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Camelback Mountain is a mountain in Phoenix, Arizona,
United States. The name is derived from its shape, which
resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel. The
mountain, a prominent landmark for the metropolitan
Phoenix valley, is located in the Camelback Mountain
Echo Canyon Recreation Area between the Arcadia
neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley.
It is a popular recreation destination for hiking and
rock climbing. The mountain is composed of a geologic
unconformity between two separate rock formations. The
higher part of the peak is Precambrian granite (ca. 1.5
billion years old). The head of the camel is
predominantly red sedimentary sandstone from the
Tertiary period (ca. 25 million years old).
Camelback Mountain Resort is a ski and snowboard resort
located in the Pocono Mountains region in Tannersville,
Pennsylvania and Jackson Township adjacent to, and
partially within Big Pocono State Park. In the 1950s
when developers were working to expand the original
solitary ski run, they negotiated with the then PA DER
for permission to use a small portion of the state park
for the ski area in exchange for $1 a year and the
obligation to maintain the entire park.
Camelback Mountain (Big Pocono) itself reaches an
elevation of 2,133 feet (650 m). There are 160 acres (56
hectares) of skiing & snowboarding terrain; the
mountains have a total of 34 slopes (the longest of
which is 1 mile(1,609 m), namely, the Nile Mile) and
features a vertical drop of 800 ft (244 m), 15 lifts,
including 2 high speed detachable chairlifts; the
Sullivan Express and Stevenson Express, both quads. It
is the largest ski resort in the Poconos. It has two
terrain parks, the larger of which is now accessible
only by ascertaining a park pass. Camelback also has the
only Half Pipe in the Pocono Mountains. Camelback is
also a member of the Burton Learn to Ride Program with a
Learn To Ride Center, Freesyle Learn To Ride center,
Women's Learn To Ride Center and Children's Learn to
Ride Center. The resort was opened in December 1963. The
mountain summit receives an average of 50 in (127 cm) of
snowfall each winter. It has snowmaking facilities and
is 100% lit for night skiing.
The resort also features a waterpark, called Camelbeach,
that is open during the summer. It includes 30
waterslides (the most in Pennsylvania), including four
body slides, ten mat slides, six tube slides and ten
raft rides, in addition to The FlowRider, the ultimate
surfing ride, a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) wave pool,
adventure river, bumper boats and full-sized competition
pool. Also, new in 2006, Camelbeach now features a Wave
riding pool by means of surfing. The newest addition to
Camelback Mountain Resort is the Camelback Mountain
Adventures.It includes Treetop Adventure courses, 1,000
ft (300 m) of zipline, Mountain Segways, Disco Golf,
Euro Bungy and a Climbing Wall. Camelback Mountain
Adventures is open from June to November. |
