While this is probably the most interesting hike in the Valley, whether you're going up Echo Canyon (West Side) or the Cholla Trail (East side). access has been a problem for decades which is why I rarely do it anymore.
Even with an expansion of parking on the West Side, finding a parking space is very difficult, a task made more difficult by the development of wealthy development around the mountain. Wealthy people, especially on the East side, have interfered with access to hikers since the late 1980s and act like this supposedly protected city preserve belongs to them. I once saw a driver coming out of a gated community recklessly, in dangerous disregard for hikers cars lawfully going to a designated parking lot. Mountain preserves in Phoenix should have had a ban on development around those preserves generations ago but it's too late now. This also applies to the Piestewa Peak area, South Mountain Park, and Look Out Mountain. City planning favored development over these unique urban parks.
These mountains are for experienced people to climb. Don't attempt them unless you're in good health and shape and have water and appropriate footwear. When I climb Piestewa Peak or Camelback, there is often a helicopter rescue. Stay on trail at all times, this is crucial to safety and preservation.