The Discoverer (May 2022) Autumn is the best time of year in the Southwest. While dropping temperatures mean breaking out the sweaters and heaters everywhere else in the country, in this corner of the U.S. it means the weather is just right for some outdoor exploring. While most minds immediately jump to the Grand Canyon when thinking of Arizona, there […]

Adventure Journal (May 17, 2022) by Brendan Leonard Memorial Day is just a couple weeks away, which kicks off long-distance hiking season for many. With that in mind, we present some of our favorite big hikes that are well-known. The lesser-known ones? We’ll keep those to ourselves. – Ed. You can probably name The Big Three long-distance trails in the […]

The Mountain Mamas call themselves ‘four menopausal women with grown kids,’ and they all have one thing in common. FOX 10’s Anita Roman reports. Go here to watch the video. The Arizona Trail (AZT) is a scenic but rugged path stretching border to border from Mexico to Utah. Extreme heat, freezing temperatures, strenuous elevation changes and poisonous critters are just a few of […]

Field Mag (May 13, 2022) by Kersten Vasey I began to overheat under the weight of seven liters of water, plus food, shelter, and supplies for eight days of backpacking under the intense Arizona sun. Blisters were already forming, and I had 97 miles left to hike until the South Rim of the Grand Canyon alongside someone I had barely […]

Doncaster Free Press (May 12, 2022) by Alex Wilkinson Alan Tracey, who was born and bred in Doncaster, flew out to USA to complete the 800 mile Arizona trail. An avid hiker, this was a challenge Alan had always wanted to complete, and after a gruelling but fascinating 53 days, Alan completed his mission. From the Mexican border, to the Grand […]

KJZZ News (May 12, 2022) by Ron Dungan A recent report shows that Arizona ranked near the bottom of the list of Western states in public lands protection during the last decade. Arizona’s neglect of public lands could have major implications for the Arizona Trail. The Arizona Trail runs about 800 miles, from Mexico to Utah. Most of it is on […]

Williams-Grand Canyon News (May 3, 2022) by Joe Giddens The historic wooden sign, which marks the first officially recognized section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, is getting a new permanent home. “It’s weathered badly and been renovated a couple of times,” said Arizona Trail Director Shawn Redfield. “But that’s a losing battle. It’s going to be taken down and […]

Payson Roundup (April 29, 2022) by Michele Nelson Cheers and applause greeted the cutting of the ribbon to launch Phase 1 of the Highline Restoration Project on April 23. Partners that helped raise $350,000 to fund the completion of Phase 1 of the Highline celebrated at the Pine Trailhead with awards, locally made empanadas from Strawberry’s Pie Bar and hugs […]

Cleantechnica (April 26, 2022) by Jennifer Sensiba In Part 1, I introduced the problem of inequity in accessing non-motorized trails and wilderness areas. People with disabilities not only can’t effectively use mountain biking trails in many areas, but just can’t reasonably get into wilderness areas at all. Now, I want to finish that discussion, provide a real-world example, and then provide […]

Velo News (April 22, 2022) by Betsy Welch On Thursday, ultra endurance cyclist and bikepacker Lael Wilcox got off her Specialized Epic Evo at the Arizona-Utah border after a very long ride. The 35-year-old celebrated a Fastest Known Time (FKT) of the Arizona Trail (AZT) with a ride of nine days, eight hours, and 23 minutes, besting the previous record by 2:20. Wilcox set […]

Pinkbike (March 23, 2022) by Alicia Leggett Elizabeth Sampey set a time record on the Arizona Trail for 9 days, 11 hours, and 44 minutes in 2019. Now, she’s returned to the rugged, 800-mile trail spanning Arizona from the border of Mexico up to Utah to re-ride her favorite parts and reflect on what that race meant to her. Watch […]

American West (March 14, 2022) by Dave Stamboulis Arizona gets most of its media attention for a couple of things. For one, a big giant hole up at its northern end, better known as the Grand Canyon, and also for being a sunny winter escape for snowbirds. However, to truly understand the extremes of terrain, weather and geology, nothing beats […]

The Travel (March 14, 2022) by Cynthia Levy Lots of people take a backpack, put on a stove, food, and camping gear, and head out to the canyons, plains, valleys, and hills once in a while. If one is searching for the perfect trail to hike, the infamous Appalachian trail will do. It was founded by Benton MacKaye, who founded The […]

KJZZ (February 24, 2022) by Ron Dungan The Arizona Trail runs about 800 miles from Mexico to the Utah border, and the Legislature may make the process of hiking it a little more pleasant. The trail has an abundance of scenery, but it can be short on water and hard to reach in places. The Legislature has helped with funding […]

Greenfield Recorder (February 22, 2022) by Mary Byrne A local man plans to hike close to 800 miles next month with the goal of raising as much money as he can for a cause close to his heart. This week, Shelburne resident Jonathan “Jon” Riordan will begin his drive west to Sierra Vista, Arizona for the start of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, the […]

Travel & Leisure (February 4, 2022) by Stacey Leasca Looking to get your steps in? Arizona is hiding the perfect trail for you. Arizona is home to arguably one of the most beautiful National Scenic Trails in the United States. Stretching from the U.S.-Mexico border all the way to Utah, its 800-mile trail — aptly named The Arizona Trail — crosses through […]

The Trek (January 20, 2022) by Sam Getchell Back to the Trail Some time has passed since my presence in this community. When I last wore the title as “thru hiker” I lay in a bunk bed in Mammoth California, June 2017. That was to be the last day of my PCT thru hike, lack of funds pulled me off […]

Williams-Grand Canton News (January 4, 2022) The National Park Service (NPS) announced Dec. 31 the temporary reopening of the Yaqui Ridge Trail, which is the southernmost part of the 800-mile Arizona Trail. The Yaqui Ridge Trail starts on the international border with Mexico in Coronado National Memorial. The trail was closed in July 2020 because of construction activities on the Border […]

The Trek (December 2021) by Lyla Harrod Here’s a recap of my fall 2021 SOBO thru-hike of the AZT with Oliver aka “Bowie”. This post will cover from the Northern Terminus to Roosevelt Lake. I’ll put up another post covering the rest of the trail soon! I hope you find this useful if you’re considering a hike on the AZT, or just […]

Route Fifty (December 21, 2021) by Andre Claudio From hiking to a lodge in California to riding a gravel bike in Arizona, Outside magazine composed a list of some of the best places to take a winter trip. Here are some of the places the magazine recommended: Hiking to a Scenic California Lodge If you want to backpack to a remote […]

Freehub Magazine (December 14, 2021) by Kait Boyle I winced, gritted my teeth and curled my fingers behind my brake levers as I pedaled straight into a thicket of pigweed, catclaw acacia and seedy grass. Thorns tore at my forearms and shins while the stickers of the pigweed rubbed against my open wounds and deployed their seeds onto every piece […]

Native News Online (December 13, 2021) by Kyle Mittan When Lydia Jennings finally finished her doctoral program in soil microbiology, a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic made celebrating difficult. But a national conversation on diversity and representation in many disciplines, including the sciences, presented an opportunity for Jennings, who had just earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Environmental Science in the University of […]

Singletracks (December 9, 2021) by Matt Miller The Arizona Trail Race started roughly 15 years ago, according to John Schilling, the ride director for the semi-official race. The AZT race is somewhere between 300 to 800 miles long, depending on the route. Participants sign up a month before lining up near the border between Arizona and Mexico, and over the […]

Men’s Journal (December 2021) by Berne Broudy The gear and apparel market is saturated with brands offering premium products. So how do you prioritize companies you want to support? We like to hone in on ones that boast premium goods and a sustainable model. One such company is Erem, a new desert performance boot brand founded by fourth-generation shoemaker Noah […]

Tucson Lifestyle (December 2021) by David Abbott We often thank our military veterans for their service around the globe, but hiking enthusiasts in Arizona have another reason to appreciate vets — for their service as stewards of the Arizona Trail (AZT), through a new program designed to get them out into the wilderness. The Arizona Trail Association, a nonprofit established […]