Summary. Ascend 1,420 feet to the top of Camelback Mountain and be rewarded with a 360 view of the City below. There are two trails to the top, Echo Canyon (1.2 miles roundtrip) and Cholla Trail (1.5 miles roundtrip). Both are challenging because of the steep grade and lack of shelter from the sun. Both trails require traverse boulders at times but this is part of the fun. Large cacti also line parts of the trail (no, I didn't touch it and please don't touch them either).
Check trail conditions before embarking. At the time of this post, Cholla trail was closed for maintenance.
Parking: During our visit, parking was limited so we added a short bit to our hike by parking in a nearby neighborhood and walking in.
Hike. The hike itself is not very long but it is quite steep. Elevation gain is over 2,600 feet in just 2 miles. Sections of the trail even require you to scurry up boulders. The sun can be punishing so hiking this trail early, with water, in the day is a must.
Along the way, we encountered some Cacti (don't touch!).
Views along the trail are impressive, with the top being a 360 degree view of Scottsdale below. This is tough hike even with how short it is, but the views at the top is worth it.