Hazardous Conditions at Grand Canyon North Rim

  The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open on Friday, June 2 at 6 a.m. to mark the official start of the 2023 season. Following a record-setting snow season, this delayed opening is necessary to ensure the safe plowing of State Route 67 and allow staff to reopen visitor facilities on the North Rim. Key changes this […]

Read more

Gila River Flowing Fast

Be 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 more

Important Information For Thru-Hikers and Riders For Spring 2022

If your thru-hike or thru-ride is scheduled for Spring of ‘22, you picked a prime time! With decent winter precipitation and mild temperatures, chances are this Spring could be an epic wildflower year with fresh flowing streams and pleasant weather. But no promises. The one thing you can be sure of is the adventure of a lifetime. The Arizona Trail […]

Read more

Washout near manzanita creek impassable for equestrians

A recent washout of the North Kaibab segment of the Arizona Trail within Grand Canyon National Park has presented an insurmountable obstacle for equestrians. The hazard is located just south of the Manzanita Creek Footbridge (south of the Manzanita Rest Area) at AZT mile 706.6. This is approximately 5.7 miles south of the North Kaibab Trailhead, and 1.4 miles north […]

Read more

IMPORTANT Updates for AZT Thru-Hikers and Riders

AZT Thru-Hiker/Thru-Rider IMPORTANT Updates (March 18, 2020) If you are currently thru-hiking or thru-riding the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) then you’re probably in one of the safest places imaginable. The AZT is an ideal place to practice social distancing to help fight the spread of COVID-19. However, recent events locally and nationally mean your long-distance adventure is about to […]

Read more

Through the Great Southwest Now Available for Download

“Through the Great Southwest” is a documentary film about the Arizona Trail. The trail, which showcases amazingly beautiful and diverse terrain, has an equally significant impact on the lives of many of the people who hike, ride, run, and support it across the state of Arizona. Outdoor Evolution Founder Darwin Rakestraw makes his directorial debut with this Film Project inspired […]

Read more

Annual Report Now Available

The Arizona Trail Association is proud to share our 2019 Annual Report with you. The Annual Report includes highlights of our most successful projects from throughout 2019 as well as our top priorities for 2020. The Annual Report was given to everyone who attended the Annual Members Meeting on February 1 at the Desert Botanical Garden, and it’s now available […]

Read more

AZT Rainwater Collector

On August 30-31, a dedicated crew of eight Arizona Trail Association volunteers joined Assistant Trail Director Zach MacDonald to venture into a particularly remote segment of the Arizona Trail to install an AZT Rainwater Collector. This unit is the first of its kind and was designed by the Arizona Trail Association and metalsmith extraordinaire Rob Bauer in consultation with sustainability […]

Read more

Passage 1C – Huachuca Mountains – Sunnyside Canyon to Bear Spring – Annual Maintenance Event 2019

We had 7 hearty souls who showed up for the Huachuca Mountains – Annual AZT Maintenance Event – Passage 1C to escape the heat for the weekend at the Miller Peak Wilderness in the Huachuca Mountains, one of the scenic Sky Islands of southern Arizona. This is the land of manzanita, oak, juniper, firs and pines with sweeping views across […]

Read more

Northern Terminus Monument

On Saturday, May 5 a crew of stonemasons from Payson met with Passage 43 Trail Steward Paul Ostapuk at the Stateline Campground on the Arizona/Utah border to construct an official northern terminus monument. For anyone who has completed the AZT or visited this location, you know it’s impossible to determine where the trail ends. Not anymore! Carlos Rodriguez (RB Stonework) […]

Read more

Earth Day Trail Work in the Santa Ritas

We coordinated two trail work events in Southern Arizona to commemorate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, and to finish some much needed trail rehabilitation at Enzenberg Canyon in the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains (AZT Passage 5). Saturday, April 21, we coordinated with a high school group from the Coronado Youth Corps (CYC) to repair a gate latch […]

Read more

Cleaning Out the Sandbox

The box culvert under Highway 77 near the northern end of Passage 13 often fills up with sand, making it difficult for anyone over 5 feet tall to walk through (and it’s impossible for equestrians). The ATA recently procured a special permit from the Arizona Department of Transportation to allow Rob Bauer to remove a few tons of sand from […]

Read more