Want 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.
In response to recent concerns about gastrointestinal illness along the Arizona Trail and potential causes being the Gila River and Remote Rainwater Collector, the ATA took water samples to a local laboratory for analysis. Results can be found here: Gila River – Passage 16 Rainwater Collector – Passage 17 The only alarming result is the presence of E. coli in […]
Read moreThe Coconino National Forest is currently managing the Blind Fire on the Happy Jack Passage, which started from a lightning strike on May 11. The fire is located 10 miles north of Clints Well and is currently about 15 acres in size. Fire managers are hoping to treat 5,255 acres of forest land by conducting firing operations Wednesday through Saturday. Trail users should […]
Read moreBeginning May 1, the Tonto National Forest will enter Stage II Fire Restrictions. The following are prohibited on lands, roads, and trails in the Forest: Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building Welding or operating any acetylene or other torch with an open area Discharging a firearm, air rifle, […]
Read moreVisit Arizona (April 21, 2025) As the city where Pluto was discovered, Flagstaff is famous for its dark skies. And as this episode of “Arizona Revealed” shows, it’s also beloved as a four-season destination where the changing seasons set life’s cadence. Featuring the Arizona Trail, Lowell Observatory, Museum of Northern Arizona, and Arizona Nordic Village, click here to watch this […]
Read moreNorovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastrointestinal illness and has recently affected hikers and bikers along certain sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT), particularly around Kearny, Superior and Roosevelt. This advisory is intended to help trail users understand the risk and take proper precautions. What is Norovirus? Norovirus spreads easily through contaminated food, water, surfaces, […]
Read moreGrand Canyon National Park has officially confirmed that walk-up backcountry permits will be available for spring thru-hikers in 2025 with the following date ranges: April 1 – May 14: Sites will only be available at Cottonwood Campground May 15 – June 11: Sites will also be made available at Bright Angel Campground If you are arriving before or after these […]
Read moreAll Phantom Ranch operations are closed from January 2 to March 30, 2025, for the installation of new water and electric lines for the Transcanyon Waterline Project. Hikers can still access the North Kaibab Trail, however, the bypass route around Phantom Ranch may change. Please follow all closure signs and be aware that water will only be available at Boat […]
Read moreKNAU (Jan 7, 2025) by KNAU Staff The non-profit Flagstaff Biking Organization and the Coconino National Forest say a new recreational trail has connected one the city’s most popular parks with forested areas. The realignment of the Lower Oldham Trail is part of the Arizona National Scenic Trail that extends from Utah to Mexico. The gravel path links Buffalo Park […]
Read moreOn September 26-29, 2024, the Arizona Trail Veterans Engagement and Trail Stewardship (VETS) program volunteered to do trail work on Passage 32 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. The event focused on building new connections within the veteran community while giving back to a the cross-state trail. Participants worked together to improve the trail from Little Elden to Weatherford Trailhead […]
Read moreSignals (September 17, 2024) The AZT VETS (Veteran Engagement & Trail Stewardship) and Coconino National Forest Service are hosting this Veteran Volunteer Work Weekend on Passage 32B of the Arizona Trail over National Public Lands Day, improving the trail corridor between Little Elden Mountain and Weatherford Trailheads. Most meals will be provided at no extra cost to participants. Pre-registration is […]
Read moreArizona Republic (Sept 18, 2024) by Roger Naylor Hope is restored. After yet another scorching summer, the relief of autumn is finally within sight. Cooler temperatures are on the way. Of course, shorter days also signal the start of one of nature’s most beloved seasonal displays — fall colors are coming to Arizona. Unlike spring wildflowers, fall colors do not […]
Read moreGrand Canyon National Park announced in July that Bright Angel Campground will be closed from November 4, 2024 – May 15, 2025 to support replacement of the TransCanyon Pipeline. This will impact Arizona Trail thru-hikers during the Spring 2025 season. Since dispersed camping is not permitted in this area and inner canyon corridor trails are patrolled daily, thru-hikers should attempt […]
Read moreWorld Atlas (May 9, 2024) by Elizabeth Arnold Located in the beautiful American Southwest, Arizona is part of the “four corners” region. The state of Arizona is diverse in many ways, from expansive deserts to sweeping mountain ranges and quiet hometowns and bustling cities. If you’re traveling to Arizona, consider checking out one of its many charming small towns for a […]
Read moreGrand Canyon National Park has confirmed that hikers are allowed to walk on the paved road to avoid the snowy AZT during the spring season before the road opens, typically on May 15. Mountain bikers are not allowed to ride the road and must follow the trail. The Park reiterated that hikers walking the plowed and paved North Rim Road should be aware […]
Read moreOutside Online (April 23, 2024) by Graham Averill Base camp might be my favorite two words in the English language. Base camp is where you stage the next excursion, or refuel with a bowl of stew, or a beer. You rest and recover there. If you’re lucky, you can slip into a hot tub or cold spring, because base camps don’t […]
Read morePatheos (April 6, 2024) by Ken Chitwood In February 2019, Miguel stared out at the San Pedro Valley in Mexico, stretching for miles below him from his position on Yaqui Ridge in the Coronado National Monument. Standing at Monument 102, which marks the symbolic start of the 800-mile-long Arizona Trail, Miguel remarked on how the border here doesn’t look like […]
Read moreOur partners at Coronado National Memorial have observed an increase in immigrant foot traffic activity over the past few weeks. Visitors to Coronado National Memorial have reported seeing people in camouflage near the border and on the Arizona Trail, although no direct contact between the groups has occurred. If you’re planning a hike along Passage 1 this season, especially to […]
Read moreKGUN 9 News (April 5, 2024) by Austin Janos Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue crews embarked on a dangerous mission to save an injured hiker who was stuck on the Arizona Trail for multiple days. According to the group’s Facebook page, crews were notified by border patrol on April 3, about a 60-year-old man on the trail suffering […]
Read morePhoenixMag.org | MARE CZINAR | February 14, 2024 Tonto National Forest, near Superior Notoriously overgrown, unmarked and insanely steep, getting to the top of Picketpost Mountain is a make-it-up-as-you-go prospect. Located outside the Town of Superior, the adventure starts with a hike south on the Alamo Canyon Passage 17 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. About a mile in, a […]
Read moreBy Michele Nelson Payson Roundup ~ Saturday’s event marked the third year for the Highline Hold’Em mountain bike fundraising ride, and ridership increased by 70%. And that shows how a million-dollar Forest Service investment in the Highline Trail can spur the local economy and increase use of the forest. The Forest Service, the Rim Country Mountain Bike Association and other […]
Read moreOn the AZT’s Passage 19, between Highway 188 and Cemetery Trail Junction, trail users will encounter cattle trails at approximately mile 448.9 southbound (1.2 miles south of Highway 188) due to heavy livestock traffic to and from a metal water tank. Southbound users should remain on the north side of the wash here, proceeding gently uphill on the right bank […]
Read moreThe Coconino National Forest has expanded the boundaries of the existing year-round camping and campfire ban located adjacent to the City of Flagstaff in an attempt to lower the hazard from human-caused wildfires. A full map of the expanded camping and campfire ban, which went into effect May 1, 2023, is available on the Coconino National Forest’s website. This information is also on all Arizona Trail navigational resources, including […]
Read moreOn August 8, members of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and leaders from conservation, sportsmen, recreation, faith and outdoor organizations joined President Biden as he used his authorities under the Antiquities Act to protect 917,618 acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park as Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. This includes nearly 40 […]
Read moreBy Michele Nelson Payson Roundup —- The Arizona Trail crosses 19 communities, but only seven will have a four-panel kiosk installed celebrating the trail and the town. Due to connections, Payson will be one of the lucky kiosk communities. “A resident, Trevor Creighton, told the town about this project. Trevor then contacted the mayor as well,” said Interim Parks and […]
Read moreAfter 18 months of hard work, our partners at the Coronado National Forest have released the first comprehensive trail plan for the Santa Catalina Ranger District, which includes the northern slope of the Rincon Mountains, Mount Lemmon, Summerhaven and Oracle Ridge. According to Adam Milnor, Recreation, Heritage and Lands Staff Officer for the Forest, the plan includes projects to “diversify […]
Read moreThe Trek (May 12023) by Rachel Shoemaker The Arizona Trail Association recently installed a 1,500-gallon Remote Rainwater Collector along an arid segment of trail in Passage 15 in Pinal County. The installation of this collector, which was completed on April 6, is a welcome addition that will bring much-needed relief to hikers on this 28.1-mile dry stretch of trail. The unit, which is the […]
Read moreOn April 6, Arizona Trail Association staff and volunteers completed installation of a Remote Rainwater Collector along a particularly arid segment of trail on Passage 15 in Pinal County. This unit is located north of the Freeman Road Trailhead on the ancestral lands of the O’odham and Western Apache, and holds 1,500 gallons of water. This is the second remote […]
Read moreYesterday, tribal leaders of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, joined by Congressman Raúl Grijalva and Senator Kyrsten Sinema, launched an effort to call on President Biden to use his authorities under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni […]
Read moreWhite Mountain Independent (March 22, 2023) by Michele Nelson Meandering along the face of the 2,000-foot-tall Mogollon Rim, the Highline Trail threads the boundary between ponderosa pine and pinyon juniper forests. The soaring cliffs capture storms, creating springs, drainages and hidden canyons. These storms and the Rim’s geology provide a unique ecological meeting place for plants and animals from the […]
Read moreRecent reports from hikers show that the crossing at the East Verde River is at a record high! Crossing this river requires wading in cold, deep water. You will see AZT signs on both sides of the river, however most hikers cross at the rapids 20 yards downstream since this is where it’s the most shallow. The calmer water is […]
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