Arizona Republic (Jan 25, 2026) by Shaun Mckin­non Every night for about eight weeks last fall, my phone buzzed with a text that its sender – Repub­lic cli­mate reporter Joan Mein­ers – called her “proof of life.” Some­times the texts were from here and included updates on her day; some­times they were sent by a satel­lite ser­vice that worked where […]

KGUN (Jan 11, 2026) by JJ McKinney 15 years after the January 8th shooting in Tucson, dozens of community members gathered in Vail to honor the life and legacy of one of the victims who lost their lives that day. On January 8, 2011, a lone gunman opened fire at a constituent meeting, shooting 19 people, including then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. […]

Arizona Republic (Jan 10, 2026) by Sarah Lapidus Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords spoke to a group of hikers and community members in front of an image of a smiling, bearded young man who was killed 15 years ago in a mass shooting that almost took Giffords’ life. The man, Gabe Zimmerman, was one of the six people killed when […]

AZPM (Jan 12, 2026) by Thatcher Warrick Hess Gabe Zimmerman was the community outreach director for former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2011 and was killed in the January 8 shooting. He was 30 years old. Alongside his passion for politics, Gabe was a soccer player and athlete. His father Ross Zimmerman explained that he would hike with anyone who asked him. […]

Nogales International (Jan 12, 2026) by Jorge Encinas A new single-track trail is making its way through the Santa Rita Mountains as part of an improvement to the Arizona Trail that will increase safety and add more dedicated non-motorized path to the 800-mile statewide system. The 10.7 miles under construction on the eastern side of the mountains runs from Oak […]

Navajo-Hopi Observer (Jan 13, 2025) by Aaron Chatters Being a lifelong hunter and fisher, I’ve always been an avid hiker as well. I travel wherever it is necessary to get meat for the table, but I rarely hike just for fun and almost never on a trail. My wife enjoys trail hiking as she can relax and enjoy nature, not […]

Singletracks (January 9, 2026) by Greg Heil Greg set a personal record for miles ridden in 2025, and with it, came a whole lot of new trail exploration! Here are the best new trails that he discovered last year. I launched into 2025 with the goal of shattering my limiting beliefs, and man, did last year deliver! My top-line mileage goal […]

KVOA (Jan 6, 2026) by Marissa Orr A third remote rainwater collector was recently installed along the Arizona Trail. The new installation will allow visitors and wildlife a chance to access the water which is located in Redington Pass. According to the U.S. Forest Service – Coronado National Forest, the Arizona Trail Association installed and designed the remote rainwater collector in […]

AZ Big Media (January 1, 2026) Spring in Arizona is synonymous with sunshine, baseball, and adventure—and nowhere is that spirit stronger than in Pinal County. Located in the heart of the state, between Phoenix and Tucson, this fast-growing region has become a favorite stop for visitors who want to pair their love of the game with unforgettable off-the-field experiences. Whether you’re […]

Arizona Republic (Dec 8, 2025) by Joan Meiners Rest of Day 35, Mile 800 (Passage 4: Casa Blanca Canyon) Traversing the Santa Rita Mountains toward the final passages of the trail manifested ups and downs in new dimensions. My conversation with Arizona Trail Association Director Matt Nelson at Kentucky Camp had been energizing after so much solitude on trail. But it also […]

Queen Creek Tribune (Dec 3, 2025) by Mary-Elizabeth Meagher When some people encounter a vending machine, they briefly scan its contents and continue on their way. But artist Anjelica Guzman’s keen eyes imagine creative possibilities.  They led Guzman on a mission to combine her talent for graphic design, her passion for nature, and her connection with Downtown Mesa into an unconventional […]

Arizona Republic (Dec 1, 2025) by Joan Meiners Republic reporter Joan Meiners talks with Matt Nelson about how climate change and other factors might affect the future of the Arizona Trail. Watch the video here.

Arizona Republic (Dec 1, 2025) by Joan Meiners Day 30, Mile 683 (Passage 11e: Pusch Ridge Wilderness Bypass) At the top of the climb up Mount Lemmon to Summerhaven, I hit a limit of low temperatures I was equipped to survive with the layers I had carried with me nearly 700 miles across the state. So I booked a night […]

Cronkite News (November 26, 2025) by Tufan Neupane Environmental groups in Arizona are raising alarms over President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management, former New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce. Pearce’s long record of supporting the sale of public land, opposing protection of national monuments and pushing to expand oil and gas extraction, they say, makes him unfit […]

Phoenix New Times (Nov 25, 2025) by Sara Palmer With summer temperatures firmly in the rearview mirror, it’s now hiking season in the Valley. From mysteries of lost gold and trails leading to bits of history left behind, to summit views that will take your breath away, metro Phoenix is brimming with places to explore. You’ll find streams, beautiful canyons, […]

Arizona Daily Sun (Nov 25, 2025) by Sam McLaughlin Arizona Snowbowl opened a day earlier than planned this year, welcoming skiers and snowboarders to a limited section of the resort’s terrain on Thursday, Nov. 20. And on Friday morning, Nov. 21, a group of roughly three dozen demonstrators lined both sides of the bottom of Snowbowl Road calling for an […]

Arizona Republic (Nov 24, 2025) by Joan Meiners Day 25, Mile 595 (Passage 15: Tortilla Mountains) With Kearney’s Ray copper mine as my backdrop, I set off on my bike into the remote and wild Tortilla Mountains from Kelvin Trailhead. Loaded with seven liters of water and six days of food to get me through the next stretch, my bike […]

Payson Roundup (Nov 18, 2025) by David C. Bolla About 500 man-hours of labor. Thousands of dollars in materials. An Arizona Trail Association crew has completed a new pipe rail fence in Pine. Over the course of eight Thursday morning sessions, between eight and 10 volunteers worked to replace a fence around the parking lot at the Pine Trailhead. The […]

Arizona Republic (Nov 17, 2025) by Joan Meiners Day 21, Mile 512 (Bike detour passage 19/18: around Superstition Wilderness) In the 1870s, a European prospector found a solution to all his problems in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains. He struck gold, literally, or so the legend goes, and left several caches hidden in the hills. On his deathbed in Phoenix, the “Dutchman,” […]

Backpacker (Nov 15, 2025) by Adam Roy For more than 30 years, Arizona Trail hikers have celebrated their achievements at Monument 102, a stone obelisk that marks the U.S.-Mexico border and the southern end of the path. Whether kicking off an 800-mile adventure or celebrating the end of the journey of a lifetime, they could slip through the two-strand barbed […]

Backpacker (Nov 7, 2025) by Adam Roy Hikers can no longer access the monument at the Arizona Trail’s (AZT) southern terminus after the Department of Homeland Security blocked it off with razor wire, the nonprofit that helps manage the famed long trail said. In an Instagram post on November 6, the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) wrote that contractors for the DHS had […]

The Trek (Nov 7, 2025) by Kelly Floro Contractors for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have reportedly installed concertina wire blocking access to the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail, according to the Arizona Trail Association (ATA). The 800-mile national scenic trail begins at Border Monument 102 just north of the Mexican border, within Coronado National Memorial, and terminates […]

Arizona Republic (Nov 3, 2025) by Joan Meiners Day 12, Mile 309 (Passage 31: Walnut Canyon) Riding my trail rig through Flagstaff on busy streets felt strange after a week in the wilderness. But the car traffic was reasonably courteous about sharing the road, and the miles on a paved surface to reconnect with the singletrack felt easy. That didn’t […]

Arizona Republic (October 27, 2025) by Joan Meiners Day 7, Mile 196 (Passage 37: Grand Canyon South Rim) From the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, I cruised south on a paved, downhill path out of the park toward Tusayan, riding with Ryan Choi, an ecologist in from Alaska and an old friend. It was a cool, sunny morning and we were […]

Arizona Republic (October 20, 2025) by Joan Meiners Editor’s note: Over seven weeks this fall, Arizona Republic climate reporter Joan Meiners is biking the length of the 850-mile Arizona Trail from Utah to Mexico to report on how climate change is affecting the state’s landscapes and communities. You can follow her journey in a series of weekly dispatches, beginning with this one, which […]

Arizona Republic (August 15, 2025) by Scott Garlid, Matthew Nelson, Dan Stellar and Don McDowell As representatives from diverse organizations that depend on public lands, we don’t always agree on every policy or management practice. But there is one issue we are unequivocally united on: Congress should not be in the business of selling off public lands to the highest […]

Arizona Daily Sun (August 15, 2025) by Sam McLaughlin A month after two major fires roared into life in northern Coconino County, the end of active firefighting operations seems to be finally approaching. The White Sage Fire has been contained after burning almost 60,000 acres, and the Dragon Bravo Fire, though still active in some areas, is slowly coming under […]

The National Park Service (NPS) Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Awards are the agency’s annual recognition of outstanding contributions to wilderness stewardship by an individual, team, and external partner, including those involving interpretation and education; management of natural, cultural, and social resources; planning; protection; and maintenance operations. Award recipients are nominated by fellow NPS staff and selected by an interdisciplinary panel. […]

azfamily.com ~ By Steven Sarabia Jul. 23, 2025 PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Devastating wildfires in northern Arizona continue to threaten popular trails that draw people from around the world. “Seeing how much damage was done at the north rim with the buildings being destroyed, it is really disappointing, said Hiker Samantha Pinkley. “I mean it’s just, it’s unfortunate,” said hiker Stan […]