LF Ranch Closed to Visitors
LF Ranch is closed to visitors. Please respect the private property owner by staying on the AZT to the east of the ranch.
Read moreWant to know the condition of your favorite passage before you go on a hike or ride? On this page you will find trail updates for all of the Arizona Trail passages, in one place. The specific passage updates are also on each individual passage page.
LF Ranch is closed to visitors. Please respect the private property owner by staying on the AZT to the east of the ranch.
Read moreBe aware that the flow of the Gila River near the historic townsite of Cochran is established by releases from the San Carlos Dam upstream and, with seasonal runoff, is highly variable. When in doubt, don’t cross the Gila River at Cochran. Instead, drive to the Kelvin Access Trailhead or the Florence-Kelvin Highway Trailhead nearby.
Read moreNorth of Walnut Spring the trail sharply descends and ascends 1,000 feet over a 1.8 mile horizontal distance. Equestrians have had problems in this steep area, the south side of which burned severely in 2019. Near the north end of this passage, the trail passes through rocky and narrow Cottonwood Canyon for 3 miles, and tends to suffer from the summer monsoon […]
Read moreDue to private property issues, there is no public access along Red Rock Canyon Road between Harshaw Road and the Arizona Trail. Please do not use Red Rock Canyon Road to connect the AZT back toward the town of Patagonia.
Read moreOn Friday, December 16 the Arizona Trail Association celebrated the grand opening of the Oak Tree Canyon Trailhead on the Coronado National Forest near the town of Sonoita. After having been closed for nearly 20 years due to natural and cultural resource impacts from off-highway vehicles, we were delighted to have been granted permission to construct a trailhead at this […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (December 9, 2022) by Sean Golightly The Pinyon Plain (formerly Canyon) uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park has been issued a new permit by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, opening the door for future mining. Robert Tohe, courtesy file photo. A long-dormant uranium mine located 10 miles south of the Grand Canyon could soon begin […]
Read moreThe Pinyon Plain Mine (formerly Canyon Mine) appears to be gearing up for uranium mining operations fewer than 10 miles from the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and less than four miles from the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Hundreds more uranium mines could eventually be developed on public lands near Grand Canyon National Park if the Senate fails to […]
Read morePayson Roundup (December 2, 2022) by Michele Nelson For too long, the Highline Trail has intimidated hikers. Remote. Rugged. Rough. But it’s time for that reputation to change. The Phase I re-route of the Highline Trail from the Pine to the Washington Park trailheads has completely transformed the hike from an out-of-breath scramble to a stroll through glades and meadows […]
Read moreFronteras News Desk (November 23, 2022) by Alisa Reznick Environmental groups are watching closely to see how Arizona’s next governor, Katie Hobbs, will handle a makeshift wall of shipping containers the state is putting up along the border. The Ducey administration’s shipping container wall first appeared on federal land near Yuma earlier this year. Contractors began a similar project in […]
Read moreThe recently completed Walnut Canyon Reroute is officially open! This important initiative to take a few miles of the AZT off old forest roads south of Flagstaff, was a successful collaboration between the Arizona Trail Association, Coconino National Forest, Arizona Conservation Corps, Arizona State Parks & Trails, Flagline Trails, and awesome volunteers. If you haven’t experienced this new ribbon of […]
Read morePatagonia Regional Times (October 6, 2022) by Stu Williams and John Murphy Trouble continues to brew in the Santa Rita Mountains. Rosemont Copper, operating there since 2014, has shifted its plan of operation from the east side of the mountains to the west to dodge federal court rulings, hoping to take advantage of rubber-stamping state agencies and local apathy. Rosemont Copper continues […]
Read moreSeptember 27, 2022 – We are so proud of the new trail that has been built between Red Bank Well and Highway 82! However, monsoon rains have led to extreme overgrowth that make the trail very challenging to follow. Since trail work is not permitted before October 1 due to threatened & endangered species that live within the area, you […]
Read moreDuring the summer of 2020, the Mangum Fire scorched 71,450 acres on the Kaibab National Forest and significantly impacted three miles of the Arizona Trail within Orderville Canyon along Passage 42 (Kaibab Plateau North). Since the trail was located within the canyon bottom and the fire burned at high intensity, this segment of AZT has been closed for two years […]
Read morePayson Roundup (August 11, 2022) by Michele Nelson Arizona Trail Association volunteers recently have prepped 4,000 feet of steep sections of the Highline Trail for realignment as part of the restoration initiative. The removal of dense manzanita not only allows for upgrading and improving the Highline Trail but also Passage 26 of the Arizona Trail. “There were lots of small […]
Read moreWilliams-Grand Canyon News (August 3, 2022) The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered and offered amendments on the Grand Canyon Protection Act, a bill that will protect about 1 million acres of public lands near Grand Canyon National Park from uranium mining. The Act would make permanent a ban on mining that was enacted administratively in 2012. This is […]
Read moreWilliams-Grand Canyon News (August 3, 2022) Over the weekend of July 16-17, Arizona Trail Association (ATA) volunteers and staff partnered with NPS Trails and Backcountry Information Center staff to remove fallen trees and clear the Arizona Trail corridor between the Widforss Trailhead and the North Rim Entrance Station. Each of the four saw teams were captained by an experienced and […]
Read moreArizona Republic (July 22, 2022) by Mare Czinar Shady and cool, Passage 31 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail is a satisfying respite from summer heat. The 17.9-mile segment of the 800+-mile, state-traversing route southeast of Flagstaff drops off the plateau lakes region of Anderson Mesa and heads into pine-oak woodlands in Coconino National Forest. Also known as the Walnut […]
Read moreDue to loss of chlorination at Roaring Springs, visitors traveling within the Inner Canyon north of the Colorado River need to treat all potable water sources with a water filtration system. This includes: Bright Angel Campground Phantom Ranch Cottonwood Campground Manzanita Rest Area Roaring Springs Supai Tunnel North Kaibab Trailhead In addition, waterline issues between Roaring Springs and the North […]
Read moreDue to significant precipitation received across the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests of northern Arizona, fire restrictions and certain area closures will be lifted starting at noon on Tuesday, June 28. Fire-related area closures will remain in effect around the perimeters of the Pipeline and Haywire fires but have been reduced in size. The decision to lift fire restrictions was made based […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (June 26, 2022) by Larry Hendricks I lean back against a log and listen to the ponderosas tell stories to the land. The stellar jays and crows share secrets in a language I want to understand. I count flower petals and pine needles that bounce on the breeze. The dog pants and laps cool water from my […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (May 22, 2022) by Larry Hendricks I lean back against a log and listen to the ponderosas tell stories to the land. The stellar jays and crows share secrets in a language I want to understand. I count flower petals and pine needles that bounce on the breeze. The dog pants and laps cool water from my […]
Read moreDue to extreme fire danger, the Coconino National Forest has issued a closure order for camping and campfires near Flagstaff. There is no overnight camping permitted along the following passages and mileages (using the FarOut app): Passage 31 (Walnut Canyon) from Sandys Canyon Trail (mile 554.8) to Walnut Canyon Road (mile 565.2) Passage 32 (Elden Mountain) from Railroad Tracks (mile […]
Read morePatagonia Regional Times (March 2022) by Robert Gay The first mile of the Arizona Trail (AZT), the much loved and well-trodden 800-mile path from Mexico to Utah, was closed in July 2020 when Border Wall construction began within the Coronado National Memorial at the Eastern edge of the San Rafael Valley. In that first mile of the Trail, starting at […]
Read moreKOLD TV (January 9, 2022) The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue crews confirmed they rescued an injured hiker on Sunday, Jan. 9. Officials said a 35-year-old man lost the Arizona Trail between Miller and Lutz Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. While he was trying to relocate the trail, he slipped and fell approximately 20 feet, injuring his head, […]
Read moreKJZZ (January 3, 2022) by Alisa Reznick The Arizona Trail runs from the U.S.-Mexico border into Utah. But its southernmost point has been closed thanks to the Trump administration’s border wall construction. After more than a year of closures, it’s opened to hikers again on Dec. 31, 2021. Nestled in the Huachuca Mountains, the Yaqui Ridge trail overlooks Mexico. Matthew Nelson […]
Read moreEast Greenwich News (January 31, 2021) by Jonathan Malone It was hot, it was dry, and I was afraid that I was running out of water. I had been hiking through the high plateau desert in Arizona for three days and I had seen only a handful of people, lots of cows, and a few horses. I had heard elk and coyotes, […]
Read moreThe National Park Service announced on December 30 that the southernmost mile of the Arizona Trail will reopen again on December 31 after a nearly 18-month closure. “We look forward to reopening the first passage of the Arizona Trail (AZT) this week,” said Southeast Arizona Parks Superintendent Matthew Carroll. “During the spring hiking season, many begin their northward journey at Monument 102 on the US/Mexico border within Coronado National Memorial. […]
Read moreArizona Daily Star (December 26, 2021) by Danyelle Khmara Trail runner Lydia Jennings decided to celebrate completing her doctorate with a 50-mile run on the Arizona Trail. A member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and an environmental microbiologist, she also did the run to honor 50 Indigenous scientists. She planned to start at the U.S.-Mexico border and run north — […]
Read morePayson Roundup (Nov 16, 2021) by Payson Roundup Staff Work is underway to improve the Highline National Recreation Trail (Highline Trail) on the Tonto National Forest. In September 2021, Tonto officials announced plans to improve and re-route portions of the Highline National Recreation Trail (Highline Trail) along with portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail and trails in the communities […]
Read moreArizona Republic (September 16, 2021) by Mare Czinar Slung between the edge-hugging dirt track of Schultz Pass Road and the sheer foothills below Mount Elden, Schultz Creek Trail rolls out like an emerald half-pipe. Because of its fluid, north-south track, hairpin turns and mild jumps, the historic route in the Mount Elden-Dry Lakes Hills area just a few miles north […]
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