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.]

Hike, bike or ride via horseback through the state’s varied terrain, from Southern Arizona to the Grand Canyon Arizona Guide by Tim Vanderpool It was 1985 when a plucky schoolteacher named Dale Shewalter trekked the length of Arizona, from Nogales to the Utah line. Shewalter’s goal was simple: to showcase his dream of connecting disparate trails into a single route […]

FoxPhoenix.com A Tucson woman is preparing for a trek of a lifetime. She plans to hike 817 miles from the Mexico border, across the State of Arizona, to Utah. It’s all for a good cause to raise awareness and money for the Arizona National Scenic Trail. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Hiking Ever dreamed about what it would be like to hike the entire 800-mile Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah? Here’s your chance to see how it’s done and sample the thrills with an expert. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Highways The 817-mile Arizona Trail, officially completed in 2011, runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Utah state line. It’s an imposing trek, and while many people use various sections of the trail for day hikes, only a hardy few attempt to hike the entire trail at once. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]

Arizona Trail Association Tucson, Arizona by Sirena Dufault It took 30 years for the dream of the Arizona Trail to become a reality, and in 2011 the cross-state trail was completed, linking deserts, mountains, canyons, forests, communities and people. [To read the rest of this press release, click here.]

Arizona Daily Sun by Randy Wilson Bare winters in Flagstaff can be endured — providing you are willing to change equipment. That was my motto last Saturday as I switched out skis for a mountain bike at 9,000 feet on the Arizona Trail. It’s a February ride I had never expected to take — and probably won’t ever take again. […]

Mountain Flyer Magazine by Cass Gilbert If you don’t have time to ride all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail, then try the more compact Gila River Ramble, which borrows some of the very best sections of the AZT as its backbone. The main loop is about 80 miles in length, but there are various interconnecting spurs and trails to […]

Dirt Rag by Ross Downard In this day and age in the Lower 48, true adventure is getting harder to find, and going out and getting lost is almost a thing of the past. Hermosa Tours has found a way to put this kind of uncertainty back in the Sonoran Desert, specifically in a one-hundred-mile section of the Arizona Trail […]

Examiner.com by Denise Meredith Arizona, a relatively new state, is not known for valuing history. So it is refreshing when an organization takes the time to recognize an accomplishment that is not related to sports or entertainment. In a ceremony that was both jubilant and moving, on Saturday, February 1, 2014, the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) celebrated its 20th anniversary […]

Desert Harvest by Donna Derosia The February edition of The Fence Post (a community newsletter for the Robles Junction/Three Points community) features an article on the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the new guidebook. [To read the complete article online, click here]

Arizona Daily Star by Tony Davis It’s been known for a well over a year now that a jaguar has been photographed in the Santa Rita Mountains, near the proposed Rosemont Mine site. But only a little more than a week ago, volunteers for the Tucson conservation group Sky Island Alliance found and photographed the first jaguar tracks to have […]

Arizona Daily Star by Douglas Kreutz You can hike just a few miles on the Arizona National Scenic Trail — or trek its entire length of about 817 miles from Mexico to Utah. In either case, a comprehensive, richly illustrated new guidebook could enhance your experience. “Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail,” by Matthew J. Nelson and […]

National Trails Guide Having completed the Triple Crown and most recently the Arizona National Scenic Trail, Fred Gaudet has been given a unique moniker on behalf of his accomplishments: “Triple Crown with a Desert Jewel!” Fred persevered through plenty of physical and natural challenges until he reached his goals. We interviewed him on behalf of our National Trails Guide fans […]

Flagstaff Business News by Bonnie Stevens It may well have been Northern Arizona’s first ultimate wildland adventure for tourists and the start of organized tourism in Flagstaff. In 1892, the Flagstaff Board of Trade, in partnership with the railroad, promoted the Stagecoach Line from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. Public relations efforts included a free trip for travel writers, who […]

Arizona Daily Sun by Eric Betz The mercury hit a frigid 21 degrees in Flagstaff on Saturday, leading to a chilly morning for those braving the cold to celebrate NAU’s 89th Annual Homecoming. But for a group of hardcore runners participating in the first Stagecoach 100-mile Ultra, the low temperatures were a major obstacle to completing a race from the […]