Border wall construction to restrict access to the Arizona Trail

Arizona Republic (July 10, 2020) by Rafael Carranza Preparations to begin installing 30-foot steel bollards through pristine mountain wilderness along the Arizona-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista will begin as early as Monday, according to conservationists critical of border wall construction in protected federal lands. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday they would close access starting on July 13 to a popular […]

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Arizona Trail Southern Trailhead Closed During Border Wall Construction

KJZZ (July 10, 2020) by Michel Marizco The Arizona Trail’s start along the U.S.-Mexico border will be closed for months beginning Monday so the Trump administration can finish building a border wall in the area. The U.S. government has several ongoing border wall projects throughout Arizona. Some along tribal lands, others across rivers and now it’s about to begin a two-mile […]

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Polles Fire 61% Contained

Payson Roundup (July 9, 2020) by Alexis Bechman After winds initially pushed the Polles Fire northeast for a few tense days, crews on Thursday reported marked containment on the 572-acre fire west of Payson. As of Thursday morning, the fire was 61% contained. There has been no reported growth on the fire since Sunday evening. After a helicopter pilot was […]

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Arizona Trail Closed For Border Wall Construction Within Coronado National Memorial

Customs 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 […]

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Trump’s Border Wall Threatens Arizona Trail

June 8, 2020 (Wisconsin Gazette) The Trump administration wants to build a border wall across the terminus of the 800-mile long, federally protected Arizona Trail. A 30-ft steel barrier could soon rip through the rugged Huachuca Mountains, stopping migrating jaguars and ocelots in their tracks and changing the experience of thousands of hikers forever. Watch Matthew Nelson of the Arizona […]

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Shady, flowery hike near Flagstaff is a fun summer outing. Here are 2 ways to try it

Arizona Republic (June 24, 2020) by Mare Czinar Since prehistoric times, the fertile forests around Mormon Lake have served Native peoples, wildlife, commerce and recreationists. The geologically complex area of volcanic landforms and natural lakes is situated among historic travel corridors that have been used for centuries by early inhabitants, loggers and ranchers. Gooseberry Springs, which sits at the base […]

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ATA Stands in Support of Black Lives Matter

The Arizona Trail Association (ATA) stands in support of Black Lives Matter and issues impacting Indigenous and other People of Color. We recognize they have faced hardship and discrimination for too long, and we want to help everyone reach a place of fairness, equality and cooperation. One way we already work to be ever more inclusive is with our Seeds […]

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Hart Prairie Restoration Underway

Please 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 […]

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Dale Shewalter Remembered

by John Nelson, May 2020 The other day was Dale’s birthday. I can’t believe he’d be seventy now. He’ll always be about thirty for us. This morning we listened to Irish music and had sourdough pancakes in his honor. Lisa and I met Dale in about 1978 when we lived next to each other in the two second-story apartments above an […]

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The Trail Show Talks about the AZT and the Border Wall

The Trail Show (May 26, 2020) by Lawton “Disco” Grinder The Trail Show, America’s greatest hiking podcast, features a conversation with Arizona Trail Association Executive Director Matthew Nelson about how a border wall and infrastructure would impact the southern terminus of the AZT. You can listen to Episode #94 here. The Arizona Trail segment begins at 1:25:42 into the podcast.

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Public lands in Arizona become epicenter for fight over Trump’s border wall construction

Arizona Republic (May 18, 2020) by Rafael Carranza Kimberly Lea and Kimberly Knebel hiked around Phoenix for months, carrying weights and monitoring their water use, in preparation to start hiking the first section of the Arizona Trail. The scenic 800-mile-long route stretches from the Arizona-Utah state line south to the Coronado National Memorial, 4,750 acres of protected mountain landscapes and grassy plains on the […]

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Hopi Tribe: Border Wall Construction Would Block Ceremonial Migration Route

KNAU (May 15, 2020) by Ryan Heinsius The Hopi Tribe says the Trump administration’s plan to build 74 miles of barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border would disrupt a ceremonial migration route. According to Hopi Vice Chairman Clark Tenakhongva it would cut off the Palatkwapi Trail, which the tribe uses to maintain cultural and ceremonial connections to Indigenous groups in Mexico […]

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Trail Construction Near Patagonia Commences

Trail 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 […]

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Homeland Security Secretary Tours Southern Arizona Border, Assesses Department’s COVID-19 Response

Latin Post (May 13, 2020) by Danielle Ong Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf recently toured Southern Arizona’s borderlands to inspect the ongoing wall construction projects. He also gauged his department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wolf began his tour with a visit to the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales-a critical crossing point for millions of manufactured products and immigrants. He […]

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Arizona Trail Association Says Border Wall Proposal Threatens Key Section Of Trail

KNAU (May 12, 2020) by Ryan Heinsius The Arizona Trail Association says the Trump administration’s plan to expand its border wall would destroy one of the trail’s most important sites. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports. The proposed 74-miles of new border barrier would cut through the southernmost section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in the Huachuca Mountains and Coronado National […]

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Border Fence Threatens Trailhead

KJZZ (May 12, 2020) by Michel Marizco The Trump administration wants to build a new section of border fence through the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County. The Arizona Trail Association says that would destroy the trailhead to the legacy hiking path. Customs and Border Protection is taking public comment through May 15 on the project. It wants to build an […]

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Trail Through Patagonia

El Inde (May 10, 2020) by Devyn Edelstein Patagonia has a lot of visitors who walk a long way to spend a short time there. Former professional cyclist Chuck Veylupek is one of them. He passed through Patagonia in February, eight days into a four-month, 800-mile trek on the Arizona Trail. Veylupek, 51 years old, has a beard, grey hair, […]

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Arizona Trail Association Opposes Border Wall Construction

The Trek (May 11, 2020) by Hugh Owen The Arizona Trail Association is speaking out against a border wall project that it says would “significantly impact the Southern Terminus of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, transform the landscape and its visual resources, and forever alter the Arizona Trail experience.” The federal Customs and Border Protection agency plans to build 30-foot-tall […]

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Arizona Trail Association Sends Out Public S.O.S To Help Stop Border Wall Construction Near Southern Trailhead

Tucson Weekly (May 8, 2020) by Austin Counts The Arizona Trail Association is hoping the community will voice concern to help to stop construction of the border barriers near its southern trailhead through the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County. And fast: The deadline is May 15. Customs and Border Protection officials announced plans to continue a 30-foot steel barrier across […]

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Repairing the AZT’s Highline Passage

Anyone 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 […]

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Economic Value of Trails in Arizona

A new report is now available from Arizona State Parks and Trails and the University of Arizona highlighting the economic value of trails to Arizona residents, based on the benefits to those using them. Economic Value of Trails in Arizona – A Travel Cost Method Study estimates statewide demand for motorized and non-motorized trails and highlights the importance of providing […]

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City Creek blossoms just west of town

Payson Roundup (April 27, 2020) by Alexis Bechman Searching for a new spot to hike recently led to a wonderful discovery west of Payson. With many developed trailheads closed and looking for something outside the popular Payson Area Trail System (PATS), we set off down Main Street to the City Creek trailhead, near the Doll Baby Ranch. While I have […]

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Springtime on the Arizona Trail – a letter from the Executive Director

Yesterday I spent a few hours exploring the Arizona Trail in southern Arizona. Ocotillo flowers created a bright red canopy while yellow brittlebush and pink penstemon decorated the desert floor. Everyone I encountered along the trail was smiling and enjoying a beautiful spring day outdoors. The trail was in great condition, and I noticed recent signs of tread repair and […]

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