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.
Arizona 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 […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (July 5, 2021) by Bonnie Stevens Billy Cordasco and Ryan Butler sat on a hilltop behind Cedar Ranch and watched as the Slate Fire pushed its way east through juniper, pinyon and ponderosa pine forest from Highway 180 toward the historic ranch house, barn, wells and pipeline north of the San Francisco Peaks. Cordasco, president and general […]
Read moreWorld Atlas (July 1, 2021) Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States. The State has diverse geography featuring volcanoes, mountains, canyons, plateaus, and deserts. Situated in the central part of the US State of Arizona, mostly within Gila County is the majestic Theodore Roosevelt Lake. This large lake is located in the Salt River Valley about 130km […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (Jun 22, 2021) by Sam McManis Whenever I step foot on a passage of the Arizona Trail, especially a segment that’s somewhat remote, I think about all those hardy (crazy?) thru-hikers who have traversed the 800-mile trail, in toto. How were they feeling at this point in their epic trek? Were they dehydrated, blister-sore and cursing the […]
Read moreArizona Republic (June 9, 2021) by Mare Czinar Short, easy and scenic, the Sandy Seep Trail offers quick access to a network of routes on the east flanks of Mount Elden in northeast Flagstaff. While the 1.5-mile path makes for a sweet standalone hike, it also serves as an on-ramp for the 42-mile, city-circling Flagstaff Loop Trail and the 800-plus-mile, state-traversing […]
Read moreThe Slate Fire has forced a closure of the Arizona Trail north of Flagstaff near Babbitt Ranch. In the interest of public safety, the northern half of AZT Passage 34 (San Francisco Peaks) is currently closed between Kelly Tank (mile 603.3) and Cedar Ranch (mile 616.2). Trail users are discouraged from visiting Passage 35 (Babbitt Ranch) as the fire advances […]
Read morePayson Roundup (May 28, 2021) by Michele Nelson Undaunted, my daughter trudged up the Highline/Arizona Trail from the Pine Trailhead. She walked this same stretch two years and a pandemic century ago — a different person. Brooke solo hiked the 800-mile Arizona Trail after obtaining an undergraduate degree in geology from ASU. She’s working on a master’s degree in geology […]
Read moreAZ Central (May 24, 2021) Click here to read about the top 14 things to do around Flagstaff this summer, including hiking, running or riding on Flagstaff’s world-famous trails — many of which connect to the Arizona Trail! Beautiful photos accompany all of the activities within the Arizona Trail’s premier gateway community.
Read morePayson Roundup (May 11, 2021) by Michele Nelson After six months, a grant, a donation, and hundreds of volunteer hours, the Arizona Trail Association has completed a re-route of one of the most disliked portions of the Arizona Trail — Passage 25. The Arizona Trail marches up the middle of Arizona. It starts in the south at the Mexican border, […]
Read moreKJZZ (April 26, 2021) by Michel Marizco There’s arguably no more divisive infrastructure project in the U.S. right now than this border wall I’m standing in the shadow of. I’m here with Kate Scott of the Madrean Archipelago wildlife center in Arizona’s Cochise County. We’re in the Pajarito Mountains west of Nogales where most of the work stopped on the […]
Read moreOutside Online (April 20, 2021) by Megan Michelson With pandemic-fueled use on the rise, it’s a good thing trail builders have been busy opening new pathways for you to hike, run, and bike Last year the American Hiking Society reported a 200 percent increase in trail usage in U.S. cities than in 2019. It seems Americans are letting off their pandemic stress […]
Read moreSignals (April 5, 2021) The 300-acre McMillan Mesa Natural Area is one of the last intact native grasslands within the city of Flagstaff and provides habitat for deer, prairie dogs, American kestrels, and other fauna. To preserve the native grassland, the city of Flagstaff’s Open Space Program will work with partners to remove invasive trees, starting on April 7, 2021. […]
Read moreWANE-TV (March 25, 2021) by Fernie Ortiz Rescue crews plucked a woman from the rugged Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona after she broke a leg while hiking alone, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. The Cochise County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team requested air support to get the woman to safety after she became stranded on […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (Mach 23, 2021) by Adrian Skabelund After a decade, a new windfarm appears to be moving forward on an area about 30 miles north of Flagstaff. The project, by the Florida-based company NextEra Energy Resources, hopes to bring about 61 wind turbines and between 400 and 600 acres of solar panels, as well as a battery storage […]
Read moreYour support is needed to help us reach our fundraising goal this Spring to support construction of the Temporal Gulch Reroute Project. Please DONATE securely online today! Our goal is to raise enough money between March 22 – April 3 to sustain the next phase of trail construction. This project will remove the AZT from 17 miles of paved and […]
Read moreNew York Times en Español (16 de marzo de 2021) Por Simon Romero y Zolan Kanno-Youngs La prisa para construirlo duró hasta el último día del mandato del expresidente. El esfuerzo dejó secciones raras e incompletas de una barrera cuyo destino está ahora en manos del presidente Biden. Durante mucho tiempo, los excursionistas que completaban el Sendero de Arizona, una ruta de 1287 kilómetros que […]
Read moreNew York Times (March 16, 2021) by Simon Romero and Zolan Kanno-Youngs A last-minute rush to build lasted through Donald J. Trump’s last day in office. The effort left odd, partially completed sections of a barrier whose fate President Biden must now determine. The sweeping view of undefiled wilderness on the border with Mexico long rewarded hikers who completed the Arizona Trail, […]
Read moreTravel Awaits (March 12, 2021) by Cindy Barks Equal parts outdoor hotspot and artsy Western outpost, Patagonia, Arizona, packs an improbable number of fun attractions into its community of fewer than 900 people. Located about 18 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, charming Patagonia is among the communities known as Sky Islands (Sonoita, Elgin, and Patagonia) for their relatively high elevation and […]
Read moreThe Grand Canyon Protection Act passed the U.S House of Representatives today! This important conservation legislation would protect the Arizona Trail from dangerous uranium mining north and south of Grand Canyon National Park. Thank you, Congressman Raul Grijalva, and all Representatives who voted in favor of the Act (Gallego, Kirkpatrick, O’Halleran, Stanton). Now, it’s on to the Senate. Please encourage your […]
Read moreVail Style Magazine (February 2021) by Kevin Boerup As darkness fell on the high, lonely desert at Cienega Creek one summer night in 1887, a Southern Pacific passenger train suddenly slammed on its brakes. Gunfire pierced the night and the Doc Smart Gang stepped out of the darkness. After robbing the train, a sheriff’s posse was soon formed, and the […]
Read moreThe Trek (December 22, 2020) by Abigail Kessler Though it’s listed as the South Rim section of the trail, this passage mostly takes you through Kaibab National Forest and the back ways of Grand Canyon National Park, only occasionally hinting at the chasm to come. There’s plenty to enjoy about the trip, however– as well as a number of options […]
Read moreThe Bureau of Land Management’s Arizona Strip Field Office recently rescinded the fire closure order that has kept the Buckskin Mountain Passage off-limits since the Pine Hollow Fire started in July 2020. The northernmost 10.6 miles of trail between Winter Road and Stateline Campground are open again, but all Arizona Trail adventurers should use caution within the burn zone. Falling […]
Read moreLake Powell Life News by Halley Simpson FREDONIA, Ariz., September 16, 2020 — A significant portion of the Mangum Fire closure has been reopened to the public. The Kaibab National Forest has lifted some road closures as well as the nearly 80,000-acre area closure that spanned the northernmost part of the North Kaibab Ranger District. The Kaibab National Forest continues to […]
Read moreTemporary Trail Closure Due to a large Homeland Security based construction project along the US-Mexico border, the National Park Service is implementing public use closure at Coronado National Memorial, effective at 0001 hours on December 1, 2019. Pursuant to the authority contained in the 16 United States Code 3, and Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, sections 1.5 […]
Read moreCustoms and Border Protection (CBP) announced their plans today to construct two miles of border barriers through the Huachuca Mountains within Coronado National Memorial and across the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Beginning Monday, July 13 the southernmost two miles of the Trail will be closed in the interest of public safety during construction activities. Click here to send a pre-formatted […]
Read morePlease use caution while enjoying the Arizona Trail near Hart Prairie between Aspen Corner and Forest Road 418 during the summer of 2020. The U.S. Forest Service will be cutting and masticating ponderosa pine trees throughout the area to restore the meadow environment. This project allows regrowth of Bebb willow and other alpine meadow species that have been pushed out […]
Read moreTrail construction on the 32-mile Temporal Gulch Reroute Project has begun! A crew of four American Conservation Experience trail professionals and a mini-excavator operator – Rob Bauer of Bauer Built Trails – have been hard at work building singletrack in the Canelo Hills. Watch this 30-second time-lapse video for a snapshot of what they’re up to. Once completed, this project […]
Read moreAnyone who has visited the Highline Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail over the past few years will remember the ditch that bisected the trail near Geronimo Spring. The chasm has grown deeper and more dangerous with every storm, creating a significant safety hazard for trail users. Thanks to funding from the State of Arizona and a collaborative effort […]
Read moreBe aware of a temporary detour between 593.9 (Dog Food Trail Junction) and mile 592.4 (Old Weatherford Road) on Passage 34a of the Arizona National Scenic Trail due to forest thinning activities. Follow Forest Road 6275 (Old Weatherford Road) instead of AZT for 0.5-mile. Look for orange detour signs.
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (November 13, 2019) by Sam McManis Want to start an argument among local trail runners and hikers, get their heart rates zooming as if they’ve just sprinted up Humphreys Peak? Ask them which section of the Arizona Trail, the segments wending their way through Flagstaff and environs, is the best. By best, we mean the most enjoyable […]
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