Several popular hiking trails in Phoenix will see closures from March 19 through 22, a safety precaution city officials are taking as triple-digit temperatures were expected to hit the Valley two months ahead of schedule.

The city will close down several trails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on those days, its standard protocol for when the National Weather Service declares an extreme heat warning.

The forecast is highly unusual for March, an ordinarily temperate time of year in Arizona, where even 90-degree heat is rare, the weather service said.

Temperatures are expected to smash several Phoenix area records in one fell swoop.

The weather service issued the heat warning for thirteen counties across the state starting March 18, advising Arizona residents, snowbirds and tourists of “dangerously hot conditions” that can increase the risk of illnesses.

Phoenix officials said the trail closures have helped keep the public safe.

More than 200 hikers are rescued from Phoenix’s city parks and preserves every year, according to data from the city’s parks and recreation department.

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A runner makes his way along Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Ariz. on March 18, 2026. Temperatures were expected to reach triple digits, the earliest in the year in Arizona history.

The need for rescues on the most dangerous trails has fallen as the city has ramped up the trail closures and other safety precautions, like installing ice machines to help with rescues on the city’s most challenging trails.

Annual rescues have dropped since the city implemented its trail closure policy, falling from 57 in 2021 to only 35 in 2024.

“We really do want people to enjoy our amazing preserves. We just want them to be able to do it safely,” said Jarod Rogers, deputy director of the department’s natural resources division.

Phoenix enacted the trail closures for 45 days across 2024 due to extreme heat warnings between May 1 and October 13, according to the city.

The upcoming closures will affect the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails on Camelback Mountain, as well as the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and other trails associated with it.

Several trails within South Mountain Park and Preserve —the Holbert Trail, Mormon Trail, Hau’Pal Loop Trail and access to the National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead — will also be closed.

The city selected those trails for closures both because they are the most challenging and because the terrain makes it more difficult to conduct rescues, Rogers said.

Days ago, Phoenix firefighters rescued several Camelback Mountain hikers who were showing signs of heat stress.

But there are still options for Arizona snowbirds, residents and tourists looking to enjoy the outdoors without waking up at the crack of dawn.

More than 100 miles of trails on South Mountain will remain accessible to hikers, the city noted in public service materials. In total, fewer than 7 miles were subject to restrictions during extreme heat warnings.

The National Trail will also remain open when accessed from other trailheads, as will all other trails at the Pima Canyon Trailhead.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix closes popular trails as historic heat hits early