Hiker missing for 4 days found dead on popular trail

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) — A popular hiking area in south Phoenix closed early Tuesday morning for a death investigation.

The Phoenix Fire Department said the body of a hiker who was reported missing four days ago was found on the Mormon Trailhead.

Police and firefighters were seen at the trailhead on South Mountain for several hours.

The hiker was a man in his 70s and frequently hiked the area, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said park rangers first noticed an empty vehicle parked at South Mountain Park last Friday.

The vehicle remained there overnight and was towed on Sunday, leading police to discover that the vehicle belonged to a man in Tempe.

After Tempe police unsuccessfully tried to locate the man at his home, Phoenix police reported the man as a missing person.

Police are currently withholding the man’s identity until his next of kin is notified.

Tuesday’s investigation prompted the closure of the Mormon Trailhead parking lot and trailhead from about 2 a.m. to just after 7 a.m.

Investigators said there were no immediate signs of foul play in the man’s death.

The Mormon Trail is considered a moderate hike with some rugged sections and a heavily trafficked path that offers sweeping views of the Phoenix skyline.