By 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 […]

By 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 […]

White 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 […]

Payson 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 […]

Payson 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 […]

Payson 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 […]

Payson 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 […]