The department’s data reveals that since 2021, Arizona residents accounted for 437 mountain rescues, or 71% of all incidents. Here’s how you can stay safe.
PHOENIX — It’s a scene that plays out far too often in the Valley: Hikers stranded, dehydrated and injured, needing a rescue.
A common belief among Valley residents is that most mountain rescues involve out-of-state visitors unfamiliar with Arizona’s unforgiving desert environment. However, new data from the Phoenix Fire Department tells a different story.
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According to fire officials, nearly 70% of all rescues on South Mountain, Camelback, and Piestewa Peak involve local residents, not tourists.
“We went all the way back to 2021, we looked at all the numbers, and lo and behold, 70% of all the rescues we do are people that live right here in the Valley,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Rob McDade. “When you look at these numbers, they’re locals, but I’m sure a lot of them are transplants as well.”
The department’s data reveals that since 2021, Arizona residents accounted for 437 mountain rescues, or 71% of all incidents. Out-of-state visitors made up the remaining 29%, with hikers from Illinois, Texas, and California among the most frequently rescued.
McDade noted that many of the individuals requiring rescue underestimate the difficulty of the trails, particularly in extreme heat.
“The overwhelming majority of them, the story is, ‘I made it to the top, I was out of energy, out of water, and I got hurt on my way down,’” he said.
Phoenix’s mountains, which are located within the city limits, make them more accessible but also more dangerous, McDade explained. Unlike other major metropolitan areas, the proximity of these hiking trails encourages frequent use, sometimes by those unprepared for the challenges they present.
McDade offered some advice to hikers looking to avoid a dangerous situation.
Ankle, foot and leg injuries are the most common injuries sustained by hikers around Phoenix. Weakness, dizziness and heat illness are the most common illnesses.
“My best advice to make sure that you don’t see us is to have a plan, hydrate the night before, have good footing, try not to hike alone, have a cell phone, and make sure that you’re prepared to turn around without making it to the top.”
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