AZ Trail News

November 6, 2026 ~ paysonroundup.com ~ by David C. Bolla The Highline Trail is now easier to find thanks to a newly installed sign in Pine. A Phoenix-based Arizona Trail crew led by former Arizona Trail Association trail steward Shawn Redfield installed a new Highline Trail portal sign at the Pine Trailhead on Thursday, Oct. 29. Materials for the sign were […]

Stunning Arizona (November 4, 2026) Tell us about yourself. Where are you based, and how did hiking and guiding become part of your life? My name is Matthew Nelson, and I’ve lived in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson since 1992 when I moved here from the Eastern Sierra of California. I was raised in the outdoors by parents who loved […]

journalaz.com ~ Joseph K Giddens – October 27, 2026 With mules Grandma and Judy, a shotgun, two pistols, topographic maps, a journal, a camera, jeans, sneakers, a proclamation from then-Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt and, eventually, a stray dog they picked up along the way, brothers Troy and Gil Gillenwater walked 810 miles across Arizona from the Mexican border in the […]

Alisha McDarris 20, 2026 10:58AM ~ backpacker.com As threats to public land grow, these trails (and many others) could be changed forever. Get out and experience them, and see why they’re worth fighting for. From the border wall complicating access to long trails’ southern termini to the potential repeal of the Roadless Rule, nature, wildlife, and public lands are currently […]

Arizona Republic (Oct 15, 2026) by Shi En Kim In August, the National Park Service halted funding for 133 projects across the country, claiming that the projects don’t align with the administration’s priorities. Critics disagree and are scratching their heads. What’s political, they ask, about funding the care of some 30 sled dogs in Denali National Park? “I cannot, for […]

KJZZ (October 14, 2026) by Mark Brodie MARK BRODIE: The Trump administration has blocked at least $25 million worth of projects in national parks across the country, according to the Washington Post. That accounts for more than 130 projects at parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree and Yosemite. With me to talk about what this might mean for […]

Arizona Horizon (October 13, 2026) Arizona National Parks face significant funding cuts after the U.S. Department of the Interior blocked hundreds of National Park partnership agreements worth over $20 million. This includes previously approved congressional funding for certain projects. The Arizona parks affected are Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Matthew Nelson, Executive Director of […]

Verde Independent (Oct 14, 2026) Keep Sedona Beautiful will hold its next Preserving the Wonder™ Speaker Series event on Wednesday, October 21 at 5 pm. This month, Joan Meiners, Journalist and Ecologist will share ‘The Arizona Trail: An 850-mile Mountain Bike Exploration of Climate Change’. As always, this presentation will be free and open to the public, and will be […]

Bikepacking.com (Oct 12, 2026) by Wyatt Spalding On the afternoon of day 10 of the 2026 Arizona Trail Race, I drove south from Flagstaff as the remnants of Hurricane Rachel began arriving in northern Arizona. Strong winds swept across the landscape beneath storm clouds and blankets of falling rain. As I approached Mormon Lake to photograph Liz Ryen, the landscape […]

AZPM (October 8, 2026) by Tony Paniagua Listen to a radio interview with Arizona Trail Association Executive Director about the Arizona National Scenic Trail, flooding in Grand Canyon, closures from border wall construction, administrative attacks on public lands, the Roadless Rule, Travel Management, and more! Listen here: Or check out AZPM’s YouTube channel. The Arizona Trail segment begins at 14:14.

ASU News (Oct 1, 2026) by Ayrel Clark-Proffitt The nearly 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail captures the wildness and remarkable diversity of Arizona, stretching from the Mexican border in the south to the state’s boundary with Utah in the north. Those who travel from end to end experience 100,000 feet of elevation change and traverse more than a dozen biomes, […]

AZPM (Sept 30, 2026) by Katya Mendoza A 55-mile section of land along the U.S.-Mexico border has been closed to the public during border wall construction. The Coronado National Forest issued a public health and safety closure order Monday, signed by Forest Supervisor Kerwin Dewberry, stating that individuals who violate the order could face a fine of up to $5,000 […]

Bikepacking (Sept 30, 2026) The Arizona Trail Race is an unofficial challenge that spans the entire state. Two distance options are available: the Arizona Trail 300, a 300-mile event held yearly since 2006, and the Arizona Trail 800, the complete traverse from Mexico to Utah, first offered in 2010 as the AZTR750. Both routes are run concurrently, and at the […]

Cibola Citizen (Sept 30, 2026) by Diego Lopez The Continental Divide Trail Coalition is raising concerns about the proposed Roca Honda uranium mine northwest of Grants, warning that mining can affect surrounding public lands, recreation and communities connected to national scenic trails. The coalition issued a statement Sept. 24 identifying mining as a growing threat to scenic trails in several […]

KVOA (Sept 25, 2026) More than 130 National Park Service partnership agreements worth at least 25 million dollars in pre-approved funds have been blocked by the Interior Department, impacting several Arizona sites. The Center for Western Priorities says Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Lake Mead National Recreation Area are among the Arizona locations affected. The Arizona Trail Association also […]

Idaho Mountain Express (Sept 11, 2026) In 1982, in a rebellion against convenience, brothers Troy and Powell “Gil” Gillenwater walked across Arizona. They weren’t chasing fame or following a mapped route – because there wasn’t one. What began as a homegrown adventure evolved into a journey that reflected the rugged beauty of the Southwest. Accompanied by two mules, a stray […]

AZ Luminaria (Sept 3, 2026) by Stephanie Casanova Amy Juan questioned why the Trump administration is misrepresenting the border wall as a critical security measure and targeting millions of dollars to build a structure the Tohono O’odham Nation doesn’t want. Juan, a Tohono O’odham citizen, said there are three Customs and Border Patrol Sectors – Ajo, Tucson and Casa Grande – […]

Cronkite News (September 2, 2026) by Ellis Preston The Trump administration’s push to allow more road construction in national forests has alarmed preservationists in Arizona, who warn the change could lead to logging or more uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. On Aug. 18, the Department of Agriculture announced the plan to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibits road construction and […]

Arizona Daily Sun (Aug 2, 2026) by Brenden Martin The triple crown of bikepacking is a relatively new idea and riders from all over have quickly grown attached. The trio of races — the Arizona Trail Race, the Colorado Trail Race and the Tour Divide — ask riders to complete more than 4,000 miles of all-terrain biking all on their […]

National Forest Foundation (Summer/Fall 2026) by Erin Vivid Riley Stretching from near the Grand Canyon to the Little Colorado River in Northern Arizona is a swath of country that’s nearly the size of Rhode Island. It’s a mix of private, state, and federal land—including the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests—historically part of Babbitt Ranches, a family-owned enterprise that was founded in 1886. When Billy Cordasco, the great-grandson of the ranch’s original […]

Payson Roundup (July 10, 2026) by David C. Bolla Rim Country trail builders are riding high following the release of a new federal report. After more than a decade of advocacy from the mountain biking and bikepacking communities, the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act was signed into law in January of last year. And last month the Highline […]