Am I thinking of Echo Canyon? Trying to remember this place (Phoenix: parking, park)

[PalmettoGuy]

Several years ago I visited PHX and hiked a mountain trail that overlooked the city. I'm going back to PHX later this year and would like to revisit the same park but can't remember the name. I remember there was a gazebo/covered area with stone steps not far off the trail. After some internet digging, I looked up Echo Canyon Recreation Area on Google maps and even watched some YouTube videos of people hiking up from Echo Canyon. The parking and restroom area looks very familiar, but I don't see a gazebo on any of the videos. There appears to be a structure on the satellite image along the trail, but I can't zoom in close enough to tell if that's it.

So long story short . . . do any of the trails from Echo Canyon Rec Area have a gazebo? Any pointers?

[PalmettoGuy]

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...act=mrc&uact=8

I think this may be it (from Trip Advisor's Echo Canyon page), but I'm not sure where this is in relation to the parking area.

[BIG CATS]

I haven't used the Echo Canyon side in at least a decade, but I believe there used to be a gazebo-thing there? They revamped the lot years ago, perhaps they might have torn it down? Use the Cholla Trail side. Parking is far better, even though it requires a bit of a walk to get to the trailhead.

[hikernut]

Yes, the parking area was expanded a few years ago, so it will look different today if your visit was prior to the expansion.


Parking on that side tends to be challenging. If you're there on a weekend when the weather is nice I would not plan on parking, but instead get dropped off at the bottom of the steep entrance driveway. I can't comment on weekday parking.