Petitions seek reversal of heat closures policy for South Mountain trails
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/11/22/1732305476068.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Outdoor enthusiasts hope to persuade the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board to reconsider a recent decision to close hiking trails at South Mountain during excessive heat events.
Catch up quick: Last month, the board voted to extend excessive heat trail closures to South Mountain Park/Preserve.
- The city's Trail Heat Safety Program previously covered Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak.
- Trails were closed from 9am-5pm during excessive heat warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
- At its Oct. 24 meeting, the board voted to include South Mountain in the closures and move up the closure time to 8am.
Driving the news: More than 1,700 people have signed a Change.org petition calling on the board to repeal the expansion of the trail closure program to South Mountain.
- The petition calls on the city to "prioritize public education and personal responsibility over blanket restrictions."
- "While we understand and appreciate the intent to safeguard the public and first responders, we believe that this approach places unnecessary limits on responsible trail users, disregards personal responsibility, and risks alienating the very people these parks are meant to serve," the petition reads.
- More than 20 spoke against the new restrictions at a parks board meeting last Thursday, 12 News reported.
Zoom in: Aaron Johnson, who started the effort, also created a coalition called Happy Trails 2024, which he described as a "coalition of Phoenix trail users including cyclists, runners, hikers, and dedicated volunteer park stewards."
Between the lines: The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department noted that the number of mountain rescues on Camelback and Piestewa trails has decreased since the closure program went into effect.
- There were 57 in 2021, the first year of the program, 47 in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 35 this year.
- A 9-year-old boy died while hiking South Mountain in July.
What's next: The board at its Jan. 23 meeting is scheduled to discuss whether to continue using excessive heat warnings as a trigger for trail closures, or whether there should instead be a temperature-based threshold.
- The board is considering proposals to set a 105-degree threshold and to start trail closures at 7am.
- There were 45 days of trail closures between May 1 and Oct. 13 this year, 121 days of temperatures at or above 105°F, and 69 days of temperatures at or above 110°F.
- Johnson told Axios his coalition plans to attend the meeting "in even greater numbers" and present a "well-founded case."