azcentral.com By Shaun McKinnon Not a day passes that Ross Zimmerman doesn’t think about his son, Gabe, and feel the empty space left by an assassin’s bullet. “He was my sounding board for ideas,” Zimmerman said. “He was so good at human relations. They used to call him the ‘constituent whisperer’ in Congresswoman Giffords’ office. There’s no telling where he […]

The American Surveyor Newly released US Topo maps for Arizona now feature mountain bike trails, segments of the Arizona National Scenic Trail and Public Land Survey System data. Several of the 1,880 new US Topo quadrangles for the state now display these selected new features along with other improved data layers. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

The Telegraph In 1995, Cheryl Strayed tackled the 2,500-mile Pacific Crest trail – as depicted in the new film Wild, starring Reece Witherspoon. Here are 10 more of the world’s most challenging long-distance hiking routes: [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

azcentral.com By Bob Young Half the battle of living a healthy, active lifestyle is getting out the door and moving. We don’t need much of an excuse to skip a run or a bike ride. Maybe another “Pineapple Express” storm is on the way, or work has been especially demanding. One day off becomes two, then a week, and the […]

azcentral.com By Mare Czinar At the north end of Roosevelt Lake, an elegant suspension bridge straddles the gap between the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks Wilderness and serves as the gateway to Passage 20 of the Arizona Trail. This 19.5-mile stretch of rugged roads and narrow footpaths shimmies through of some of the state’s most spectacular country. [To read the […]

Central Arizona College By Angela Askey On November 25, Central Arizona College Radiologic Technology students took to the trails. In partnership with Pinal County and the Arizona Trail Association, they volunteered their time performing trail maintenance and trailhead cleanup along a three mile stretch of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (ANST) from the Florence/Kelvin Highway Trailhead and south. [To read […]

Sedona Monthly Magazine The Arizona National Scenic Trail, an 800-mile hiking trail that stretches from Mexico to Utah, is the subject of a new exhibit at the National Geographic Visit Center outside the Grand Canyon near the town of Tusayan. The exhibit is in the interior courtyard and features a large map of Arizona depicting the entire trail along with […]

Sierra Vista Herald by Dana Cole Stretching from the border with Mexico northward to Utah, the Arizona Trail is considered one of the country’s premier long-distance trails. From start to finish, groups of committed volunteers have been working behind the scenes in building, designing and maintaining the trail as it makes its 817 mile border-to-border trek. Sierra Vista resident Bernie […]

Get Vail AZ by Kimberly Crossland If you’ve ever hiked the Arizona Trail by Marsh Station Road and Cienega Creek you’ve probably seen it – The Gabe Zimmerman trailhead. It’s an impressive landmark along the 800-mile Arizona Trail. The trailhead is complete with a life sized picture of a smiling, happy hiker. But how much do you really know about […]

Outside Magazine by Aaron Gulley In April 2013, after many years of trying, I completed the Arizona Trail 300, a self-supported mountain bike race held on isolated singletrack in the Sonoran Desert. I rode hard and finished first of 52 starters in a record time of 51 hours, 59 minutes. But I missed my goal of finishing in under two […]

Arizona Daily Sun by Suzanne Adams-Ockrassa When English fish wholesaler Nick Howell purchased a 1902 Toledo steam car from an Internal Revenue Service auction in Michigan in 2004, he knew he had something special. He just didn’t know how special or that the car would wrap him and his brother, Chris, into a wild adventure to the Grand Canyon. Turns […]

The Canyon.com by Steele Wotkyns Starting this week, the Arizona Trail will now be celebrated worldwide. The Arizona National Scenic Trail is being showcased in a large-scale exhibit at the National Geographic Visitor Center in Tusayan at the entrance to Grand Canyon’s South Rim. The new Arizona National Scenic Trail Exhibit fills the National Geographic Visitor Center’s interior courtyard and […]

Casa Grande Dispatch by Bill Coates Kent Taylor is the open space and trails director for Pinal County. He heads the county effort to develop regional parks. And connect them to other open spaces. It’s spelled out in a 2007 master plan. Of course, there would be lots of new trails. To see how it all fits together, he has […]

East Valley Tribune If you haven’t been to the Grand Canyon recently, it’s a great time to plan a trip — not only because the weather is much cooler than it is in the Valley, but because you’ll also be able to view the Arizona National Scenic Trail — an 800-mile long recreational trail stretching from Mexico to Utah — […]

azcentral.com Channel 12 featured a story on the Arizona Trail and the grand opening of the Arizona Trail Courtyard display within the National Geographic Visitor Center-Grand Canyon. Check out the story here, including an interview with Arizona Trail hiker, mountain biker, trail steward and Board Member Tom Coulson.

Arizona Daily Star by Doug Kreutz Helicopters are strictly prohibited in federally designated wilderness areas, but state wildlife officials are seeking an exception from the U.S. Forest Service that would allow them to fly and land helicopters in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness north of Tucson. Wildlife officials said helicopters are necessary for managing and monitoring — including capturing, when necessary […]

Runner’s World by Ian Torrence We’ve been hearing it for several years: Trail running is gaining popularity. New races on singletrack in remote locations are filling faster, and back-country parks are gaining favor as a preferred training ground for trail aficionados and roadie converts alike. The burgeoning sport doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but maybe it should. The environmental […]

The Uncalculated Life by Mike Henrick t’s true that trail maintenance doesn’t happen on its own, but most often we think of the boots on the ground and forget the logistical support required to get those boots to the right spot, with the required equipment and logistical support. As part of my effort to raise awareness of trail associations I […]

Salsa Cycles Last December, I contemplated racing the Arizona Trail Race, the full 750-mile version. I went so far as to doing a couple of runs, as the route ends with a bike-pack, as in carrying your bike, on your back, across the Grand Canyon, and I’m not much for walking anywhere.Then I decided that 2014 wasn’t going to be […]

Arizona Daily Sun by Bruce Belman Shhhhh! I have a secret running trail. It’s a trail for running that doesn’t go up and down steep hills, require dodging dog-walkers or necessitate constant vigilance from mountain bikers. The trail has a mostly smooth and soft surface, but with a few rocky spots to keep you conscious. It features easy access from […]

Arizona Daily Sun by Tom Bean Recently I took a ramble across Campbell Mesa with no particular destination in mind. You could say I was sauntering, not hiking. Mostly I stuck to the trails, but occasionally an impressive old growth ponderosa or delicate wildflower would require my closeup inspection. In the process, I noticed a scattering of prehistoric potsherds, a […]

KTAR Radio Online by Jeremy Foster An Arizona woman is taking the walk of a lifetime — just to enjoy the scenery. Sirena Dufault, 40, began her 817-mile stroll March 14 near Sierra Vista. Her goal is to raise awareness and money for the Arizona Trail, she said. [To read the rest of the article, click here.]

USA Today by Mark Lebetkin A seemingly endless series of storms turned much of the U.S. into a nation of shut-ins this past winter, so it comes as more than just a breath of fresh air that the mercury is beginning to rise above freezing: it’s an invitation to dig those hiking boots out of the closet and hit the […]

FoxPhoenix.com A Tucson woman is hiking along the Arizona Trail to bring awareness and raise funds. “I am doing it to raise awareness of the trail itself and to raise twenty thousand dollars for the Arizona Trail Association to help maintain promote and protect the trail,” said Sirena Dufault. [To watch the video report, click here.]

The Desert Leaf “Day Tripping” by Bill Norman If this “Day Tripping” columnist could complete a hike of 817 miles in 24 hours or less, a miracle would have been wrought. Instead, I hiked five miles as part of a particularly momentous foot journey from the border with Mexico north to Utah. The 800-plus-miles trek follows the route of the […]

Ahwatukee Foothills News by Jason P. Skoda I am training for my fifth Grand Canyon hike and third trip to Havasupai Falls. In doing so I wanted to find a new hike instead of my usual trek around South Mountain starting out at the 48th St. entrance. It’s beautiful and challenging in some areas, but I wanted something new. And […]

The Arizona Republic by Connie Cone Sexton Fifty-two miles into Sirena Dufault’s quest to walk the entire 820-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail, the tongue of her right shoe pulled out. She could only laugh about it, hoping it might be the worst thing that happens during the 10 weeks or so she has mapped out for the trek. Dufault, 40, […]

CopperArea.com by John Hernandez The Arizona Trail Association is currently involved in a fundraising campaign to support the future of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. The funds will go toward trail maintenance and protection; repairing segments of trail damaged by wildfire and erosion; installation of steel gates that keep motorized vehicles off the trail; and map printing and distribution. The […]

Tail Winds Magazine by Elaine Mariolle “Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail” is a spectacular guide written by Matthew J. Nelson, executive director of Arizona Trail Association, and is a must-have for hikers, equestrians and cyclists who wish to explore the more than 800 miles of trail, that stretches from the United States-Mexico border to the Utah […]

AmericanTrails.org by Matthew Nelson Arizona — the very word evokes images of breathtaking landscapes, exotic animals, star-filled skies, and dramatic sunsets. From rolling grasslands and lush Sonoran Desert to alpine peaks and one of the world’s deepest canyons, it is a land of biodiversity unlike anywhere else on Earth. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]