Gear Junkie (April 27, 2026) by Mary Andino In the ongoing public debate about border wall construction on public lands in the Southwest, there has been one critical resource for activists, local residents, nonprofits, and journalists: The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Smart Wall map. This interactive digital map, freely available on CBP’s website, showed where construction was planned and in […]
Read moreAudubon Southwest (April 23, 2026) by Haley Paul While there are many important needs that arise when crafting a state budget, legislators and the Governor must remember the essential natural resources that allow Arizonans to thrive here in the first place—our lands and waters. And it is vital that we maintain and protect them. To do so, Audubon Southwest has outlined three key budget provisions that […]
Read moreWhether you’re hiking, running, biking, riding, or rolling along the Arizona Trail, wrap yourself in one of these versatile and stylish neck gaiters. Our new design for Spring 2026 features a colorful pollinator motif, with hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and blooming wildflowers. It’s the ultimate trail accessory! Some of the many uses include: sun guard/wind guard for your neck and ears […]
Read moreArizona Republic (April 22, 2026) by Joan Meiners One week before Earth Day, on April 15, the Department of Homeland Security convened a Zoom call with the Arizona Trail Association to explain that the agency had ordered the southernmost mile of the Arizona National Scenic Trail closed so that contractors could blast and grade the earth through Coronado National Memorial […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (April 18, 2026) by Sam McLaughlin A coalition of conservation advocacy groups recently released a new report detailing the potential costs of transferring federally owned lands to the state. That report, announced on April 4 to coincide with Public Lands Day, found that the transfer of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands to the state would […]
Read moreAZPM (April 18, 2026) by Angela Gervasi A segment of the Arizona Trail is now closed to the public as border fence construction continues along the state’s southeastern edge. In a social media post Monday, the National Park Service said the closure was necessary to “ensure visitor safety” amid construction and blasting activity in the area. The closure, which applies […]
Read moreKVOA (April 16, 2026) A hiker in her 60s was rescued from the Arizona Trail after falling and injuring her leg, capping off a busy weekend of training for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team. The rescue call came in at approximately 10 a.m. on April 14. Extreme wind conditions made a helicopter extraction uncertain, and multiple […]
Read moreBackpacker (April 14, 2026) by Adam Roy The southernmost mile of the Arizona Trail (AZT) is closed indefinitely as the federal government forges ahead with plans to build a new section of border wall at the trail’s southern terminus, the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) says. In an update on its site on April 13, the ATA said that the Department of Homeland […]
Read moreGearJunkie (April 14, 2026) by Mary Andino The 800-mile Arizona Trail (AZT) is a premier thru-hike. It’s one of only 11 specially designated National Scenic Trails, and hundreds of people complete it every year. Now, however, it will be obstructed, and hikers will be unable to traverse its entire length. Recent border wall construction has blocked access to the final mile […]
Read moreArizona Daily Star (April 13, 2026) by Richard Boren I spent three wonderful yet unseasonably hot weeks in March hiking the Arizona Trail over Mt. Lemmon and enjoyed mingling with hikers from all over the world. The month had record heat reaching 100 degrees in Tucson on March 19. So. AZ is facing an existential threat due to climate change. […]
Read moreThe Trek (April 13, 2026) by Podcast M We were night hiking when I started to see the course markings. We were just outside of Oracle, AZ and we were continuing our northbound thru-hike of the AZT, but now the trail was clearly marked for an upcoming trail race. One of our trail friends noted, “This must be for a […]
Read moreArizona Highways (April 14, 2026) A hiker continues on the Arizona Trail near Picketpost Mountain after a night of rain. Photographer: Lance Goehring To see the image online, click here.
Read moreBeginning Monday, April 13, the Arizona National Scenic Trail is closed between the southern terminus at Border Monument 102 and the Joe’s Canyon Trail junction at mile 1.0. Due to construction activities associated with Dept. of Homeland Security’s border wall within Coronado National Memorial, the southernmost mile of the AZT is closed until further notice (likely through the end of […]
Read moreSun City Independent (April 4, 2026) Sun City resident Art Karts Huseonica is making progress on his 800-mile/1,287km thru-hike of the Arizona Trail. He has completed over 490 miles/790km while negotiating challenging terrain and varied weather patterns. On what has been branded as the Dale Shewalter Tribute Hike in honor of the founder of the Arizona Trail, Huseonica is hiking […]
Read moreIn celebration of Arizona Public Lands Day this Saturday, April 4, conservation leaders are urging residents to take a closer look at what’s at stake for the state’s public lands. A newly released report, Fiscal Impact of Transferring Federal Lands to Arizona, raises awareness about the significant economic and fiscal risks associated with state legislative proposals to transfer federally managed lands to state […]
Read moreArizona Daily Star (Mar 31, 2026) by Matthew J. Nelson National parks are our most treasured resources. From Saguaro to Grand Canyon, the Congressional designation of a national park is a point of pride for Arizonans, and a bucket list destination for Americans and international visitors alike. Filmmaker Ken Burns made famous the sentiment that national parks are “America’s best […]
Read moreThe Trek (Mar 31, 2026) by Matthew J. Nelson National parks are our most treasured resources. From Saguaro to Grand Canyon, the Congressional designation of a national park is a point of pride for Arizonans, and a bucket list destination for Americans and international visitors alike. Filmmaker Ken Burns made famous the sentiment that national parks are “America’s best idea,” […]
Read moreKOLD TV (Mar 24, 2026) by Tolulope Ajayi Arizona veterans, troops, and community members are just over 100 days away from crossing the finish line of a statewide trail challenge. Operation Freedom March is a yearlong initiative encouraging people to hike, bike, and ride horseback along the Arizona Trail by America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Operation Freedom March uses […]
Read moreArizona Highways (Mar 28, 2026) Photo of the Day Photographer: Lance Goehring Photo Image Description: A view from the Arizona Trail along the Gila River, near Kearny.
Read moreFountain Hills Times (Mar 28, 2026) by Matthew J. Nelson National parks are our most treasured resources. From Saguaro to Grand Canyon, the Congressional designation of a national park is a point of pride for Arizonans, and a bucket list destination for Americans and international visitors alike. Filmmaker Ken Burns made famous the sentiment that national parks are “America’s best […]
Read moreKVOA (Mar 26, 2026) A 61-year-old hiker was rescued from the Arizona Trail near Pat Scott Peak on Thursday morning after experiencing severe medical symptoms more than five miles from the nearest road. On March 26, the woman called 911 around 7:55 a.m. while suffering from a serious medical condition, according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). She had […]
Read moreAssociated Press (March 21, 2026) Parts of California and Arizona faced extreme heat warnings again Saturday, with unseasonably warm weather reaching as far north as Nebraska just a day into spring. Forecasts predicted temperatures at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 C) in the Southwest, marking the end of a week characterized by record-breaking heat. Experts anticipate that April, May, […]
Read moreThe Coronado National Forest, Pima County, and Arizona Trail Association have announced a temporary detour of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) near the community of Summerhaven due to a construction project at the Marshall Gulch Trailhead. This detour will go into effect immediately and will remain in place until August 1, 2026. This impacts AZT Passages 11 (Santa Catalina […]
Read moreThe Prescott Times (Feb 17, 2016) As Arizona prepares to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, the Arizona America250 Commission is inviting veterans, active-duty service members, military families, and community members across the state to participate in Operation Freedom March, a year-long initiative in partnership with the Arizona Trail Association running through July 4, 2026. Launched on July 4, 2025, Operation Freedom […]
Read moreThe Trek (March 5, 2026) by Mechanic The biggest curiosity I had before starting the Arizona Trail (AZT) last year: would I encounter any desert critters during my 800 mile trek? The answer: Yes! I was blown away by all the unique wildlife I had the opportunity to meet: This vibrant rattler shortly before entering the Mazatzal Wilderness (say that […]
Read moreSingletracks (Feb 26, 2026) by Greg Heil A new trail-building approach on the Arizona Trail puts indigenous consultation first — and the results are reshaping how singletrack gets built on ancestral lands. The Arizona Trail Association (ATA has been steadily chipping away at the 120 miles of dirt roads that once interrupted the 800-mile Arizona Trail, replacing them with purpose-built singletrack. Over […]
Read moreArizona Republic (Feb 19, 2026) by Joan Meiners As a new poll shows overwhelming voter support for public lands, an Arizona bill proposes $500,000 for the Arizona Trail to offset federal funding cuts. Advocates say state funding alone is not enough to counter federal rollbacks of conservation rules. The Trump administration is reviewing or repealing several environmental regulations, including the […]
Read moreResults from Colorado College’s 16th annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll released today show widespread concern among Western voters about rollbacks of protections for land, water, and wildlife and cuts to funding for public land management. The poll, which surveyed voters in eight Mountain West states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—found […]
Read moreSFGATE (FEb 18, 2026) by Amanda Heidt It was a cool, breezy morning in early December when Myles Traphagen, the borderlands program coordinator for the conservation nonprofit Wildlands Network, joined a handful of people atop Coronado Peak in Arizona. Less than a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border, the mountain lies within Coronado National Memorial, a 5,000-acre stub of public land marking […]
Read moreSingletracks (Feb 18, 2026) by Greg Heil “I won’t rest until [the Arizona Trail] is an 800-mile trail between Mexico and Utah,” said Matthew Nelson, Executive Director of the Arizona Trail Association (AZTA). “So there’s about 80 miles right now that are co-located with dirt roads.” That 80-mile number used to be much higher. Over the past 10 years, Nelson estimates that […]
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