Parks board expands heat‑safety trail restrictions at South Mountain; Phoenix plans wider signage and outreach

City Parks and Recreation staff and Phoenix Fire Department officials briefed the Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee on April 16 about an expanded trails heat‑safety program that now includes several steep South Mountain segments in days with National Weather Service extreme heat warnings.

The parks department said the Parks and Recreation Board, at its March meeting, directed staff to add the Holbert Trail, Mormon Trail, and the steep section of the National Trail accessible from the Pima Canyon Trailhead to the list of trails restricted during extreme heat warnings. Those trails together total roughly 6.71 miles of the preserve and would be restricted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when an extreme heat warning is in effect, staff said.

Nut graf: The program is designed to reduce heat‑related rescues and keep firefighters from prolonged, high‑exertion rescue operations during peak heat. Parks staff and the Phoenix Fire Department described how mountain rescues are labor‑intensive, require multiple technical rescue companies and place rescuers themselves at increased heat risk; officials said restrictions have been associated with fewer rescues where previously applied.

Deputy Director Jared Rogers (Parks and Recreation) described the preserve system: more than 41,000 acres and over 200 miles of trails citywide; South Mountain alone contains about 128 miles of trails, staff said. The department emphasized that the restrictions apply to a small fraction of trail mileage (staff estimated under 5% of South Mountain trails when restricted) and that most trails remain open outside restricted hours. Gates at many trailhead parking areas close at 7 p.m. except June–September when gates stay open until 9 p.m. per Parks Board direction.

Deputy Fire Chief Chris Healy (Phoenix Fire Department) outlined operational challenges: technical rescue teams require roughly 200 additional training hours, carry 30–40 pounds of equipment plus personal protective gear, and often need multiple companies to complete a mountain rescue. He said heat restricts aerial hoist operations (Firebird 10 cannot safely hoist near roughly 115°F) and increases the manpower needed for rest/work cycles during rescues.

The parks department described an updated outreach and education campaign: 7‑foot bold signage at trailheads with heat warnings and checklists (water recommendations, clothing, phone, trail difficulty), QR codes to subscribe to hiking and heat updates, website and social media alerts, coordination with hotel partners and news media, volunteer park steward training, and exploration of real‑time closure flags in mapping apps.

Public comment featured divergent views. Tim Serakowski criticized park management and urged more rangers in the field; Mike Duffy, representing United Phoenix Firefighters Local 493, urged support for the restrictions to reduce rescues and protect both hikers and firefighters. Council members across the subcommittee praised interdepartmental coordination and called for ongoing community education.

Outcome and next steps: The subcommittee received the briefing; the Parks and Recreation Board has already taken action to add the named South Mountain segments to the heat‑safety program. Parks staff said they will continue signage installation, volunteer training, data monitoring of rescues and consider mapping integrations to warn motorists when a trailhead is restricted.