Chicago Tribune (September 4, 2019) by Melanie Radzicki McManus   Fat drops of rain tap out a mournful melody on the nylon ceiling stretched over my head. Peeking out from under a thick down quilt, I watch tiny rivulets of water drip down the sides of my tent and sigh. It’s not supposed to be raining here, at the entrance […]

Saddlebag Notes (August 30, 2019) by Elisabeth Wheeler Since October of last year, SaddleBrooke hikers have volunteered over 3500 hours of trail work on the Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Hikers, runners, equestrian riders and bikers have expressed great appreciation for the trail work done by SaddleBrooke volunteers. The Oracle Passage is one of the best maintained […]

AZ Central (August 29, 2019) by Mare Czinar You can’t get there from here,” my hiking partner told a confused pair of trekkers who asked us for directions to an Arizona Trail junction. He gently kicked my shin to signal he was joking as the couple fumbled with a map. Waiting a beat to satisfy his warped sense of humor, […]

Arizona Daily Sun (August 17, 2019) – by Sam McManis   Sometimes, just hanging out with your dogs is not enough. Sometimes, you want to get a little closer to the wilder side of the animal kingdom. Not mountain lions or bears, nothing that extreme, but maybe commune with some elegant, grazing quadrupeds and gaze at birds in flight. And, […]

Adventure Journal (August 14, 2019) by Laura Jean Schneider “Any day now, calves should be hitting the ground, but until then, it’s the two of us, working toward our vision of productive, healthy rangelands, good cattle and good horses, trying to make a go of it.” This sentence started a 20-month chronicle of the inception and progress of a New […]

AZ Central (August 13, 2019) by Rich Leveille To experience the state’s groundwater threat in the flesh, one only needs to hike the Arizona Trail. Arizona’s landscape has made me keenly aware of how water can impact rock, soil and life. In a matter of minutes, a desert rain shower can transform the black, desiccated, inorganic-looking crust on otherwise naked […]

  Arizona Daily Sun (August 11, 2019) –  by Helen Galerakis I almost don’t want to mention the words “Museum Fire” in the hope that I can pretend it never happened. However, I know the fire’s brutal reality will hit hard when we’re allowed into the area again to see what were once some of our most cherished trails. Like […]

Outside (July 25, 2019) by Megan Michelson Whether you’re still reeling from Marc Peruzzi’s attack on trail runners or just fired up to prove that you do, in fact, love volunteer trail work, we thought we’d make it even easier to donate your time to an upcoming work day by compiling a number of ways to give back to some favorite recreation spots. It doesn’t […]

AZ Central (July 18, 2019) by Mare Czinar Wildflower season is in full bloom in Flagstaff’s Dry Lake Hills area. Recent logging and forest-clearing operations that had closed many of the trails that meander through the diverse terrain of Coconino National Forest — north of 9,299-foot Mount Elden — are gradually finishing up, and several paths are now open. One particularly productive wildflower […]

Arizona Daily Sun (July 7, 2019) by Sam McManis   Scoffing locals who eye-roll with impunity at flatlanders invading Flagstaff and (gasp, gasp) trying to acclimate on the trails probably will have a good laugh at me — a newcomer who lived in Central Washington, 1,200 feet elevation, for three years and, before that, spent a decade in the Sacramento Valley […]

Flagstaff Business News (July 6, 2019) by FBN Efforts have aligned to improve the outdoor experience for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians seeking to discover Northern Arizona’s wide-open spaces. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Babbitt Ranches, Coconino County and the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) grants permission and identifies resources to develop and maintain a trail along a nearly 13-mile stretch […]

Arizona Daily Sun (July 5, 2019) by Scott Buffon   Forest Service officials suspect a person is at fault for the Chimney Springs Fire near the Arizona Scenic Trail on Wednesday. Authorities do not know what specifically started the fire near where the Arizona Trail connects to the Schultz Creek Trail. The Schultz Creek Trail is still closed due to […]

AZ Central (June 21, 2019) by Aubrey Carpenter It may be a little early to start thinking about rehabilitating hiking trails while the 66,000-acre Woodbury fire continues to burn, but plans are already in process to restore one of the key trails facing the flames. More than 40 hiking trails are within the wildfire closure area, either entirely or a portion of it, which prevents […]

Reader’s Digest (June 11, 2019) by Mallory Creveling   You can’t beat the views and the bucket list experience of the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, arguably one of the best hiking trails in the country. It starts at Yaki Point on the South Rim, then one mile in, you’ll reach Ooh-Aah Point—perfectly named for how you’ll […]

Sierra Magazine (June 2, 2019) by Megan Hill Before Jean Taggart left home to conquer the 800-mile Arizona Trail last year, she made a detailed spreadsheet to organize her resupply provisions. To update friends and family on her progress, she bought a Garmin inReach Mini, which is a GPS and satellite messenger. She poured over hiker blogs and absorbed detailed […]

Arizona Jewish Post (May 31, 2019) Israeli elite mountain bike racer Chanoch Redlich won the 750-mile Arizona Trail Race, a self-supported ride that stretches from Mexico to Utah. Redlich won this year’s ride in just over eight days, riding in 20-22 hour stretches with two to four hours of sleep before the next stretch. Redlich stayed at the home of […]

Backpacker Radio (May 24, 2019) Episode 38 In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, myself plus a very special guest co-host are joined by Legend.  He’s back, and does he have new stories to share.  We chat all about his previous year, which was arguably busier than anyone in the backpacking world, including his Great Western Loop, a 7,000 mile hike, […]

JournalAZ.com (May 21, 2019) by John Hecht In 2009, the Arizona Trail became a National Scenic trail, finalizing a project to connect many of the trail systems in the state that had been first proposed in 1985. Traversing Arizona from Mexico to Utah, the Arizona Trail crosses over 800 miles of the Grand Canyon State. Now, the idea of another […]

The Fountain Hills Times (May 19, 2019) by Bob Charzuk Almost halfway through his 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail, John (Jay) Waters, a 30 year career Army man, spent two nights dining with local veterans and enjoying a comfortable bed and shower. By the time Waters arrived May 6 at Lakeshore Hotel and Suites, he had been on the […]

This is Tucson (May 18, 2019) by Angela Pittenger There are so many hiking trails to explore in and around Tucson. But having so many options also makes it kinda hard to decide where to go, especially for the casual weekend hiker. That’s where I come in. (Hi!) I’m going to hike some of these trails and tell you what […]

Bike Magazine (May 14, 2019) by Kurt Refsnider The 2019 edition of the self-supported Arizona Trail 300 saw Scottish adventurers win both the women’s and men’s fields. Impressively, neither Annie Lloyd-Evans nor Huw Oliver had ever before ridden in the desert, but despite that, both found the slow, technical trail much to their liking. The AZT300 is one of the […]

Arizona Daily Sun (May 11, 2019) by Scott Buffon Many in Flagstaff love their trail systems that can help them avoid paved roads while winding through the ponderosa pines and scaling mountainsides. But love alone can’t build new trails or refurbish old ones. Currently, the Flagstaff Trails Initiative is creating a master plan through the unified effort of agencies and citizen […]

Payson Roundup (April 9, 2019) by Keith Morris Margaret de Hesse knows a thing or two about distance running. We’re not talking marathons either. No, longer than that. “I’m an ultrarunner,” said de Hesse. “These are typically all trail races in the U.S. and internationally of at least 50 miles. There are many 50-kilometer (31.24 miles) and 100-K (62.5 miles) […]

Exploring the Arizona Trail with Matt Nelson (May 1, 2019) by Lori the Explorer Today’s guest is Matt Nelson, Executive Director of the Arizona Trail Association. Matt has a passion for the mountains, being outdoors and providing opportunities for the next generation to become adventurers and stewards of the land. The Arizona Trail stretches 800 miles across Arizona from Mexico […]