could be more changes coming in January.
Some of the possible changes include adjusting the closure time back another hour to 7 a.m. and changing the closure threshold to activate when daily temperatures are forecast to climb above 105 degrees, instead of waiting for the NWS to issue an Excessive Heat Warning.
