Welcome to the Arizona Trail

This is the time of year when the Arizona State Legislature returns from recess to hammer out the final details of next year's budget. We need your help to encourage them to dedicate funding for Arizona Trail maintenance and construction. There is a line item in our state budget for Arizona Trail Fund, and it is used to pay conservation corps and other state-approved contractors to conduct major maintenance and trail construction projects on the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Can...

In response to recent concerns about gastrointestinal illness along the Arizona Trail and potential causes being the Gila River and Remote Rainwater Collector, the ATA took water samples to a local laboratory for analysis. Results can be found here: Gila River - Passage 16 Rainwater Collector - Passage 17 The only alarming result is the presence of E. coli in the Gila River. This is no surprise, since cattle are found in abundance along the river. A recent survey also...

Stage II Fire Restrictions are now in place on public lands throughout southern Arizona. The following are prohibited on lands, roads, and trails: Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building Welding or operating any acetylene or other torch with an open area Discharging a firearm, air rifle, or gas gun (legal hunting is exempt) Operating a chainsaw or other equipment operated by an internal combustion engine This affects Passages...

From May 4-10, we are celebrating the deserts, mountains, canyons, forests, lakes, streams, and trails that make Arizona such an incredible place to live, work, play and explore. Today, we are encouraging you to stand up for public lands, which are currently being threatened. The time for you to take action is NOW. There are members of Congress pushing for the selling of public lands to cover tax cuts and federal expenses. These lands belong to all Americans, and we...

Did you get sick while visiting the Arizona National Scenic Trail in the 2025 spring season? The Arizona Department of Health Services is following up on reports of people with gastrointestinal illness while hiking the Arizona Trail this spring. This online survey will help gather information from individuals that were sick with a gastrointestinal illness after visiting the Arizona National Scenic Trail during the 2025 spring season. All responses are confidential and will be used for public health investigation and...

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds the public to protect themselves and their pets by keeping a safe distance from wildlife, especially animals that may be behaving abnormally, such as those that appear aggressive and/or lacking a fear of humans. The reminder comes as an increasing number of rabies-related incidents have been reported  statewide. A recent Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) report indicated that foxes and skunks were the most common species to have tested positive for rabies...

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastrointestinal illness and has recently affected hikers and bikers along certain sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT), particularly around Kearny, Superior and Roosevelt. This advisory is intended to help trail users understand the risk and take proper precautions. What is Norovirus? Norovirus spreads easily through contaminated food, water, surfaces, or person-to-person contact. Symptoms typically include: Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Stomach cramps Symptoms often appear 12–48 hours after exposure and can...

The Lumberjack (April 5, 2025) by Darby Walker Protesters gathered at the Arizona Capitol building on March 27 to hold a “Rally for Public Lands,” showing support for national parks, monuments and federally protected public land being threatened by policy changes. Rally attendees advocated for various issues, the most prominent of which included a lawsuit in Utah that could open federal land to commercial development and legislators threatening the national monument status of a section of the Grand Canyon. The crowd of around 300...

The U.S. Senate, by a slim three-vote margin, has approved public lands being sold to reduce the federal deficit as well as the total acreage managed by federal land management agencies. During a late-night session April 4, 51 senators voted against an amendment that would have blocked the sale of public lands. All but two Republicans —Senator Daines and Senator Sheehy, both of Montana — voted against the anti-sell-off amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and six other Senate...

URGENT: The fate of our public lands is on the line. Right now, lawmakers are considering selling off public lands to cover tax cuts and federal expenses—putting forests, mountains, deserts, canyons and trails at risk. This is a short-sighted move with irreversible consequences. Once public lands are gone, they’re gone forever. Tonight, the Senate will vote on Senator Heinrich’s Amendments 1453 and 1454 to the Senate Budget Resolution, which would prevent this disastrous land sell-off. We need your help to...

The Arizona Trail Association does more than just maintain the 800-mile Arizona Trail. We also install gates and interpretive signs, improve water sources, and construct new trail segments to remove the AZT from roads. We also build community, foster stewardship, and provide life-changing opportunities for people of all ages. This season, your donation supports vital programs like AZT VETS, which helps military veterans heal through outdoor experiences, and Seeds of Stewardship, which connects youth to nature through hands-on environmental education. Our Gear Girls program empowers...

Please join us at the Arizona State Capitol on Thursday, March 27 at 1 pm for a non-partisan Rally for Public Lands! This is an opportunity to come together in celebration of the lands, waters, trails, wildlife and outdoor recreation activities that make the Grand Canyon State so special. Currently, there are many threats at the state and federal levels to our cherished public lands, so we will be reminding members of the Arizona State Legislature that the majority of...

Backpacker (March 11, 2025) by Nathan Pipenberg With the busy summer season around the corner, there’s one prevailing sentiment among those who look after the nation’s trails: uncertainty. After news of mass firings and funding cuts at federal agencies like the National Park Service, many hikers and other outdoors recreationists held out hope that nonprofits, conservation corps, and volunteers would be able to pick up the slack. Instead leaders at trail organizations say they are canceling projects, disbanding trail crews,...

The Trek (March 10, 2025) by Caitlin Hardee It’s every international thru-hiker’s worst nightmare: training for a long hike, saving enough money for the trip, and clearing your calendar, only to be stopped at the border and turned back before ever setting foot on US soil — let alone the trail. Seasoned German thru-hiker and Trek blogger Annika “Ravenclaw” Ananias says that nightmare came true for her — and escalated to a horrifying degree when she attempted to enter the US to...

Thank you to everyone who has reached out ask how recent announcements from the White House have impacted the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) and Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT). While there’s still a lot of uncertainty, here’s current information on what’s happening… Federal Funding The ATA currently receives 37% of our operating budget from the US Forest Service (USFS). In 2024, that was $555,000! This money is delivered through a Challenge Cost Share Agreement – the ATA spends money on...

The Arizona Trail Association's Annual Report is now available, complete with highlights from 2024. Please take a moment to celebrate our collective accomplishments within all of our programs and operations, including: Trail Operations Volunteer Program Veterans Program Seeds of Stewardship Financial Report 2025 Priorities Business Partners & Supporters and more! You can read it online here. If you would like a printed copy of the 12-page report, just send an email to ata@aztrail.org and we'll send one your way.

Help preserve the Arizona National Scenic Trail by making a donation to the Arizona Trail Association! To show our appreciation, one-time donations of $150 or more will receive a limited-edition Arizona Trail mug (while supplies last). For 2024, the design features a scene from the Huachuca Mountains (Passage 1). This unique biome is where grasslands meet oak woodland, and eventually transition to pine and aspen forest. The views into Sonora, Mexico are breathtaking, and much of the landscape remains relatively unchanged over...

On September 26-29, 2024, the Arizona Trail Veterans Engagement and Trail Stewardship (VETS) program volunteered to do trail work on Passage 32 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. The event focused on building new connections within the veteran community while giving back to a the cross-state trail. Participants worked together to improve the trail from Little Elden to Weatherford Trailhead over the weekend. The Arizona Trail Association VETS Program aims to create meaningful opportunities for military veterans both on and...

A recent analysis of wildfire impacts to the Arizona National Scenic Trail revealed a total of 93 miles of trail were closed in 2024, and 36 miles of trail were physically scorched. The ATA is in the process of conducting post-burn conditions assessments to determine safety and immediate stabilization needs. The good news is that 2024 was a moderate wildfire year in Arizona without any significant conflagrations. Currently, all of the Arizona Trail is open within the burn scars detailed...

We are delighted to share the most recent Arizona Trail Finisher Report! This comprehensive report displays results from the Arizona Trail Association’s Completion Survey between February 12, 2019 and July 4, 2024. During this time, the survey received 1,271 unique entries. This report covers five full years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, as well as the spring season of 2024. The survey asks over 30 questions including gender, annual income, ratings on trail conditions, favorite Gateway Communities, positive and...