The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board has passed a unanimous decision to enforce partial closures of trails at South Mountain Park during periods of extreme heat, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Trails affected by the closure from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. include Holbert, Mormon, and Hau’pal Loop trails, as well as the Pima Canyon Trailhead access to the National Trail, reserved for days when the National Weather Service issues an extreme heat warning.
In an attempt to balance safety and access, officials have opted for Option A, as detailed in a report by AZFamily, which restricts approximately 6.71 miles of the park’s trails. This leaves a significant portion of the park's 121.59 miles of trails open to the public during dangerous heat conditions. The precautions are a response to concerns for the safety of hikers and the burdens placed upon first responders, with Phoenix Fire Capt. D.J. Lee explaining, "This is a very large mountain. There’s over 100 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding. So that in itself gives us a little bit more challenging spots sometimes to get into. So just the sheer size of this mountain will pose its own challenges for us."
The action taken by the board stems from a desire to reduce the risks to both hikers and emergency personnel who often face increased rescues during Arizona's sweltering summers. "It's about making sure that we're not asking our first responders to take on truly unreasonable burdens," a board member expressed, acknowledging that some people are bound to hike regardless of the temperature. By limiting access to particularly hazardous areas, the board hopes to decrease the number of rescue operations conducted by first responders, which in turn can help save lives and resources. One enthusiast, Warren Long, told FOX 10 Phoenix, "They should be able to self-police and make sure that they've got plenty of hydration."
However, the decision has not been met without criticism. Some hikers believe the closures could deter tourists who visit Phoenix specifically for its trails. As one tourist, Melissa Dore, pointed out to FOX 10 Phoenix, "It's a beautiful area and part of the reason you get tourism in the area and I think it's a lot of potential income for the general vicinity, so it just doesn't seem like a good idea to take some of the tourism away and take away the highlights of the natural beauty of the area away."
This change reflects a wider discourse on public safety versus recreational freedom, as South Mountain is a popular destination for its extensive trail network. The upcoming vote by the Phoenix City Council will determine the final status of the new trail closure protocol. Last year, Phoenix closed trails for 45 days due to extreme heat, with temperatures soaring above 105 degrees for 121 days, 69 of which exceeded 110 degrees.
